10. Not sure what manager Ron Washington was doing going to closer Neftali Feliz in the 8th inning of a game the Rangers trailed 3-1. If the Rangers had forced extra innings it would've been an interesting mix-'n-match bullpen. Unfortunately, Texas' bats were too feeble to even force a second-guess.
9. Very very very cool moment: Just minutes after Nelson Cruz struck out to end it, the sellout crowd at Rangers Ballpark broke into "Let's go Rangers clap Clap CLapCLApCLAP!" Cue the goose bumps. Wasn't disrespectful to the Giants, just appreciative of a baseball club that thrilled an area for a summer-turned-fall.
8. Bush's be damned, there's something special about Charley Pride singing the National Anthem. Especially now that he's a part-owner of the Rangers.
7. In the end, the Giants' great pitching beat the Rangers' good hitting. In the series' final four games the Rangers scored a measly five runs. In between Josh Hamilton's 5th-inning homer in Game 3 and Cruz' solo shot in the 7th tonight, the Rangers went 18 full innings - at home - without scoring a run. I thought that impossible. After the 9th inning of Game 1 the Rangers didn't score a run without a home run.
6. With temperatures in the 60s and a healthy north wind blowing, it felt more like football weather than baseball. In fact, it felt more like Northern California. On the scoreboard as well.
5. Cliff Lee was good, but with the way Tim Lincecum shut down the Rangers' offense his margin for error was absolutely zilch. Thought he had wiggled out of a two-on, no-out jam in the 7th, but when you fall behind good hitters 2-0 bad things happen. Veteran Edgar Renteria - a shocking MVP - made Lee pay with a three-homer that felt like a 10-run kick to the crotch.
4. I was waaay wrong about Rangers in 5, but I was right in predicting that the veteran Renteria would give an edge to the Giants. Of course, like everyone else, I didn't even think he'd be a starter. After getting only two at-bats in the NLDS as an after-thought on manager Bruce Bochy's bench, he went 7 for 17 with two key homers in the World Series.
3. As in '00 with the New Jersey Devils at Reunion Arena and '06 with the Miami Heat at American Airlines Center, watching the Giants celebrate a championship on our turf was nauseating. No doubt San Francisco was the better team, but still ... vomit.
2. Hard to win any series - much less the World Series - when your best hitter goes 2 for 20. Josh Hamilton homered in Game 3 but otherwise was a non-factor. Of course he wasn't alone: Vladimir Guerrero went 1 for 14. An ugly end to a gorgeous season.
1. Sad that the Rangers' season is over. But wow, what a ride. Here's to the longest, greatest season in Texas' 39-year franchise history. Considering the trials and tribulations, I think it's safe to say this squad maxed out and overachieved. Opening Day 2011 in exactly 5 months ...
