Astros/Rangers Is Turning Into One Hell Of A Rivalry
Rivalries are like steaks. Many of them are pretty cool on paper, but they must be cooked just right. There's a fine line between healthy competition and genuine hatred. You're welcome to call me a pussy, but I don't find much joy in real hatred. I am a University of Michigan fan who has lived in Michigan my whole life and has been fully immersed in the Michigan and Michigan State football rivalry.
I would say one of the top reasons why I can't fucking wait to move out of Michigan is because I will no longer feel obligated to talk about the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry ever again. It's exhausting, and it's not even fun. I just don't get much joy out of seeing grown men act like fucking imbeciles, but who cares what I think?
I bring that up because baseball rivalries always have that perfect balance, and I miss that we don't have that many anymore. I find it embarrassing when fans come to blows, but there's something unique about when players genuinely don't like each other. I know the Yankees and the Red Sox still have a bit of rivalry, but nothing will ever compare to the full-on contempt That these teams had for each other in the early 2000s. It was an electric factory. And while I don't see any baseball rivalry in my lifetime recapturing that magic, the Astros and Rangers do not like each other, and I'm all here for it.
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This is like a rivalry soup, and all the ingredients are there. I don't know what's up with all the food analogies in this blog, but I might stick with it. I understand both sides of the aisle when it comes to this rivalry. On one end, you have the Astros, who have been good forever. They have in their possession the one thing that the Texas Rangers have been unable to attain: a Championship. They have two, but their most recent one came last year. Until proven otherwise, they are baseball's bogeymen.
But then you have the Texas Rangers, who threw their hat in the ring these past few years, spent a ton of money, and assembled a roster featuring a tremendous balance of young players and veteran leaders. They've been leading this division from the beginning. Last night was the first time in a long time that Houston's had the opportunity to find their way into a tie for the American League West. Still, the Rangers had other ideas, teeing off on Framber Valdez and scoring 13 unanswered runs at one point, all culminating with an Adolis Garcia grand slam that led to a benches-clearing incident.
I love the vibes that are coming off of this rivalry right now. There's respect, but there's also a whole lot of fire. It feels like one of those old-school divisional races where you come out on top or your season is fucked. Don't get me wrong, both these teams will make the playoffs, but neither has their sights set on playing in the wildcard round. It's division title or bust.
The Rangers/Astros rivalry is a textbook example of how awesome baseball can be when you have teams that give a shit about winning. I understand they both play in the same state. Geographical proximity is mainly responsible for these teams' contempt for each other. Still, the Texas Rangers are the only team in the American League West since 2017 that's legitimately tried to go toe to toe with a team that has owned the American League for over half a decade. Houston remains the top dog, but they must come correct to win the West. The Rangers aren't going anywhere. This is some real sharks versus the jets shit. It's all about territory. These next two months should be a lot of fun.