Rangers versus Detroit in the ALCS. Game 1 and Game 2 will be in Arlington on Saturday and Sunday.
Jeff Wilson has a story about Mike Napoli's season in the FWST, which includes tidbits like how his current teammates didn't like him when he was with the Angels, and how Rangers scouts felt he was better defensively than his reputation suggested when he was in Anaheim.
Evan Grant writes that Napoli is still sore from the home plate collision in Game 4 of the ALDS, but will be good to go when the ALCS starts.
T.R. Sullivan has a story on Nelson Cruz, who still hasn't gotten his timing at the plate back since missing much of the last month of the season with an injury.
Richard Durrett runs down things to watch for in the ALCS.
Tom Singer of MLB.com has a position-by-position breakdown of the Rangers and Tigers.
Nolan Ryan is pleased with how 2011 has gone for Texas.
The S-T's notes talk about Josh Hamilton preferring to play at home, the uncertainty in the ALCS rotation (C.J. Wilson and Matt Harrison will pitch game 1 and game 4, but it isn't known if Colby Lewis or Derek Holland will pitch game 2), Alexi Ogando as reliever, and Darren O'Day and Yoshinori Tateyama getting a look if the Rangers opt for an eight man bullpen in the ALCS.
Detroit being the opponent would seem to make it more likely the Rangers would drop Matt Treanor for an eighth reliever, since the Tigers will have an entirely righthanded rotation for the ALCS. While Yorvit Torrealba might start for Mitch Moreland against a lefty, Moreland will get the nod against righthanded starters, so Torrealba and Napoli presumably won't be in the lineup together.