Bigger Cowboys game tonight than you might think

Thursday, November 30, 2023

What you see above is the remaining schedule for the Cowboys and the records of the teams they will have to face as the 2023 season winds down. No cakewalk by any means.

As a matter of fact, if shit happens tonight and we somehow blow it vs. Seattle, there’s a real possibility we could struggle to even make the playoffs.

Now I don’t REALLY think after as well as we’ve played all year, this team is gonna miss the playoffs but I would sure rest a lot easier if we took care of business tonight against the Seahawks. Based on our dominance at home it shouldn’t be a problem but ya never know.

Speaking of the Eagles (which we weren’t speaking of but we’ll speak of now) the next game against them is basically meaningless. Even after we school them at home, they’re going to win the division and that’s that.

They’re not going to do this, but if I were them I would sit key players like Jaylen Hurts, etc. in that game on the road against the Cowboys because in the longer term outlook you don’t want those guys getting injured when you’ve all but locked up home field throughout the playoffs. Even if you play Hurts and company in this game, you’re probably going to lose. So if you’re gonna lose anyway, why not give your best players a week off? Seems logical to me but pride always gets in the way when push comes to shove.

When the Sheagles DO come to town and we beat the living fuck out of them and maybe even hurt some of their key guys they’ll think twice about a longer-term outlook but at that point it will be too late. Oh well. Sorry, Sheagles. Maybe next year.

Everything is easy

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

I get annoyed whenever I read or hear someone says “Nobody said it was gonna be easy” or “It’s never easy”, etc.

That’s a shitty mindset. What if instead you thought everything *IS* going to be easy. That’s what I choose to think of most things. Easy.

Now I will admit that some things are hard. Brain surgery, raising children, etc. But I don’t do those things.

Let me just say this. I’m the one that says “It’s easy!” So the next time you hear someone say “Nobody said it was gonna be easy” tell them they’re wrong because Nick said it was gonna be a piece of cake.

Now that we got that outta the way lemme wish you a Happy November! November is gonna be a walk in the park. Super easy.

I’m 57 and I live with my parents

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

These are the Halloween decorations dad puts up every year but this year I pretty much did most of the work because he’s much weaker these days due to the heart condition. I didn’t mind. It makes mom happy.

But that’s not why I called you. I called to talk about how it’s been since I moved back in with my parents in April.

It’s been fine for the most part but what I find interesting is how people don’t see me living with them as pathetic but instead admirable. Like I was embarrassed at first to admit I’m living with my parents at my age but the outside world thinks it’s noble that I’m willing to put my own wants and needs aside in favor of caring for my elderly parents. And my parents themselves absolutely LOVE it and the rest of the family is grateful for what I’m doing as well.

The only person that seems to think it’s sad is me. And even I’m starting to come around to the idea that chilling with the folks in their golden years is not the worst way to live my life right now.

Am I going to keep hanging with them until one or both finally kicks the bucket? Idk. Dad never wants me to leave because my help makes life a lot easier for him but it’s not the most exciting existence for me and I enjoy excitement now and again.

I guess time till tell. Thanks for reading and Happy Halloween!

World Serious

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Welp, the kids did it when I was sure they wouldn’t. They beat the hated Astros and won the pennant. I may even get an A.L. Champions pennant to hang up. But probably not.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to be able to watch every game this season thanks to some unfortunate health issues my elderly father had earlier in the year that forced me to move in with my parents to help take care of them.

I’ve forced them to watch games with me every night and although it’s not preferred TV for them, they’re okay with it. There’s no way in hell my parents would have sat through boring baseball games every night of the week in their younger days, but nowadays they don’t mind. Mom has memory problems with her Alzheimer’s and dementia so every day is a new experience for her anyway. Dad doesn’t love baseball (he’s a Cowboys die-hard) but he’s gotten more into the Rangers, especially since they win a lot. Winners are easier to watch than losers. Plus he’s become more patient in his old age and doesn’t mind trying to learn more about the nuances of the great game. Both of them also love to sleep more than anything else so a lotta games they just slept through. Lol.

No sleeping through games NOW, though. Because we’re inexplicably headed to the World Series. Too fun!

Unlike the other two times we went to the World Series, I believe we have a real shot to win it all. I think we were favored in the series vs. the Giants or maybe both the Giants AND Cardinals but I don’t remember thinking we were shoe-ins to win.

It would make my nephew Nico mad as hell to hear me say this (because my brother Rich has him believing so hard in the jinx) but I think we ARE shoe-ins to win THIS World Series simply because we’re not playing either the Braves OR the Dodgers, who were the class of the National League this year. It’s really hard to see this team losing to Philly or Arizona. If it goes more than 5 games, I’d be surprised.

Nico will say it’s my fault if we DON’T win the series now, and my jinxes are pretty hard for teams to overcome, but these Rangers FINALLY have me believing in them. And they actually *can’t* let me down now because they made it to the fucking WORLD SERIES! What else do I want?!?

I will spend the rest of the season basking in the glory of a long-awaited trip back to the Fall Classic, win or lose. (But just don’t tell Nico I think we’re gonna win.)

Wtg, Rangers!!!

Astros vs. Rangers. Old vs. New

Sunday, October 21, 2023

As frustrating as it will be to watch the Astros celebrate another trip to the World Series tonight, at least it doesn’t appear I’ll have to endure this pain in the years to come because many of their superstars are getting up there in age. And when they’re done it’s difficult to imagine the Stros replacing them with guys that are as good or better. Even if they do, the new guys won’t have as much postseason experience as guys like Altuve and Bregman.

