Home Plate Like Home

This season is in full swing, and so is Home Plate Like Home! These are the International players to watch so far this season.

1. