Texas Rangers. I've given so much money, time, and most importantly faith (worship?) to you guys. You've given me great joy and heartache in my quarter century of life, particularly as of late, and yet you've failed to bring me my championship. Then again maybe it's me that failed. Maybe my superstitions were wrong. Maybe I didn't spill enough blood, or didn't give enough compliments to strangers in the name of the Texas Rangers. I just don't know.
That being said, I have, and will continue to be loyal to you and your players. Josh Hamilton was a Texas Ranger and brought great success to the ball club. I appreciated everything he did for us at the Temple, and I still admire him as a ballplayer. Now let me explain why it feels like he is spitting his cheek full of tar in my face.
I'm a baseball fanatic. The beauty of the game's history, its intricacies, and my own experiences can make me tear up at times because it means so much to me. I doubt I'm alone with such sentiments. Yet here I am living in Dallas, which is not exactly a historical place for that sport. Thus, Josh doesn't need to spit in our cuts by stating the obvious that this isn't a "baseball town". He isn't the first and won't be the last to say that. This is also not the first and probably not the last time Josh is not going to think before he speaks. Josh--the booing that you suspect when you come back to Arlington means that us fans "don't get it"?
No.
You don't get it.
We vouched for you, made excuses to our friends and out-of-towners, and rationalized your mistakes on and off the field. We attested to your baseball prowess and made up nick-names. We bought your jersey's and t-shirts and forgave you when you relapsed on alcohol. We turned out the 3rd highest fan attendance in baseball last season, in the hottest ballpark in the MLB. We were there roaring for you in triple digit heat day in and day out. Us fans paid your salary and the Texas Rangers club gave you chance after chance to make your career what it is today. We listened to your excuses about your eyesight, getting back to your faith, and quitting tobacco. We didn't care what the reason was because we believed in you.
If it wasn't for the Texas Rangers organization, where might you likely be today? How dare you say that you "don't owe" us anything? As a Christian, one that I might add is constantly reminding the public of your faith, you should understand forgiveness, fellowship, and the trust that Rangers fans have put in you. How can you so easily snub us? Wouldn't a good Christian example take it and turn it into a positive? Wouldn't you be giving the ultimate rebuttal to "haters" by saying how you appreciated everything that the majority of Ranger fandom gave you?
Oh wait, you want to bring up your last game here where you got booed? I was there. Unfortunately, your 0-4 performance at that time was nothing new, but a trend you had been on, one that epitomized the downfall of the Texas Rangers season in 2012. I won't bring up your dropping an easy fly ball that could have given us a division title. Oh wait I just did. You stopped playing like you cared. Or at least you looked like you did and played with zero discipline. Serious baseball fans aren't idiots, and we've been around the game enough to see a player putting forth all of their effort and those that aren't. Your head was somewhere else. We saw you when you tried. That was the Hambone we needed. That chilly October night, when you heard the boos...they weren't just for you, we were booing the entire team for falling off like they did. You were supposed to be a leader and you failed to show that you were a champion, again.
So we shall see what happens this year with your game both behind the microphone and on the diamond. Honestly, I for one wish you the best. Not against my Texas Rangers of course, but I hope that you come around to seeing those that helped you get to where you are. I won't boo you when you come to Arlington, but two things: Do you think the things you say are helping make fans like you? And: Do you actually think Anaheim is a "baseball town"?