I’ve allowed myself to get way too excited about the current Rangers squad, but the truth of the matter is we’re a VERY young team. We’re making this deep run in the playoffs with no less than 3 rookies starting. That’s generally unheard of.

But our youth bodes well for the future assuming we can hang onto them. I LOVE our chances against future Astros teams with the likes of Jung, Heim, Carter, and the lot. Even Corey Seager, as seasoned as he plays, hasn’t turned 30 yet. He’s a perineal league MVP and still has 10 good years left or more.

It’s been extremely fun to watch this group of overachievers come SO CLOSE to making it to the 2023 World Series.

Yeah, it’s gonna suck when we fall short this year but take solace in knowing we’ve built a team that should be in this position again and again in the years to come. I’ll hang my hat on that.

Thanks for a really awesome 2023, Rangers, and congrats to the Astros. We’ll see y’all again!

Biggest Rangers Playoff Issue = Close Games

Friday, September 29, 2023

At the moment it appears the Rangers are going to make the playoffs and possibly even win the division barring a major meltdown in Seattle this weekend.

That’s all well and good but it’s very difficult to see us even getting out of the first round because we’ve proven all year we don’t win close games and very few playoff games are not close.

Last night’s game where we blew a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth was a perfect example.

I could ask the Google machine how many MLB playoff games have historically been decided by 4 or more runs but I don’t need to ask the Google machine that question bc I already know it’s a very small percentage.

Close games being the rule, it’s hard to imagine this team just magically turning things around and winning such games when they’ve been losing them all season with regularity.

The only real hope we have is that someone in the bullpen rises to the challenge and performs at a higher level than they’ve been performing at to this point or maybe even running starters out in reliever roles.

Hopefully Bochy has a couple tricks up his sleeve for the postseason because he’s gonna need em.

Rangers done in 23 but 24 looks great

Tuesday, September 19,2023

The MLB app shows the Rangers barely missing the playoffs this season and even though there are still a lot of games left to play before that’s our ultimate fate, I’d be surprised if we snuck in at this point.

Even if we manage to make it in there’s very little chance of going too far because we just can’t win close games. And it’s the Orioles year.

So basically as great as this season has been, it’s a bust. The bullpen is just too weak.

All that said, though, I love the fact we are now a serious contender for the division and if we can avoid the injury bug next year we should be a favorite to win the division, especially if we can shore up the bullpen in the offseason.

Been a really fun year and it’s cool to have some solid years to look forward to.

Go, Rangers!

AL playoffs starting early

Monday, September 18, 2023

With the Mariners playing the Dodgers over the weekend, it looked like a pretty good chance for the Rangers to put some distance between them and the Mariners and maybe even jump into 1st over the Astros but instead of that, we dumped 3 straight to CLE. DOH!

Now we come home to play the Red Sox and it’s hard to tell which Rangers team is gonna show up for this series.

Luckily the Mariners are actually playing shittier than we are atm but they should be able to turn that around vs the lowly A’s.

Signs are pointing towards the two teams being tied when Seattle comes to town this weekend.

So what that basically means is playoff baseball is starting a week early. Nice!

Rangers going for sweep in TOR

Thursday, September 14, 2023

At the risk of jinxing the Rangers out of 6 straight wins and a 4-game sweep of the Blue Jays IN TORONTO I’d like to submit that we have a decent chance to get it done.

I’m already okay with taking 3 outta 4 from the Jays but the reason I think we have a good chance at completing the sweep is Nathan Eovaldi starting.

He was excellent at the beginning of the season. He’s still not back to that form but he’s getting there. If he can give us even 3 solid innings tonight the bats may be enough to pull off 6 straight and move to within a half game of stupid Houston and 1st Place in the division again.

At the moment I don’t think we have a chance to actually overtake the Astros for first, not because we can’t win the majority of the games we have left, but because the Astros remaining schedule is so soft. 6 of their last 15 games are vs the Royals who are the worst team in the MLB. Then they end the season in Arizona. The best the Rangers can hope for is the Diamondbacks playing for that 3rd playoff spot in the NL those last 3 games and even then the Astros are just the better team.

Win or lose, playoffs or no playoffs, it’s been a lotta fun following the Rangers this season.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of September!

Watching MLB games with a baseball newbie, aka my dad

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

My father has never watched as much Major League Baseball as he has this season because I watch every Texas Rangers game and he’s content to watch them with me, even when I tell him he can watch something else.

It’s a function of him getting older and way more laid back than he’s ever been. In his younger days there’s no way he’d sit through “boring” baseball games every night. But nowadays he doesn’t mind it so much and it’s a lot easier since the Rangers are having such a great 2023 season. He likes a winner even despite being a die-hard Cowboys fan.

One of the things I find amusing about watching a game I’ve played and watched my whole life with someone who has never really cared is his takes on different aspects of the game.

A good example is the other night when we were watching a game being played at Fenway Park in Boston.

Fenway is famous for the “Green Monster”, a 37-foot wall in left field.

When dad saw it he said there’s no way anyone could ever hit one over that wall, it’s too tall.

It seems logical if you’ve never watched that many games in Boston but if you have you know it happens all the time because even though the wall is 4 stories high, it’s so close in that it doesn’t take the most majestic home run you’ve ever seen to get one over the monster. It’s an optical illusion in that way. In a game where guys regularly hit the ball 400 feet, it only takes a 320 or so foot shot to clear the 310-foot distance from home plate to the wall down the line.

One of these days I’ll show him some of the most famous home runs hit over the wall but until then have a great one and thanks for reading.

Musings and Elucidations

NickSilly’s blog.