From left: Joey Misiazek, Scott Baker, Randy Johnston, Glenn Kuykendall, Ron Ice and Wayne Rees getting ready to board “The Ranger Train” to Globe Life Ball Park.
Scott Baker
The lyrics says it best when you sing, Take me out to the Ballgame! On the night of September 15, six gung-ho guys from the Ranch with Ranger Spirit helped paint Globe Life Park red as we sang and cheered “Take me out to the crowd!” I have to say peanuts and Cracker Jacks were not the only thing consumed this night. How about some hotdogs, cheeseburgers, pretzels, nachos and lots of beer.
This was the night the Rangers took over first place in the AL West in Major League Baseball. The Rangers were at the bottom of the conference at the midway point in July and now here they are in September fighting for first place in the American League West. The Astros have been leading the conference for almost five straight months. Yet here we are now getting the Rangers into first place and hopefully staying there.
The game was sensational and as scrappy as they get as the Rangers got four runs in the first inning. With these four runs everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except the Astros came right back with three runs of their own. The Astros surged ahead with two more runs, and the Rangers then scored a run to tie the game at five each. Each team was battling for the lead with each inning coming head to head as both teams’ managers pushed a slew of pitchers at the other team to combat the major hitters of each team. Both teams’ defense tightened up and ruled the remaining innings until the bottom of the 9th. The Rangers worked one more run around the bases to win six to five over the Houston Astros. The Texas Rangers were now in sole possession of the AL West over the Houston Astros. Houston had been at the top of the Western conference since mid-April, and now the Rangers finally clawed their way to the top.
The song was loud and clear, “I don’t care if I never get back!” as we made our way back to “The Ranger Train” to start our journey home. “Let me root, root, root for the home team, if they don’t win, it’s a shame!” Because not only had we won but also were now firmly entrenched in first place!
The hooting and hollering on the ride back to the Ranch was like a gaggle of geese as the tall tales kept getting taller as we sang “For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out Astros at the old ball game!”
None of these guys were bored and sleepy now as we made our way back home. What a fantastic way to spend a beautiful Texas night with a group of your friends, hooting and hollering for your team to make their way to the top. Here we are, and it is just another day and night at The Ranch!