The Rangers have held their opponent to five runs or less in 30 consecutive games.
With 25 games remaining in the regular season, the Rangers are tied for first place in the AL West.
So why did I get this email from a fan this morning in the wake of Monday's 4-2 loss to the Oakland A's?
Rangers are done. Stick a fork in 'em. Sorry, but you don't have us to kick around anymore.
I'll tell you why. Because - by far - Rangers fans are the most sensitive of all Metroplex sports rooting bases. There's an inferiority complex born out of being the only local team without a championship trophy horn to toot. (I get it, 41 years without a title will erode the thickest of skin.) There's a doomsday mindset of "Crap, here we go again" at the faintest hint of a losing streak.
And, most of all, because Rangers fans are the most possessive about their team. If anybody's gonna write them off it will be - first and foremost - their own fans.
I know. Weird.
The Rangers - even without steroid slugger Nelson Cruz - got back into this race by going almost a month (24 games from Aug. 4 - Sept. 2) without playing a game against a team with a winning record. Down the stretch they'll have to be better as 15 of their final 25 are against teams with +.500 records.
Their fans will also have to be better.
Not so knee-jerky and, let's face it, not so jerky.
During a game against the Seattle Mariners last week Elvis Andrus was called out for running outside the lane to first base. He was clearly out, yet he began arguing. And here comes manager Ron Washington, running onto the field and halting to play to challenge the call and likely protect his player from arguing.
I Tweeted that it was nonsensical and archaic to allow a coach to run on the field for ... anything. I offered that if anyone needed to protect a player, it should be the coach already on the field standing right next to him - in that case first-base coach Dave Anderson.
The feedback I received was exclusionary, high, hard and inside.
"Jackass."
"Idiot."
"Racist."
"No wonder you no longer have a radio show."
It dawned on me that Rangers fans - and I've been one since their arrival in 1972 - are not only simple and sensitive, but scared. Of change. Of having their sacred traditions challenged. Of having their unwritten rules edited. Of anything that isn't familiar and comfortable.
Armed with these insults and information, I did some
serious silly stereotyping. I created the tongue-in-cheek typical traits, behavior and preferences via fan-base profiles ...
(continued from page 1)
TEXAS RANGERS
Age: 32
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: White
Collar: Blue
Vehicle: 'Merican White Truck
Address: Tarrant County
Hobby: Family/Whittlin'
Occupation: Manual labor/Data entry
Musical artist: George Strait
Place of worship: First Baptist Church of FillInTheCity
Sexual position: Missionary
Food: Sonic/Cracker Barrel
Soft drink: Coke
Beer: Shiner Bock
(continued from page 3)
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Age: 27
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: Mutt
Collar: Popped
Vehicle: Leased BMW
Address: Uptown
Hobby: Twerking
Occupation: Sales
Musical artist: Drake
Place of worship: Fellowship Church
Sexual position: Threesome
Food: Nick & Sam's/ Sliders
Soft drink: Red Bull
Beer: Deep Ellum Brewing's Dallas Blonde
