The first significant cold front is expected to blow in Sunday morning. The forecasted high for today is a balmy 86. Monday’s high is projected to fall below 50 degrees. After a long dry spell, we were blessed with a week filled with rain amid the Texas Rangers punching their ticket to the World Series.
This marks the Rangers third appearance in the Fall Classic. As American League champs, the Rangers will face the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are representing the National League.
Major League Baseball established the Texas Rangers franchise in 1961 as the second incarnation of the Washington Senators, an expansion team awarded to Washington, D.C., after the old Washington Senators team of the American League moved to Minnesota and became the Twins. The new Senators played in Washington through 1971. In 1972, the team moved to Arlington, Texas, where the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers.
Despite challenges in recent years, baseball has long been considered America’s National pastime.
Here are some World Series Fun Facts (source: MLB. com):
1903: After two years of discord between the long-established National League and the upstart American League, the two circuits settled their differences and agreed to a postseason series to crown an Interleague champion, a best-of-nine “World’s Championship Series.”
1905: The NL champion Giants refused to play the 1904 AL champ Boston Pilgrims in a postseason series, but starting in 1905, the World Series was established as an annual tradition, with 1994 (players’ strike) the only year since that the game wasn’t played. Except for 1919-1921, when it was a best-of-nine, the World Series has been a best-of-seven series.
1921: The Yankees won the first of an MLB-record 27 World Series titles.
1949-53: The Yankees won a record five consecutive World Series.
1955: The World Series MVP Award was given for the first time, with Brooklyn’s Johnny Podres taking the honor.
1956: The Yankees’ Don Larsen spun the only perfect game in World Series history.
1969: The Mets became the first expansion team to appear in — and win — the World Series.
1992: The World Series was played outside of the United States for the first time, with the Toronto Blue Jays defeating the Braves in six games.
2001: The World Series extended into November for the first time.
2003-16: The winner of the All-Star Game decided home-field advantage in the World Series.
2016: The Cubs ended the longest drought in World Series history, winning their first Fall Classic since 1908.
2020: In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the World Series is played at a neutral site (Globe Life Field in Arlington) for the first time.
So, despite the cold coming in, Terri and I are looking forward to watching the Rangers playing the Diamondbacks in this year’s Fall Classic.
Play ball!
Happy blogging,
The Devotional Guy™
Rainer Bantau
The Devotional Guy™ 