In case you haven't noticed I'm a bit of a cynic. A skeptic. A glass-half-empty kinda guy. Okay, I can be an a-hole.

But I'm genuinely fired up for the 2010 Texas Rangers. Why?

New owner Chuck Greenberg.

Met him for the first time last night at Jamey Newberg's shindig, which was basically a town hall meeting set in Sherlock's in north Dallas. (Video introduction, anyone?) Greenberg, Michael Young, Newberg and Chuck Morgan packed the joint. (Kudos, the event raise more than $10,000 for Wipe Out Kids' Cancer.)

Something struck me about Greenberg as we talked 1970s Pittsburgh Pirates baseball and lowering beer prices (yep, you read that right) and the nuisance of "The Wave" at Rangers Ballpark.

He's got Pittsburgh ties. He's casual. Wears jeans. Is a creative marketer whose minor-league clubs set attendance records despite losing records.

By God, he's Mark Cuban.

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"Man, am I a dork or what?" Greenberg said, trying to dig his cell phone out of his pants pocket to show the audience his Rangers Ballpark wallpaper shot. "Had my camera on in my pants. That could be dangerous."

Pretty sure Tom Hicks never did/said/thought anything that remotely funny during his tenure.

"With this team I see a swagger and feel a confidence," Greenberg said. "The longer you have to wait for something the sweeter it is when you finally get it. I know you fans have waited a long time to win, and I can't wait to drink some champagne with you."

Play ball!