PHOENIX − This wasn’t the drama of 2016 when the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year curse on a rainy night in Cleveland.
This wasn’t the Curse of the Bambino that haunted Boston for 86 years until the Red Sox won their first title since 1918.
But, oh, after 63 years of failure, and those horrific memories of the 2011 World Series, it all vanished into the desert Wednesday evening.
The Texas Rangers, with a 5-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, are finally World Series champions for the first time in franchise history.
The Rangers, who lost 102 games just two years ago, no longer have to hear about all of their past heartbreaks.
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They are champions, winning the World Series 4 games to 1, with a parade scheduled Friday in Arlington, Texas, while reminding the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that it is much more than just a Cowboys’ town.
“We’ve got a long ways to go,’’ Rangers owner Ray Davis said, “to beat the Cowboys. This isn’t our last.’’
But, oh, there’s nothing like the first, a championship that will forever be remembered. A franchise that was born in Washington, D.C. in 1961 as the Senators, moved to Texas and changed names, and played in three different ballparks in Arlington, now will be cherished in Rangers’ folklore.
“It was definitely a drawing point for me,’’ said Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, who won his second World Series MVP, hitting three home runs with six RBI. “I won in LA. The [the Dodgers] hadn’t won in 30 years and I saw what it did to a fanbase. When I found out they had never won here that was something that intrigued me.
“To be able to start at the bottom and try and build something and compete and to be able to do it, it’s really satisfying.’’
No matter how many World Series titles the Rangers win, it will never be enough to steal the thunder from the Cowboys, but now the Rangers will never again have to hear about the heartbreak of 2011, twice being one strike away from a championship, only to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals and never get back.
To this day, Rangers legends Michael Young, Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler have never watched a replay of that Game 6. Too painful, they say.
Scott Littlefield, the Rangers’ special assistant for the past 15 years, plans to be the first to break the ice before their parade, he told them, unafraid of those haunting memories.
“It’s the only game I’ve never watched,’’ Littlefield said. “I was there that night in St. Louis, and I just got sick to my stomach. So, I never watched a replay.
“Now, I can.’’
Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, who was golfing in Scotland and considering retirement when Bruce Bochy returned to the dugout, was there that evening too. He’s the lone remaining person from that 2011 team who’s still in a Rangers’ uniform.
He vividly remembers Game 6. How can he ever forget?
“You know, sometimes when you get knocked down,’’ Maddux said, “it makes it better when you win it. And this is a great feeling.’
But as far as the rest of the Rangers’ players, sorry, most were too young to have any understanding of that excruciating pain.
“Shoot, they were in high school, they were in grade school,’’ Maddux said. “They didn’t know. ’11 means nothing to them. ’23 means everything to them.’’
The Rangers’ legends were almost too nervous to watch this game, too. Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen was throwing a no-hitter until Seager’s leadoff single in the seventh, but inning after inning, Rangers veteran pitcher Nathan Eovaldi kept escaping trouble, keeping the game scoreless. Mitch Garver’s single finally gave the Rangers their first run in the seventh, and they blew the game open with a four-run ninth.
“To be able to bring that first World Series championship to [Arlington], it’s an incredible moment and incredible feeling,’’ said Eovaldi, who became the first pitcher to win five starts in a postseason (5-0 with a 2.98 ERA), pitching six shutout innings. “It’s the only team out there that says Texas. You’re playing for the state. You’re not playing for the city. For us to be able to represent the state of Texas, it’s an incredible feeling.’’
This Rangers team was a model of tenacity and perseverance, refusing to let all of their injuries − the second-most in baseball − along with their epic bullpen collapses, deter them from the ultimate prize.
This is a team that had more ups and downs than the stock market. They were given up for the dead in early September when they lost 16 of 20 games, falling to third place in the AL West. Rangers GM Chris Young came in and spoke briefly to the team, telling them no one has lost belief.
“I believe in this group,’’ Young told them, “and I believe this group’s going to win a world championship.’’
“My God,’’ Maddux said, “he was right. CY has got a little Kreskin in him.’’
The Rangers took the division lead, had a 2 ½-game lead entering the final weekend, but lost three of four games, and had to settle for a wild-card berth. They were given a 4% chance to win the World Series entering the postseason. They went to Tampa and swept the Rays. They went to Baltimore and swept the Orioles.
They didn’t win a single game at home during the ALCS against Houston, but managed to win all four road games. They split the first two games of the World Series at home, came to Phoenix and lost two of their biggest stars, Adolis Garcia and Max Scherzer in Game 3. They still swept all three games at Chase Field to go a record 11-0 on their magical postseason road tour.
