Texas Size Celebration

When the Texas Rangers took the field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Tuesday night, they were looking to do something that no other Rangers team has done before, win a playoff series. The Texas Rangers came into the MLB in 1961, but prior to Tuesday night they were the only organization in the majors to never have won a playoff series before. That fate changed when Cliff Lee threw a complete game, only giving up one earned run and was backed by the five runs scored by the Rangers offense. The Tampa Bay Rays had their chances in the game, but when they needed a hit, Lee struck them out or got them to pop up or ground out.  When the game was over, the Rangers had achieved their first ever playoff series win. Following the game, the players partook in a MLB tradition series win celebration, but the Rangers knew that in order for the entire team to participate in the celebration they needed to get something special for center fielder Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is a recovering alcoholic and did not want to join his teammates in the celebration because the team would be popping open Champaign bottles and showering their teammates in alcohol. On this night, Hamilton’s teammates had something special for him. When Hamilton walked into the clubhouse, he saw his teammates waiting for him with bottles of Canada Dry ginger ale. Previously, when the Rangers clinched the American West division title, Hamilton did not join in the celebration, but on this night he was united with his teammates. I think that the Rangers made a classy move by involving their leader, Hamilton in their celebration by not pressuring him into being around alcohol, but spraying Ginger Ale on him which made him more comfortable in joining in the festivities. The Rangers will host the New York Yankees in the ALCS in pursuit of their first American League Championship.