SB Nation New York - ALCS Game 1: Yankees Rally From 5-0 Deficit for 6-5 Victoryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2010-10-16T07:56:55-04:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/15091872010-10-16T07:56:55-04:002010-10-16T07:56:55-04:00ALCS Game 1, 'Kudos & Wet Willies'
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<p>I have to admit I was sitting there in my chair Friday night when the eighth inning started and I did not think I would be handing out many 'Kudos' today.</p>
<p>Why would I, with the Yankees trailing, 5-1, and looking as if they would go quietly in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Ah, but these are the Yankees. With those 27 World Series titles, including one last season, to fall back on. And these are the Texas Rangers, who have never been in this situation before.</p>
<p>So, of course, the Yankees made more postseason magic, coming back to win, 6-5. Thus, a much different 'Kudos & Wet Willies' than I thought I would be writing. Let's get started.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pinstripealley.com/2010/10/16/1754948/alcs-game-1-kudos-wet-willies">http://www.pinstripealley.com/2010/10/16/1754948/alcs-game-1-kudos-wet-willies</a></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/16/1755157/alcs-game-1-kudos-wet-williesEd Valentine2010-10-16T00:09:27-04:002010-10-16T00:09:27-04:00ALCS Game 1: Yankees 6, Rangers 5
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<p>Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/309/marcus-thames">Marcus Thames</a> hit the go-ahead RBI single to cap a five-run eighth inning, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/new-york-yankees">New York Yankees</a> rallied for a 6-5 win over Texas in the opener of the American League Championship Series.</p>
<p>Texas, which wasted a 5-0 lead, was poised for its first-ever postseason home win and was in line to snap a nine-game postseason skid against the Yankees, but the defending World Series champs scored five times before recording an out in the big inning.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/150/c-j-wilson">C.J. Wilson</a> pitched into the eighth, but the first seven batters reached base against five different Texas pitchers in the fateful frame for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/texas-rangers">Rangers</a>. It started with Brett Gardner's head-first slide for an infield hit as Wilson couldn't get to the bag in time for the throw from first baseman <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/668/jorge-cantu">Jorge Cantu</a>.</p>
<p>Thames culminated the huge frame with the go-ahead single to left field to drive in ex-Ranger Alex Rodriguez, who bounced a two-run base hit earlier in the inning.</p>
<p>"We have a veteran clubhouse that knows how to react to whatever situation we are in," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We look forward to Game 2, and I'm sure they are too. Some might feel we were fortunate to come out with a win tonight, but I thought our club played hard and kept playing and playing and playing. And you try to build on it tomorrow."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/440/josh-hamilton">Josh Hamilton</a> belted a three-run homer off <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/111/cc-sabathia">CC Sabathia</a> before the southpaw could record an out, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/95/michael-young">Michael Young</a> added a two-run double in the fourth inning for the Rangers, who are 0-7 all-time at home in the playoffs.</p>
<p>Pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland singled off <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/628/mariano-rivera">Mariano Rivera</a> leading off the bottom of the ninth inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Elvis Andrus. Young ended a long at-bat by swinging through an outside pitch for strike three. Hamilton bounced the first pitch to Rodriguez, who threw across the diamond for the final out, giving Rivera his 42nd career postseason save.</p>
<p>The best-of-seven series resumes Saturday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/622/phil-hughes">Phil Hughes</a> slated to get the ball for the defending World Series champions and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/75/colby-lewis">Colby Lewis</a> for Texas.</p>
<p>The Rangers haven't beaten the Yankees in a playoff game since Game 1 of the ALDS in 1996. After losing the next three games of that series, Texas was swept in the first round by New York in 1998 and 1999.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/607/robinson-cano">Robinson Cano</a> started the big comeback by leading off the seventh with a homer just inside the right field foul pole.</p>
<p>Gardner's gritty slide for a base hit started the huge rally in the eighth.</p>
<p>"We still had a four-run deficit at that point, and their pitcher was rolling," Rodriguez said. "But you can't say enough about the at-bats Gardy had, and that was a huge play. And obviously that started everything."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/598/derek-jeter">Derek Jeter</a> then stroked an RBI double to left field. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/727/darren-oliver">Darren Oliver</a> entered from the bullpen, but he issued consecutive walks to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/24/nick-swisher">Nick Swisher</a> and Mark Teixeira. Darren O'Day (0-1) couldn't stop the bleeding as Rodriguez smashed the first pitch on a short hop past Young at third and into left field, getting the wild card entrants within 5-4.</p>
