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Good morning. Forgive the tardiness. Even bloggers get champagne hangovers in their basements from time to time.
First off:
But second off:
Okay, also third off:
Katy Clarke recaps the Rangers' 9-2 win to eliminate the Angels and win the 2015 American League West.
Jeff Wilson recaps the win and notes that the Rangers became just the sixth team since the division era to win their division after trailing by eight games or more in August.
Brad Townsend writes that the Rangers evoked their motto of never quitting on Sunday to clinch the West in the face of baseball's "cruel sense of humor."
Anthony Andro's game story focuses on Cole Hamels' legacy-claiming start as he proved that he doesn't believe in ghosts.
T.R. Sullivan writes about Hamels etching his place in Rangers' lore by pitching a great game in one of the biggest games in franchise history.
Kate Morrison tries to do the impossible by putting this improbable Rangers season, and the acquisition of Hamels, into perspective.
Tim Cowlishaw chimes in to pen a sonnet for the Hamels trade which has already paid off for Texas as the Rangers paid the Nick Williams premium for games just like Sunday.
ESPN sent Jean-Jacques Taylor to cover the Rangers clinching the West on an NFL Sunday so you know it was a big deal. He wrote about Hamels coming up big.
Evan Grant writes the Adrian Beltre article you knew you needed because EG knows what's up. Beltre is working with one hand right now but he dragged this team to the finish line because that's who Beltre is.
Sullivan writes about the Rangers relishing their West championship with Elvis Andrus rightfully calling it a crazy year.
Gil LeBreton writes on the resilient Rangers' climb from heads hanging in Surprise to AL West champs in a season unlike any other in franchise history.
Sullivan offers five things that changed the course of the season from sinking ship to sailing in October.
Anthony Castrovince has Hamels as one of his possible 2014 postseason Madison Bumgarner clones for 2015 as well as some interesting numbers on how the Rangers performed against other teams that have made the playoffs.
Todd Unger notes the crazypants side of sports fanatics were on display as some were upset that the AL West Champions shirts showed a silhouette of Dallas.
Finally:
Congratsrations to Texas Rangers on Winiing the division!
— YOSHINORI TATEYAMA (@tatetatetateyan) October 5, 2015
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Have a nice day.
