Years ago Nolan Ryan said, “One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something.”
The Texas Rangers sure proved something when they recently beat the defending champion New York Yankees landing them in the World Series for the first time ever.
I have been following the Rangers faithfully since 1980 when I made the move to Houston, Texas. All I can say is, it’s been a long time coming! They are now making a World Series appearance for the first time in their 38 years in Arlington and their 50 years as a big league franchise.
What is the key to the Rangers making history after all these years? Team player and MVP, Josh Hamilton puts it this way, “This group is here because they don’t know how to fail.”
Hamilton, a devout Christian who was featured on the I Am Second video movement, was more interested in sharing the success than taking any individual glory. He said “I don’t want to talk about myself. I want to talk about the team…” Their unity spoke volumes as they showed great respect for Josh Hamilton’s former substance abuse by dousing him with ginger ale instead of the traditional champagne spray.
“I love my teammates, I love them so much,” Hamilton said during the on-field MVP ceremony.
We can learn some valuable lessons from Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers organization.
Determination, unselfishness, and team unity will take us farther than we can ever realize. Maybe even to a World Series Championship!
FIT FOREVER Tom Hopkins 