<p>"Those are the guys I wanted in there. I mean, Darren Oliver has been nails for us," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Just walked two guys back-to- back. Wasn't Darren Oliver. Just didn't happen tonight, that eighth inning just killed us out of the bullpen."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/795/clay-rapada">Clay Rapada</a> was the third reliever of the inning, but on his first offering Cano lined a single to center field to tie the game. Rodriguez went to third when Hamilton bobbled the ball.</p>
<p>"I'm not trying to do too much," Cano said of the at-bat. "I'm trying to get a pitch that I can drive to tie the ball game. Good thing he threw me a fastball on the first pitch."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/69217/derek-holland">Derek Holland</a> was on the mound next when Thames broke his bat and lined a hit to left field for the go-ahead run.</p>
<p>"I don't know if we gave it away," Washington said. "We just didn't execute and when you face a team like the Yankees there you've got to execute. We didn't execute. It certainly was our ball game, especially when you just need six outs. We didn't get them."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/4317/kerry-wood">Kerry Wood</a> walked <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/135/ian-kinsler">Ian Kinsler</a> to start the bottom of the eighth. Kinsler, though, tried to get a jump on a possible steal, but Wood threw to first and Kinsler was tagged out in a rundown.</p>
<p>Sabathia was charged with six hits, five runs and four walks over four innings. After Joba Chamberlain threw the fifth, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/586/dustin-moseley">Dustin Moseley</a> (1-0) fanned four batters between the sixth and seventh to get the win. Rivera got his third save of this postseason.</p>
<p>Wilson, who was charged with six hits and three runs, followed Cliff Lee's complete-game performance in Tuesday's clinching win over Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the Division Series. That gave the AL West champions their first postseason series win in franchise history.</p>
<p>Coming off a long layoff after completing a sweep of Minnesota last Saturday in the ALDS, the Yankees fell behind quickly. Andrus walked leading off the bottom of the first and Young followed with a single to left to put runners at the corners. Hamilton then lined an 0-2 pitch tight to the right field line and barely over the wall for his first career postseason homer.</p>
<p>The Yankees, though, avoided disaster later in the inning after the Rangers loaded the bases with two outs, with Kinsler and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/463/matt-treanor">Matt Treanor</a> reaching on walks and Nelson Cruz on a single. With Cantu at the plate, Sabathia threw a pitch over glove of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/606/jorge-posada">Jorge Posada</a>, but the burly lefty was able to cover home in time and tagged out Cruz on the left forearm after a perfect throw from the veteran catcher.</p>
<p>New York wasted an opportunity with two men on base in the third and fourth inning, and the Rangers expanded their lead in the bottom of the inning. Treanor singled with one out and Young followed Andrus' base hit to center with a two-run double to the gap in right-center field. Young advances to third on a wild pitch, but Hamilton struck out looking to end the inning to keep it a 5-0 game.</p>
<p>Sabathia hadn't allowed a homer to lefty on an 0-2 pitch since <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/players/188/chase-utley">Chase Utley</a> hit one for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../mlb/teams/philadelphia-phillies">Phillies</a> in last year's World Series...Rangers president and part- owner Nolan Ryan threw out the ceremonial first pitch. He sat next to former U.S. president George W. Bush...The Rangers tied an LCS record by using five pitchers in one inning...The combined four teams left in the postseason have gone 9-0 on the road thus far...Cano had three hits.</p>
<p>-- <a target="_blank" href="../../../mlb/events/65725/boxscore">Boxscore</a></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/16/1754947/2010-alcs-game-1-yankees-6-rangers-5-2010-mlb-playofsEd Valentine2010-10-15T18:35:34-04:002010-10-15T18:35:34-04:00Nick Swisher Feeling Good As ALCS Set To Begin
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<p>We’re just an hour or so away from the start of the American League Championship Series between the defending <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a>. C.C. Sabatthia and <span>C.J. Wilson</span> are your Game 1 starters.</p>
<p>On Thursday, Yankees’ right fielder <span>Nick Swisher</span> hit the airwaves in New York to talk about the series with the Rangers, how their confidence is sky-high after dismantling the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a>, how he’s relieved to have performed better individually last round than he did during the early stages of last year’s playoffs, and how the Yankess are not too concerned about how they struggled with the Rangers during the regular season. Here’s a few quotes from the interview (via: <a href="http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2010/10/15/nick-swisher-and-the-yankees-are-a-confident-team-right-now/" target="new"><span class="caps">SRI</span></a>)</p>
