Kansas City Royals are like the 2010 Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers season didn’t go the way they wanted or expected.  Many figured they would reach the playoffs and many figured the could reach the World Series with the lineup they put together during the offseason.

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But, instead the season was plagued with injuries even before spring training.  They almost lost 100 games and it appeared they were on the fast track to their worst season ever as a franchise.  At the end things started to click with the rookies and the team managed to finish 14-8 under Tim Bogar to avoid total disaster and dead last in the league.

Sadly looking back the Rangers were basically out of the playoff hunt starting in late May/early June and based on the attendance in August it was easy to tell many fans had jumped ship.

Now the postseason is wrapping up with the World Series well underway between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals.  The Royals return to the big show for the first time in 29 years.  What the Royals have done this postseason reminds me a lot of the 2010 Texas Rangers.  First of all 29 years is a long time to wait to return the postseason, but it isn’t as bad as the Rangers that never won a postseason series until that magical 2010 season.

The Royals didn’t have an easy path to the World Series, just like the Rangers didn’t have it easy in 2010.  The Rangers had to get passed the dreaded New York Yankees to advance in 2010.  That was a task many fans thought was impossible.  The Yankees have had the Rangers number for years, especially in the playoffs.  The Royals had to fight and earn their way in the via the a Wild Card spot.

For the one-game Wild Card game they played the Athletics, who they really don’t have a rival with, and found themselves in a hole that no one figured they’d get out of.  That reminds me of the Rangers and how the Rangers had to get passed Yankees.  The Rangers managed to fight their way to a series win by playing as a team and that’s exactly what the Royals did also.

They managed to take that team mentality through the ALDS and the ALCS and are now squaring off against the Giants.  Which is another reason they seem like the 2010 Giants.

So far the Royals seem to be doing better than the Rangers did against the Giants in 2010.  They are playing smarter and more patient ball and have a bullpen that has been outstanding.  Right now the Royals lead the series 2-1 over the Giants and appears to have the edge on the Giants.  The Giants are the easy favorite since they have won the World Series in 2010 and 2012.  Hopefully the Kansas City Royals will continue to do what they do best, play as a team who sticks together, has fun and win ball games.  If they can do that and of course the offense hits and the bullpen stay solid they should be able to win their first series in 29 years.

If they do win the Texas Rangers will have to look at a huge sign in Spring Training next season in Arizona because the Rangers and Royals share the same complex and ballpark.  Maybe that will help the Texas Rangers remember what it is like to play as a team.  It seems since the 2012 season they have lacked the team aspect and strong leadership in the clubhouse.