Rangers Fans Cheer Houston Astros in a Series All Texans Can Celebrate

The Texas Rangers celebrate their playoff win and hope for an all-Texas American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros.

The Texas Rangers have emerged victorious in their latest playoff series, much to the likely dismay of the Houston Astros. After sweeping their second consecutive playoff opponent, the Baltimore Orioles, the Rangers have secured a spot in the American League Championship series for the first time since 2011. To celebrate this achievement, the Rangers popped some champagne, symbolizing their success.

With just one more win, we could witness an all-Texas American League Championship Series, a thrilling prospect that is sure to attract high TV ratings. However, whether or not this happens is not our concern.

The Rangers eliminated the Orioles from the American League Division Series with an impressive 7-1 win in Game 3 at Globe Life Mall. Now, Major League Baseball is hoping for the Astros to defeat the Minnesota Twins once again, completing a real Texas two-step.

Currently, the Astros lead their ALDS series against the Twins 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday in Minneapolis. As much as a Rangers fan may despise the Astros and the city of Houston, all Texans should rally behind the Astros in their match against the Twins.

A potential American League Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros would be a historic event for professional sports in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. This series could potentially end the Curse of Nolan Ryan, although that would require the Rangers to win the World Series.

The matchup between Houston and Texas would also bring the Silver Boot rivalry to the forefront, reminding fans of previous clashes such as Celebration-gate, Altuve, Seager, home electronic video equipment, garbage cans, The Express, and the two stadiums with retractable roofs that rarely open. Not to mention the notorious humidity that both cities are known for.

While there have been some memorable series between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA playoffs, such as the 2015 matchup where the Mavericks' Rajon Rondo famously quit on his team, the potential Rangers-Astros series would surpass them all in significance.

Similarly, the occasional exciting games between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Oilers cannot compare to the magnitude of a Rangers-Astros showdown. In fact, the Oilers once upset the Cowboys at Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving Day in 1979, thanks to an outstanding performance by running back Earl Campbell.

Bum Phillips, the coach of the Oilers at the time, famously declared that the Dallas Cowboys may be America's Team, but the Houston Oilers were Texas' team. While the accuracy of this statement is debatable, it remains a memorable line.

The Houston Texans, in their inaugural game in 2002, hosted the Dallas Cowboys and emerged victorious with a score of 19-10. Following the game, columnist Randy Galloway humorously suggested that the Cowboys' entire coaching staff should be fired, with the exception of the owner, whom he suggested should be deported.

In the early days of the Astros and Rangers, they were in different leagues, and before interleague play was introduced in 1997, their only chance to meet would have been in the World Series. For those who are over 40 years old, it may still feel strange to see the Astros playing in the American League instead of the National League West.

The rivalry between the Rangers and Astros began in 2001 when they competed for the Silver Boot. However, this tradition never truly took hold, as one team would often excel while the other struggled.

Fast forward to 2023, and the Astros have become one of the most despised baseball teams in the country, thanks to the infamous garbage-can scandal. They have surpassed even the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in terms of public disdain.

When the Rangers secured their playoff berth this season, they celebrated alongside the Astros, who had also clinched a postseason spot for the seventh consecutive year. However, there was a misunderstanding regarding the nature of the celebrations, with a reporter suggesting that the Rangers had partied while the Astros had a quick champagne toast before focusing on their next game.

This led to a childish and moronic feud between Rangers and Astros fans on social media, resulting in some members of the Rangers media team deleting their social media apps. It is important to remember that while sports can be fun and entertaining, threats and hostility have no place in the game.

A Texas Rangers versus Houston Astros American League Championship Series would be a delight for all fans. If you are a Texan or a Rangers fan, it is crucial to support the Astros in their quest for one more win. Once that happens, the stage will be set for the most significant baseball series in the history of Texas.