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<p><strong>On how much confidence they have after beating the Twins the way they did:</strong></p>
<p><em>“I will tell you what, we took a lot of pride in that. There were a lot of things that happened to us down the stretch in September that obviously we didn’t have control over. There were a lot of injuries that we were battling through. It just didn’t seem like luck was on our side, but on the reverse side some people say that you create your own luck. For us, going into the postseason, we knew what was at stake and to go into Minnesota the way we did and win those first two games that tells ya that this team definitely has talent.”</em></p>
<p><strong>On how nice it was to play well in the first series after struggling last year:</strong></p>
<p><em>“It meant the world to me. Let’s not get it wrong, I love winning man but I like to be a part of the action as well. I feel that I expect a lot from myself and last offseason wasn’t at all what my dream sounded like one bit, but I learned from that. For me, obviously my way wasn’t working so I told K-Long that we need to go to work and we need to go to work now. I give a lot of credit to him because he gave me the time, he gave me the knowledge, and I took that and busted my tail. Still trying to learn every day now.”</em></p>
<p><strong>On whether he is worried about the way the Yankees struggled against the Rangers at the end of the regular season:</strong></p>
<p><em>“I think it’s hard to match up right there. I think coming down the stretch when we went to Texas, we didn’t really have anybody because I was banged up, Tex was banged up, we had a lot of guys who were injured at the time and not to make that an excuse but this is a different team right now. We’re ready for the challenge, we’re excited. Obviously Texas is too and it’s well deserving but let’s line this thing up and see what happens.”</em></p>
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https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/15/1753770/alcs-yankees-vs-rangers-game-one-nick-swisher-feeling-good-as-alcs-set-to-beginMichael Bean2010-10-15T14:54:50-04:002010-10-15T14:54:50-04:00Jeff Francoeur Takes A Shot At The New York Mets
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<p>Nice shot by current Texas Ranger outfielder <strong><span>Jeff Francoeur</span> </strong>at his former employer, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">New York Mets</a>.</p>
<p>While waiting for tonight’s <span class="caps">ALCS</span> Game 1 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a>, Francoeur <a href="http://withleather.uproxx.com/2010/10/jeff-francouer-doesnt-like-the-mets" target="new">fired off this beauty</a>.</p>
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<p>“I always wanted to know what it was like to play meaningful baseball in New York and I’m going to have the opportunity.”</p>
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<p>Obviously, Frenchy does not miss the Mets any more than they miss him.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/15/1753323/alcs-2010-mlb-playoffs-jeff-francoeur-takes-a-shot-at-the-new-york-metsEd Valentine2010-10-15T11:27:53-04:002010-10-15T11:27:53-04:00Ex-Rangers Owner Tom Hicks Calls Alex Rodriguez Deal 'Dumb'
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<p>Former <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> owner Tom Hicks said his decision to give <span>Alex Rodriguez</span> <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5686857&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines" target="new">a record-setting $252 million contract</a> a decade ago was “dumb.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I’ve done some smart things,” Hicks told Dallas-<span class="caps">CBS</span> affiliate <span class="caps">KTVT</span>-TV Channel 11 when asked about Rodriguez now being a Yankee. "I’ve done some dumb things. That was one of the dumb things.</p>
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<p>Yes, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> are glad to have Rodriguez now. It’s too bad, though, that it took Hicks 10 years to figure out the stupidity of the deal he handed Rodriguez.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/15/1752911/alcs-2010-mlb-playoffs-ex-rangers-owner-tom-hicks-calls-alex-rodriguez-deal-dumbEd Valentine2010-10-15T11:08:47-04:002010-10-15T11:08:47-04:00ALCS, Yankees At Rangers: Yankees Hope History Repeats Itself
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<p>(Sports Network) – The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> are in the American League Championship Series for the first time in franchise history. Unfortunately, though, they face the team that has ended all three of their previous postseason runs in the defending World Series champion <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a>.</p>
<p>In the playoffs for just the fourth time in their history, the AL West champion Rangers will try to reverse their postseason curse against the Yankees. Since winning the opener of the 1996 Division Series, the Rangers have lost nine straight playoff games to the Yankees, also covering 1998 and 1999.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t matter, because we are a different team,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “We feel we can play baseball with anybody. We will show up and play our best against the very best, which is the Yankees. We can only blaze our own trail. Every time we do something good, it only adds to the history of the Texas Rangers.”</p>
