The Trolley Dodger

I grew up a few miles from where the Texas Rangers play, used to go to games at the old Arlington Stadium. Last year, I wrote the post “Dodgers and Rangers” talking about the feelings seeing the two teams playing each other during interleague play.

The team was never that good during my fan years of the mid-70s to mid-80s, though they turned in a few close calls in the AL West. The Rangers didn’t make the playoffs until the 90s. Luckily for my childhood sports fan ego, I had the Cowboys to cheer for in the 70s.

But despite it all, if it was summer time (and the heat + humidity outside wasn’t fatal ;) I was running around the “bases” in my back yard, throwing and batting a tennis ball off a brick wall, playing as a Ranger.

Tonight, the Texas Rangers have been crowned American League Champions, beating the Yankees (which makes it even sweeter), and getting ready to play whoever winds up winning the Phillies/Giants series.

Tonight, I’m more misty-eyed than I expected I’d be.

Congrats to the Rangers, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

While I’m not a big fan of interleague play, I am excited to see the Dodgers play the Rangers this weekend. And it’s not just because they share the -gers suffix. ;)

My early post “Back in the day” talks about my love for baseball over the years, stretching back into early childhood. I am told we were Athletics fans when I was a baby*, but as a military brat who moved around a bit before alighting in Texas, I wound up a childhood fan of the Rangers.

The team was never that good during my fan years of the mid-70s to mid-80s, though they turned in a few close calls in the AL West. The Rangers didn’t make the playoffs until the 90s. Luckily for my childhood sports fan ego, I had the Cowboys to cheer for in the 70s.

But despite it all, if it was summer time (and the heat + humidity outside wasn’t fatal ;) I was running around the “bases” in my back yard, throwing and batting a tennis ball off a brick wall, playing as a Ranger.

I’m a recently minted Dodgers fan, circa 2002-03, and like any religious convert am something of a zealot. However, there’s still a part of me that adores the Rangers, so this weekend’s interleague series between my two baseball loves at the new Arlington ballpark feels pretty special.

However, I will still be rooting for the Dodgers to kick their butts. :)

* Being born in Northern California, thank goodness I didn’t wind up a Giants fan! ;)