October slugfest

It's crazy to think that October is already here, and that means only one thing, and no, not halloween. It's baseball playoff time.

Think back to the spring training this year. It was exciting to think about going to the ballpark and watching some games, and early on in the season, you're telling yourself you've got several games down the road to go to, and therefore, you decided to wait. 

Before you knew it, time is winding down, and the playoffs are around the corner.

David Murphy is expected to back in uniform for the Rangers. Josh Hamilton returned, hitting a two-run homer and his 100th RBI. Not bad considering how long he was out. It would be a disservice for him to not be named MVP.

Now the Rangers are preparing for the Rays, and the first two games in Tampa are scheduled for 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. (CT). 

Most people are working during this time, and unfortunately, most Rangers fans aren't going to be able to see the game live.

Yes, you can record the game, but what are the odds of going the entire time without finding out the results before watching the game? It never works. I've tried it over and over, and never works.

During March Madness, I was driving home from work one night, and refused to turn on the radio or look on the internet to see the scores, because I was DVRing (That's a word now) the games at home. 

I stop to get gas, and a truck pulls up next to me, and its radio was on, and significantly enough, it was on ESPN radio, and you can guess what happened. The score was spoiled for me.

It can be completely dumb luck, but I'm telling you, it never works.

If you've actually pulled it off, let me know how, because I might need a new tactic. 

Anyway, back to the Rangers, during the regular season, the Rays seemed to have their number. 

Tampa won the AL East by one game over the Yankees with a final record of 96-66.

Game 1 of the ALDS will see Cliff Lee on the mound against David Price. 

Lee has looked sharp in his last three games, striking out 19 batters while Price has 16 Ks in his last three. 

Obviously we're all hoping for Lee to be back into full strength, as well as Murphy, Hamilton, and the rest. Maybe they'll peak at the right time.

Saturday and Sunday (if necessary), the Rangers will be at home, which is good for the team, but Sunday could cause a problem when it comes to traffic seeing as that other stadium across the street will have game going on in it. If you're headed out that way, you might want to get there early, very early.