And that’s
just what the Texas Rangers are trying to do, take the Division away from the Houston
Astros, or at least the rivalry of the Silver Boot, that the two teams play for
since the turn of this century!
Its an
imaginary rivalry, or at least that is what the teams used to say back in the
early 2000’s, when this first started with interleague play, and the Rangers
would go down I-45, to take on the Houston Astros, and play three games down
there, then turn around, and play three games in Arlington.
The premise
of this, was to create a rivalry that would pit fans against each other, and
that one team was better than the other. However, the players weren’t buying
into it. Mainly because one team was in the National League, the Senior League
as they thought of themselves, over the American League, or the Junior squad!
It came across
that way, when they decided to create something that would put two teams in the
same state that didn’t play each other for the last 28 years of the last part
of the 20th Century, when the Rangers moved to Arlington from
Washington, D.C. as the Senators, it was a dream of having an all Texas World
Series! But that’s not a rivalry!
Now, the two
teams are in the same league, and the same division, and they battle each other
numerous times throughout the season, and the “Boot” might have some meaning to
it, but then again, the two teams, and the players that are on it, just seem to
think that it’s a waste of time. They much rather just play the game, not worry
about some prize at the end of the season, and concentrate on winning the
division, then the playoffs, then the World Series.
Both teams
have been to the “Dance” twice, with the Astros being the first one to go in
2005 from the State of Texas, only to lose to the Chicago White Sox, then the
Rangers represented the Lone Star Republic in 2010 and 2011, only to come up
empty on both of their attempts, once by the San Francisco Giants, the other by
the St. Louis Cardinals, but wait—the Astros returned in 2017 to beat the L.A,
Dodgers to win the FIRST WORLD SERIES FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, and bring the Commissioner’s
Trophy to Houston!
However,
it still, this series, the Silver Boot Series, that has the attention of the
sports writers, and the talking heads, and when you think about it, some fans, not
all, Its interesting that there are some fans that will boast about their team
and how they are the better one, and that their stars are better, that their
fan base is better, their stadium is better, some how that sounds like a
rivalry , but remember, no one calls it that outside of the media types!
The Texas
Rangers for their part, have done what they are suppose to do, by winning the
first two games of the second half of the season, that means after the All Star
Break, where they start fresh, and they have done just that, taking the first
two of four games from the Astros. The first one was by a shut out of 5-0 the
second was a come from behind, walk off single, winning run—and sending
32, 000
plus fans, either screaming for joy or throwing their hats onto the ground in
anger, since the crowds in the stadium in Arlington, known as Globe Life Park,
is pretty much 50/50 on who you’re rooting for.
Lots of
Orange to represent the Astros, and Red-White & Blue representing the
Rangers! Giy
So how
would you rate this rivalry—is it like the Yankees and the Red Sox—the Giants
the Dodgers, is like the North Side vs, the South Side of Chicago, or is it
just what it is—two teams in the same state with a fan base that loves their
team, and if you put them on the same field at the same time—there is the chest
beating and the ring showing, to tell the other team, they made it to the
promise land and have a Championship! Lets face it, Houston, outside of Hockey,
you have two teams that have won championships! The Rockets and the Astros,
your Oilers, and now your Texans haven’t been to a Super Bowl, and one day they
might!
But the
N.Texas area, in which , Arlington, is a big part of, has won the Super Bowl
FIVE TIMES! Have ONE Stanley Cup, and ONE NBA Championship, but does not have
the Holy Grail of Championships, the World Series!
So for that,
Houston has the edge, but the SILVER BOOT, that’s another story—the Rangers
have won it more times, but to ask players, it means that they get to keep this
trophy in their office for a year until someone wins it again or gives it to
the other team!
What the
players truly want…. A RING! That says—“WORLD CHAMPIONS!” then they will be
happy, and then, maybe if the Rangers happen to win one—there might be a true Rivalry!
Just a thought!
