...to see the Yankees knocked off their throne. For a moment, I forgot it wasn't the Red Sox who just clinched a World Series berth--that's how excited I am for the Texas Rangers. It's their first AL pennant and World Series appearance ever and they've been fun to watch. Like I said in the last blog, if it can't be the Red Sox representing the American League in the Fall Classic, it's very satisfying to see a team like the Rangers, who have gone from a one-dimensional slugging team to one who excels in all facets of the game, playing for all the marbles instead.
Congratulations to Josh Hamilton for winning the ALCS MVP. By hitting .350 with 4 HR, he's very deserving of the honor. He gave a lot of credit to his teammates and it's clear from his acceptance speech that he's very close to them. The respect goes both ways, with the team choosing to celebrate with ginger ale instead of champagne to honor his wishes to remain drug-free after battling addiction earlier in his career.
Speaking of key players in this series, Cliff Lee gets a lot of credit for his shutdown pitching in Game 3 and it's all well-deserved, but props are also due to Colby Lewis, who pitched two excellent starts, in games 2 and 6. He went 8 tonight and manager Ron Washington (my pick for AL Manager of the Year) could avoid going to middle relief and send Neftali Feliz out there for the final 3 outs. That A-Rod struck out to seal the deal made it all even sweeter.
By getting it done in Game 6, Cliff Lee will be available to pitch in Game 1 of the World Series against either Halladay or Lincecum--a marquee matchup either way. While I'd love to see a Rangers-Giants World Series, all I care about is that the Yankees aren't in it. I never thought I'd enjoy a post-season so much without the Red Sox involved... Let's hope they ARE involved in the post-season of 2011.
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