Rangers-Astros Rivalry Needs a Spark
July 8, 2010 by rabernethy · Leave a Comment
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.