<p>The Rangers rode the left arm of <span>Cliff Lee</span> in a decisive <span class="caps">ALDS</span> fifth game to get past Tampa Bay and win a postseason series for the first time on Tuesday.</p>
<p>“We needed Cliff Lee to do what he did, we certainly did, and we certainly played the type of baseball that we’re capable of playing,” Washington said. “Every part of the game that you can think of, we did. We ran the bases, we pitched, we played defense, and at the end we showed some power.”</p>
<p>Lee tied a Division Series record with 21 strikeouts over two starts, helping the Rangers become the first team in history to win three road games in any best-of-five series. In fact, this was the first time in baseball postseason history in which the road team won every game. However with the two home losses to Tampa Bay, Texas is now 0-6 all-time at home in the postseason.</p>
<p>Because of his Game 5 start, Lee won’t pitch until Game 3 of this series, which will take place on Monday in New York.</p>
<p>So, instead of Lee in Game 1, the Rangers will turn to another left-hander in <span>C.J. Wilson</span>, who scattered just two hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings to win Game 2 of the <span class="caps">ALDS</span>.</p>
<p>“When you’re a little kid and you’re in your backyard, you’re taking … dry swings or pretending that when you’re in the mirror … that you’re somebody or whatever, you put yourself in this position,” Wilson said. “You put yourself in Game 1, Game 7, Championship Series, World Series, stuff like that. That’s what you work for. Every mile I’ve run, my entire life, and every little tubing exercise and sinker I’ve thrown playing catch, is everything I’ve done to get to this point. That’s great, but we still have more games after Game 1.”</p>
<p>Wilson was a pleasant surprise for Texas this season, transitioning from reliever to starter and going 15-8 with a 3.35 <span class="caps">ERA</span>. However, he has struggled mightily in his career against the Yankees, going 0-3 with a 4.12 <span class="caps">ERA</span> in 20 games (three starts) against them.</p>
<p>New York, meanwhile, stumbled into the postseason as the AL Wild Card, but continued to be a thorn in the side of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> in the <span class="caps">ALDS</span>, as the Yankees swept them to advance to their second straight <span class="caps">ALCS</span>.</p>
<p>“We’re a very confident team,” Yankees first baseman <span>Mark Teixeira</span> said. “When you have veterans that have won championships … it’s the same team we had last year, a few different guys here and there. Hopefully they’re going to have the same ride as we had last year.”</p>
<p>Tonight, New York gives the ball to left-hander <span>CC Sabathia</span>, who has started each of the Yankees’ previous four playoff series and is the reigning <span class="caps">ALCS</span> <span class="caps">MVP</span>.</p>
<p>“I don’t know [if there are any challenges to opening on the road],” Sabathia said. “I mean, I don’t feel any different.”</p>
<p>Sabathia, though, was the worst of the three Yankees starters in the Division Series, as he allowed four runs (three earned) and five hits in six innings to the Twins, but still picked up the win.</p>
<p>“You can’t just sit down and relax and say, ‘Oh, CC’s pitching, we will be fine,” said Yankees captain <span>Derek Jeter</span>. “They have a guy [in lefty C.J. Wilson] who is capable of shutting guys down as well. We all have jobs to do, but we have a lot of confidence in [Sabathia].”</p>
<p>He is 8-3 in 14 starts against the Rangers with a 4.29 <span class="caps">ERA</span>.</p>
<p>New York has won in eight of its last nine <span class="caps">ALCS</span> appearances, and, of course, is shooting for its 41st AL Pennant and 28th World Series title.</p>
<p>The Yankees and Rangers split eight games during the regular season.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/15/1752863/alcs-yankees-at-rangers-yankees-hope-history-repeats-itselfEd Valentine2010-10-14T18:03:07-04:002010-10-14T18:03:07-04:00ALCS, Yankees vs. Rangers: Five Fun Facts About The Texas Rangers
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<p>Are you watching Friday’s Game 1 of the <span class="caps">ALCS</span> with some buddies? If so, here are five <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> facts you can share with friends — they might think you’re smarter than Ron Darling.</p>
<p><b>Fact No. 1:</b> During the broadcast of Game 1, you will probably hear <span class="caps">TBS</span> broadcasters discuss how the Rangers <a href="http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/10/13/rangers-use-ginger-ale-in-celebration-as-way-to-include-josh-ham/">used ginger ale</a>, instead of champagne, during their <span class="caps">ALDS</span> victory celebration. The Rangers did this because outfielder <span>Josh Hamilton</span> has a troubled past that involves alcohol. What might get missed is that Texas’ Game 1, starting pitcher <span>C.J. Wilson</span> also <a href="http://www.onelifeonechance.com/?p=1223">lives a drug-free lifestyle</a>, a choice that he made when he was young.</p>
<p><b>Fact No. 2:</b> During the regular season, Wilson was the second-hardest pitcher to hit in the American League, allowing just a .217 batting average to opponents — Seattle Mariners ace <span>Felix Hernandez</span> led the AL at .212.</p>
