Rangers-Astros Rivalry Needs a Spark

The Rangers have wrapped up inter-league play and just recently concluded the annual Lone Star Series with the Houston Astros. Once again, the Rangers have won the series. But did anybody really notice or even care?

Before we start this discussion, a little back ground on the series is needed. The series began in 2001. It’s a six games series and the winner is awarded the Silver Boot – a 30-inch tall display of a cowboy boot cast in silver. To date the two teams have played sixty games. The Texas Rangers lead the series with seven silver boots and thirty three wins. The Astros have three silver boots and twenty seven wins.

Over the years there have been some memorable moments, but is this series on par with the classic cross-town inter-league rivalries we see in other baseball towns? Does the Lone Star series fuel a competitive fire between the two teams that spurs fan interest?

There are many cross-town rivals/series that do. The Freeway Series (Angels vs Dodgers); the Windy City Show Down (Cubs vs White Sox), The Bay Bridge Series (Giants vs Athletics) and the Subway Series (Yankees vs the Mets). These series generate fan interest and create atmospheres similar to Texas-OU weekend.

The reason these series are so successful is because of two key ingredients: a rich history and both teams being located in the same city or metropolitan area.

Unfortunately, the Lone Star Series does not share these characteristics. Although they are the only Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in Texas, they are in separate leagues and hardly play each other. Moreover, they have never met in the World Series. Both teams have also never been dominant winning franchises. The Astros have only been to the World Series once and the Rangers have only had three play-off appearances – with only one play-off win. They also do not share a long storied history like the Cubs and White Sox for example, who have been around since 1902 and 1894 respectively. The Astros have only been around since 1965 and the Rangers relocated from Washington D.C. in 1972.

Furthermore, the series is a victim of bad timing. We never got to see the famous Roger Clements pitch in the series and almost always one of the teams was not in contention for the post season. For example, the Rangers have been terrible for most of the series history. While they are finally playing well, the Astros are now in the cellar.

With all that said, it has given me an idea on how to ignite a spark in this series and the solution involves MLB realignment. Recently, baseball commissioner, Bud Selig, created a fourteen member committee to address realignment in baseball. My recommendation to the committee would be to place the Astros and the Rangers in the same league and most importantly, the same division.

I realize this would prevent a Lone Star World Series from ever occurring, but how often could that have happened? The White Sox and Cubs only met once in 1906 and the New York and San Francisco Bay Area teams met once over the last twenty years. The Angels and Dodgers have never had the pleasure of facing each other in the great contest. Unless, we like holding our breaths, I think placing them in the same division would be a better option.

First, the Astros and Rangers would meet roughly twenty times a year. This would give the teams and their fans a chance to really get to know each other – a key ingredient in any rivalry. Second, the games would really count for something. A late September match up could mean the division and could result in some pretty exciting baseball. A prime example is the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association. Playing in the same division has created a nice heated rivalry between the two teams. Their fans can attest that the last decade between Dallas and San Antonio has been an exciting one.

This leads to my third point, both teams would increase their chances of meeting in the post season. Yes, it wouldn’t be in a World Series, but a match up in the American/National League Championship could not be bad for business.

Finally, the Rangers and Astros currently play in lop-sided divisions. Almost all of the divisions in MLB have five teams except for the Astros and Rangers divisions: the NL Central (6 teams) and AL West (4 Teams). Placing the Astros and Rangers in the same division would appear to be the most logical way to balance out MLB. It would also allow both teams to play closer to home and reduce travel times. I know Ranger fans would be more apt. to a 7:05 p.m. start than the usual 9:30 p.m. first pitch against their division opponents on the west coast.

Although this is probably a fantasy, it would be nice to see a true intra-state rivalry that would be competitive, heated, and something everyone would look forward to. Due to their historic and geographic circumstances, this could only be accomplished if the Rangers and Astros played in the same league and division. In the meantime, we’ll try and be content with our six game series and a Silver Boot.