The Rangers are now officially playing meaningless baseball — this season though, we got to stick along for the ride until the end of September. While bittersweet, especially considering what was no less than a complete collapse a couple of weeks ago, it has been a very long time since I’ve been able to stay to involved and wrapped up in Rangers baseball for so long into the season.
We’ve gotten to see the debut of several young stars: Elvis Andrus, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz, Julio Borbon, and Tommy Hunter, among others. We got to see Scott Feldman pitch like a staff ace for most of the season, winning an impressive 17 games. We even got to see a completely different Kevin Millwood for most of the season.
We were able to welcome back Pudge to Texas, and have the treat of watching Omar Visquel play in a Rangers uniform.
Kinsler had only the second 30/30 season by a second baseman in MLB history. On that note, Washington, please put Kinsler in the middle of the lineup next season.
Michael Young was again a model of hitting consistency and Marlon Bryd had a breakout season.
Most importantly, we saw this team lead the AL West for the first time in years and we watched them do so over a span of months and not days.
It was definitely one hell of a ride:
Thanks for one hell of season boys, see you in 2010.