<p><b>Fact No. 3:</b> The first time New York and Texas met in the postseason was in <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/1996.shtml">1996</a> — the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> won the series, 3-1. Okay, that’s not a huge fact but wait for it… Only two current Rangers players, designated hitter <span>Vladimir Guerrero</span>, 35, and lefty-bullpen pitcher <span>Darren Oliver</span>, 40, were active in ’96. Coincidentally, Oliver pitched in Game 3 of the series and record the loss in the Yankees 3-2 victory. Oliver has a postseason <span class="caps">ERA</span> of 3.86 in 30.1 innings pitched.</p>
<p><b>Fact No. 4:</b> During their time with the Rangers, <span>Alex Rodriguez</span> and <span>Mark Teixeira</span> each set career-highs in home runs (Rodriguez 57* — ’02, Teixeira 43 — ’05) and total bases (Rodriguez 393* — ’01, Teixeira 370 — ’05).</p>
<p><i>*still a franchise record.</i></p>
<p><b>Fact No. 5:</b> According to The Elias Sports Bureau and <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/9294/cliff-and-the-rangers-were-unbe-lee-vable"><span class="caps">ESPN</span> Dallas blog</a>:</p>
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<p>"Rangers’ second baseman <span>Ian Kinsler</span> and outfielder <span>Nelson Cruz</span> each hit three home runs in the <span class="caps">ALDS</span> and became just the second pair of teammates in major league history to hit three home runs apiece in a postseason series of five-or-fewer-games. The other pair was <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml">Babe Ruth</a> and <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gehrilo01.shtml">Lou Gehrig</a> in the Yankees four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1928_WS.shtml">1928 World Series</a>."</p>
</blockquote>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/14/1751767/alcs-yankees-vs-rangers-five-fun-facts-about-the-texas-rangersJared Smith2010-10-14T14:38:47-04:002010-10-14T14:38:47-04:00ALCS, Yankees vs. Rangers: Getting To Know The Texas Rangers
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<p><span>Cliff Lee</span>, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee.</p>
<p>OK. Enough with that. Seems like all the talk surrounding the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a> – <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> American League Championship Series comes back to Lee.</p>
<p>Should the Yankees have relented and met Seattle’s asking price for Lee <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/columns/story?columnist=oconnor_ian&id=5683006" target="new">when they had him within their grasp</a> this summer? Can the Yankees deal with Lee, one of the best postseason pitchers ever and a guy who <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=olney_buster&id=5683775" target="new">has great success against them</a>? How lucky are the Yankees that they <a href="http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2010/10/13/postworkout-notes-we-better-worry-about-game-1-first/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LohudYankees+%28The+LoHud+Yankees+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher" target="new">won’t have to face the Texas ace</a> until Game 3?</p>
<p>The Rangers, though, have a lot more going for them than Lee. The American League West champions won 90 games this season, and when they dispatched the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a> in the <span class="caps">ALDS</span> that was the first playoff series victory in franchise history.</p>
<p>Here is a quick primer on five other names you should be familiar with when it comes to Texas.</p>
<p><b><span>C.J. Wilson</span></b> — Wilson gets the ball in Game 1 for the Rangers. In his one <span class="caps">ALCS</span> start, he pitched 6.1 shutout innings against Tampa Bay. He is a quality pitcher who won 15 games for Texas this season. Was a closer for at least parts of the past three season before converting to full-time starting this season.</p>
<p><b><span>Neftali Feliz</span></b> — The flame-throwing rookie closer had 40 saves for Texas this season, first rookie to ever reach that number. He blew only three saves all season, but one of those was August 11 vs. the Yankees. With the ageless <span>Mariano Rivera</span> closing for the Yankees, the Rangers will need Feliz, 22, to hold up under the spotlight.</p>
<p><b><span>Josh Hamilton</span></b> — The sweet-swinging lefty slugger is Texas’ best player. He hit a whopping .359 this season with 32 home runs and 100 <span class="caps">RBI</span>. Has been slowed by a ribcage injury, however, and will probably not be 100 percent.<br> <b><br> <span>Vladimir Guerrero</span></b> — The Anaheim <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> let the free-swinging slugger go after 2009 because they didn’t think he could stay healthy and continue to produce at a high level. Well, Guerrero only played 152 games, only hit .300 and only had 29 home runs and 115 <span class="caps">RBI</span>. Not bad for being washed up.</p>
<p><b>Nolan Ryan</b> — Rangers co-owner and Hall of Fame pitcher. I tossed him in here only because you will see a gazillion shots of him in the stands or in a luxury box during the series. Ryan and Chuck Greenberg bought the team before the season began.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2010/10/14/1751150/2010-mlb-playoffs-alds-yankees-vs-rangers-getting-to-know-the-texas-rangersEd Valentine