Texas Rangers fans are used to this type of feeling, but it still hurts

Texas Rangers fans should be pretty used to the feeling of a down season. But even those used to pain still know what hurt feels like.

I won’t lie to you: When the Texas Rangers traded off pitcher Yu Darvish, a little piece of me hurt. But for me, it wasn’t really about the season. I’ve long come to terms with this likely being the first season in three years that ends without playoffs for the Rangers. No, this situation is more complex than that. It’s about the feeling of seeing a guy leave the team that you didn’t want to see go.

The 1989 season

I grew up absolutely loving the Texas Rangers. Perhaps it’s because it’s the first thing my step-father (although, to me, he’s just “Dad”) bonded over. Baseball is how I really got to know the man that married my mom when I was just five years old. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite things to do: Talk baseball with my dad. But I digress . . .

During those early days of Rangers baseball, I began to really root for shortstop Scott Fletcher. “Scooter,” as he was known to Rangers fans, wasn’t the flashiest player and he rarely hit home runs. But he played shortstop, and I wanted to play shortstop. And he was a gritty, somewhat-speedy, fundamentally sound player that made it out there every single day and night. He played the game the right way, and I loved him for it.

Those that remember the 1989 season should remember that Texas entered that year with high expectations. Flame-throwing legend Nolan Ryan signed with them in the offseason and Ruben Sierra was really hitting his stride as a five tool star. Outfielder Pete Incaviglia struck out a lot, but he still rocked an awesome mustache and hit some really nice home runs. Plus Julio Franco and Rafael Palmeiro showed some incredible promise of things to come.

July 29, 1989

I remember that day like it was yesterday. For full disclosure, my wife and family always laugh at me about my incredible sports memory. But even I had to refer to the greats over at Baseball Reference to get that correct date. Regardless, that day itself sticks in my mind for one big reason.

As good as the Rangers were that year, they found themselves eight games out by July 29 with the trade deadline quickly approaching. So, off they sent Fletcher with Sammy Sosa and Wilson Alvarez for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique.

It was a last-ditch effort to improve the offense. Baines was a great hitter and that team needed him. My dad looked at me like I was nuts, but I didn’t care.

I’m not ashamed to say that my ten-year-old self cried that day. I wasn’t crying because we were way behind an incredible Oakland Athletics team. I was crying because my favorite guy was no longer a Texas Ranger. I had come to the realization that athletes, regardless of how much the fans like them, are expendable on virtually every team. And I hated it.

I recovered, though. Seven years later as a high schooler, I’d get giddy at watching the Rangers go to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The 2010 and 2011 seasons were even more amazing to me. But there’s still that part of me that likes holding on to the good ones, even when their game has left them.

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Nolan Ryan, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez

Watching the aforementioned Ryan walk off the field in Seattle was pretty emotional. I didn’t cry like I did when Fletcher left. But I stood in my room applauding as the play-by-play team talked about it likely being his last day on the mound. What’s amazing is that his final pitch, at the age of 46, it still clocked in at 98 miles per hour. To this day, I still miss watching him pitch. But hey, you can still see it via YouTube! But at least he still somewhat rode off into the sunset.

A little over ten years after the Fletcher trade, I saw the Rangers trade off outfielder Juan Gonzalez. Even though he was pretty surly with the media, I was enthralled at watching him play. I seemed to have a “sense” for when he was going to hit a home run. I’d feel this little twitch in my brain as the pitcher let the ball loose and I’d utter something like “Gone.” And sure enough, 410 feet later, I’d look at my dad, brother, cousin, lamp shade or whatever was in the room and say “Told ya!”

That trade also stung a bit. I got over it too, though.

Watching Ivan Rodriguez celebrate a World Series victory with the Florida Marlins gave me mixed feelings. I was incredibly happy for “Pudge,” but at the same time, I wanted to see him do that with no other team but Texas. For crying out loud, the team he celebrated with was only five years old! But through all these, I grew up and kept going. I mean, it is only baseball.

Moving on

For me, it might not even have as much to do with the player leaving. No, the hardest part was seeing your favorite guy in another team’s uniform. It felt like watching your ex-girlfriend from a week ago walk down the street arm-in-arm with another dude. You knew it was happening, but seeing it really hurt. That’s why Ryan’s departure felt a little different. At least he officially ended his career as a Texas Rangers player.

I fear the same feelings will come with watching Darvish pitch for the Dodgers. I know the Rangers got what they could in return, and if he signs with Texas in the offseason, then all is better. In fact, all would be much better because the Rangers added three prospects.

But for now, there will be that fear of seeing him pitch a no-hitter for someone else. If the Dodgers take it all this year, seeing Yu celebrate with them will feel weird. But as one of his fans, I wish him the best. Even though it will feel weird, I hope he gets a ring in L.A.

Next: Rangers attention shifts to youth

I can at least hold on to one last thought, though. It could have been far worse. Seeing him in Yankees pinstripes would be difficult and witnessing him play for someone random like Colorado would really mess with my head. But at least, I can be thankful about which side of Los Angeles he went to. At least he’s not an Angel at this point, because might have hurt more than anything else. Right, Josh Hamilton?

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