Here they were, soaked from head to toe from champagne and beer in the visiting clubhouse, trying to explain how they could possibly overcome the kind of adversity that would bring most teams to their knees.
It starts, the Rangers will tell you, with Bochy, who won his fourth World Series title. He won his first 13 years to the day with the San Francisco Giants, beating the Rangers.
“It’s just his demeanor,’’ said veteran reliever Will Smith, winning a third consecutive World Series championship on his third different team. “He’s just so cool, calm and collected. He never freaks out. He never presses the panic button. He just kind of lets his players do his thing.
“He stays out of the clubhouse, lets the players run things for the most part, and the guys love that. There’s a reason why he’s won four rings.’’
Bochy, who had not managed in three years, and wondered if he even wanted to manage again, was home in Nashville, Tennessee, when Young called. Bochy told him he’d be willing to at least listen. Young flew to his home, spent seven hours with Bochy and his wife, Kim, and pleaded with him to come out of retirement.
“I was in my recliner a year ago at this time,’’ Bochy said. “Can you believe it? Now I’m standing here holding a World Series trophy.’’
Bochy, who surely would have been inducted into the Hall of Fame next July if he hadn’t decided to return, is only the third manager to win World Series titles in each league. Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy and Connie Mack are the only managers to win more championships.
“Everyone knew Boch is arguably the greatest manager of all time,’’ Austin Hedges said, “and now he’s going to put a fourth ring on his finger. He’s as good as it gets.’’
Bochy came to a team that went 68-94 last season, finishing 38 games out of first place. They hadn’t had a winning season since 2016. They hadn’t won a postseason series since 2011. When Bochy had his introductory press conference last November, he was asked whether he actually expected the Rangers to win any time soon.
“I remember Boch pounding the table and saying, ‘Don’t tell me that we can’t be competitive, that we can’t win,’’’ Young said. “I saw our players’ faces standing off to the side of the podium. I remember their expressions and I could see some head nods.
“I knew he was going to be a difference maker, and expectations were going to change, and that this team was going to come into spring training with the mentality of we expect to compete.
“I can’t say that I knew we would be here in the World Series, but our expectation was that we would have a chance to compete for a playoff spot and play meaningful games in September.’’
The Rangers did that, and a whole lot more, refusing to let this season end without hoisting the trophy for all of Texas to see.
It helps having $500 million worth of middle infielders on the team with Seager and Marcus Semien, who hit a ninth-inning homer to put the game away. They added Eovaldi and Jon Gray, the hero in Game 3, too.
“That’s a credit to Chris Young and the ownership, Ray Davis,’’ Bochy said. “They were determined to get winning baseball back to the Texas Rangers. They have a vision. They were going to bring winning baseball back.
“They did everything they said they were going to do.’’
They went out and got starting pitching, improved the club. It’s incredible how fast it went down.’’
The Rangers opened the season with a top-10 payroll of $196 million, but that included Jacob deGrom, who made just six starts before he underwent Tommy John surgery in the first year of his five-year, $185 million contract.
If it was just about money, the New York Mets, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees would have been playing in October, and not sitting home. You have to sign the right guys too. You have to believe in them, and make sure they believe in you.
“It was a lot of trust,’’ said Seager, who joins Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson as the only two-time MVP winners. “A lot of trust from them to me and me to them, and a lot of trust for Marcus to come. A lot of trust for Jon. All these guys that came here and had the same vision. It’s pretty cool to see it through.’’
They all listened to the pledge from Davis and Young, letting them know that if they signed with the Rangers, they would do everything possible to win. They weren’t signed for marketing or simply to sell tickets. They were here to win.
“I can’t say enough what CY, Ray, the ownership group did for this group, bringing it together,’’ deGrom said. “It’s awesome to be part of. We felt in spring training we had something special here, and it proved to happen.’’
Now, here they are, part of history.
Just like David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez were part of that historic ’04 Red Sox team, like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber were on that ’16 Cubs’ team, everyone in that Rangers’ clubhouse will forever be cemented in this Rangers’ legacy.
“You can’t take away that we’re the first champions of this organization,’’ Ian Kennedy said. “Of all the great teams that played here, we’ll forever be part of that team that brought the first championship to Arlington.’’
Scherzer, who was on the 2019 Washington Nationals team that won their first World Series, says there’s nothing like being on a team that finally breaks the barrier, going where their predecessors have never gone before.
You will always be remembered.
“I just know that the wait is over,’’ Young said. “Our history has changed. These were a hungry group of guys who were so sick and tired of losing, and now it’s over.
“Our fans have waited an awful long time.
“Now, they can finally celebrate a great baseball team, a championship baseball team.’’