10. In retrospect, a great call by Rangers' manager Ron Washington taking Nelson Cruz out of Game 5 early with a tight hamstring. Cruz hit the biggest homer in Rangers' history in the four-run 5th tonight, shoving Texas to a commanding 5-1 lead.
9. Claw > Antlers? Very cool surprise when Lacey Von Erich stopped by the 105.3 The Fan broadcast stage before the game. She's the grand-daughter of Fritz Von Erich, the original Claw. She's also smokin' hot.
8. Finally, the greatest moment in Texas Rangers' history is no longer Nolan Ryan beating up Robin Ventura.
7. The 45,000 red pom poms were a great idea, but they kinda blended into the crowd. Or maybe they were used as Sham-Wows to wipe off wet seats. Or heads.
6. Just when you thought the Yankees were going to weasel their way back into the game when umps somehow collectively missed Nick "The Liar" Swisher getting hit by a bounced pitch, the Rangers responded with four, two-out runs in the 5th. By the way, how the hell can baseball continue without instant replay?
5. Unbelievable performance by Colby Lewis, who struck out seven - including three in the 8th - and allowed only three hits in 102 gutsy pitches. He retired the Yankees on 14 pitches in the 1st and was never really threatened. His 12-to-6 curve was as nasty as I've ever seen it. In the old days we called that thing a "drop ball." And to think, a year ago today he was the property of the Japanese League's Hiroshima Carp. Domo Arigato indeed. Take a bow for that signing, Jon Daniels.
4. Strange, almost uncomfortable moment before the game when BJ Thomas sang the National Anthem. It starts pouring rain, scrambling the grounds crew to put the tarp on the infield. The National Guardsmen (?) presenting the flag weren't budging and Thomas kept on singing. Why shouldn't he? This, of course, was one of his biggest hits. Soon as Thomas finished, rain drops stopped falling on his - and our - head. Weird.
3. Time after time in this series the Yankees walked Josh Hamilton - an ALCS-record 5 times, in fact - and tonight Vladimir Guerrero finally made them pay big time. His two-out, two-run, one-hop double off the wall in left-center gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the 5th and may have been the biggest hit in franchise history. And, by the way New York, our baseball team is better than yours and yellow mustard > brown mustard. Suck it.
2. It's Time!
1. Can't believe I've lived to see this day and/or survived long enough to type this sentence: The Texas Rangers are in the World Effin' Series!
