What the Texas Rangers managed to do Sunday night aside from losing game 1 of 162 is simply wrap up their shortstop for the next 8 years.
Chance is a big Elvis fan so I took these oddly enough at the start of the game.
It worked out well!
This is a moment of history that could make or break a team for years to come. What the Rangers did is sign a 24 year old, top 3 Shortstop in the major leagues and give themselves incredible infield flexibility. They happen to have the #1 prospect in baseball sitting at AAA right now. Jurickson Profar is a shortstop...for now. What this means is this club now has the ability to make moves with Mike Olt, Ian Kinsler, Profar or Andrus in the future. They can make a trade but the genius of this move is that they don't have to. They can keep all of them and fit them in either in the infield in different places or convert someone to the outfield.
This move is a positive with endless potential but it was much more. Honestly, the Rangers sent a message and so did Elvis Andrus. They both knew they wanted to be a part of each others future and with this signing the Rangers sent a message to player that if you want to be a Ranger and we want you, we will do everything reasonable to make that happen. Elvis Andrus has said all along he is happy here and he wanted to stay in Texas. The same way that Ivan Rodriguez proved that he wanted to stay here a decade and a half ago, Elvis Andrus did the same. There are player that have left that didn't want to be here and a few that left that did. (Yes, Mark Texieria I am looking at you for one of these. Yes, Michael Young I am looking at you for the other.)
The club and the fans have taken shot after shot from a couple of former Rangers this off season. Josh Hamilton and his wife have complained that the Rangers didn't want to make a commitment to it's players. Josh wanted the Rangers to put a ring on his finger and apparently the Rangers were thinking gold and Josh wanted platinum. CJ Wilson gave an interview on Friday which basically indicated the front office and even the fans in LA are better. The joke in all of this is that both these players have complained that DFW is a football town so they went to play in a town owned by the LA Lakers, a basketball team. Oh, but there is more! LA loves a baseball team, I will admit it. Much the same way DFW loves the Rangers, BTW. LA loves the Dodgers. The Dodgers who didn't want CJ Wilson or Josh Hamilton so they both signed with the Angels. That's about like signing with the Mets instead of the Yankees. No offense Mets fans, love ya, mean it!
I tell you all of this for one reason.
In all the crying these two former players have done one thing has become lost. The players wanted to test free agency and neither wanted to make a commitment prior to them hitting the open market to the Rangers. Ian Kinsler did and the club signed him to an extension. Elvis Andrus did and they signed him to an extension. So with all the complaining coming from the Ginger Ale brigade, let's keep in mind that players have a choice too.
I negotiate for a living and there is one thing I can promise you during a negotiation and that is, it takes both sides to compromise to reach an agreement. Josh said he would give the Rangers a chance to match. He didn't. Josh said he would go where God told him to go. Apparently, God wanted Josh to go where the most money was. I heard an interview with Josh Hamilton yesterday on ESPN where he was basically saying that they were opening their season at the Reds a team that Josh played for prior to Texas and then they come to Texas. Josh said God was sending him a message about the path of his life in this schedule. I told my friend Micah this and she responded:
"God talks to Josh Hamilton more than anyone else I know."
I think God does use certain things to send a message to people but I have a hard time believing that God used the MLB schedule to send a message specifically to Josh Hamilton in this way. Josh searchs for meaning in everything in his very troubled life and if that makes him feel better, then more power to him but in order for God to send this particular message to Josh, He had to ignore the needs of every player, manager, coach, family member and group of fans in 3 parts of the country, California, Ohio, and Texas. I am not saying God doesn't love Josh Hamilton, He does. Still, I know God loves me too and my friends and the Ranger Fans and the fans in Ohio and LA. God loves all of us, equally because He can. The Rangers have moved on. The fans are in the process of moving on. It would be nice if Josh Hamilton and CJ Wilson would try moving on too, since they both controlled their future.
Thought for the day!
Remember, You're Beautiful!
God made you perfect just the way you are and He sees the beauty even in your flaws.
XOXO
Simply,
Laura
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I really hope Josh strikes out every at bat this weekend. It would make me SO HAPPY!!
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