Public apology to the Texas Rangers

To the Texas Rangers and their fans:

I feel a sense of personal responsibility for your loss in the World Series last week and I wanted to come clean (I would have done so sooner, but our power was out 4 days).

On Thursday October 27, I pulled for the Cardinals to win Game 6. I did so selfishly, because it was an unbelievably-competitive Series and I wanted it to go seven games. In retrospect, I see that was a terrible mistake.

I had pulled for you guys through the first five games– I’d pulled for you to come back twice to tie the Series, pulled for you to go ahead 3-2. But in Game 6, I turned around: I was pulling for the Cards to win so that it would go seven games.

So when Freese dropped that ball in the 5th, I was upset that you guys had taken the lead, for good, I feared. And when you guys jumped out to 7-4 in the 7th, putting the game on ice, my heart sank. When the TV showed Pujols in the 7th and said, This might be his last at-bat in a Cardinals uniform, I was sad for Pujols, for the only time throughout the Series. And when the Cards rallied to tie in the bottom of the 9th I was overjoyed, and when Hamilton hit the two-run shot in the top of the 10th, I was crushed.

Let me be clear: At all other times in the Series, I loved Josh Hamilton. But I was angry at him in the 10th.

And of course I was overjoyed when the Cards rallied again in the 10th with two outs and two strikes on Berkman, and overjoyed when Freese iced it in the 11th.

I realize now that all my efforts set the great invisible wheels of the universe in motion–and in effect, I’d ended the Series. The Game 7 I’d so devoutly pulled for was flat and you guys didn’t really show up. I realized my mistake last Friday night and was overcome with feelings of self-disgust. I should have been happy with a six game series and to a great bunch of guys winning. But no, I was greedy.

I apologize to all of you, to Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, Nolan Ryan, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz and of course Ron Washington.

I should have pulled for you guys in Game 6, we should have put the Series on ice that night. Please count on me to make amends next October. (That is, if I can’t get the Orioles into the postseason.)

Sincerely,

Phil