Is it just me, or is baseball the most over-celebrating of all sports?
The Rangers did it again last night, beating the Disastros 5-4 and - in what feels like a regular occurrence this month - producing walk-off drama. This time it was Elvis Andrus.
Bailing out a Tanner Scheppers 8th-inning meltdown (a walk, two wild pitches and two hit batters in 20 offerings) that channeled the days of Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams, Elvis cockily, comically flipped his bat at the sight of his 250-foot, can-o'-corn popout that was just enough to drive home Adam Rosales with the head-first, sliding, winning run.
As has become baseball custom -
CLUE #6: "at" - Elvis was absolutely mobbed. Jersey torn off. Pulled around the infield by his undershirt, sliding helplessly on his butt. I'm sure a post-game pie in the face or Gatorade bucket dump punctuated the proceedings.
Granted, there's a lot to celebrate these days for the Rangers.
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They have gained a whopping 8.5 games on the A's in just 23 days, turning a 6-game deficit on July 29 into a 2.5-game lead as you awake this morning.
And, is it too soon to mention magic numbers? Okay, then I won't tell you that Texas' is down to 37.
The Rangers are just plain fun. They lead baseball with 40 come-from-behind wins and I think that's their fifth walk-off version. I admit to being on the edge of my seat as they put the winning run in scoring position in the 9th. Beating the worst team in baseball (history?) is hardly a feat. And a lazy flyball to left is hardly a heroic individual accomplishment.
But the Rangers celebrate wins in mid-August as much as they have victories in early October. Their mobile mosh-pit madness certainly trumps reactions to wins by the Mavs (who play half as many games with double the importance) or the Cowboys (who play only 16).
No doubt the Rangers over-celebrate. And no doubt it's fantastic theater.
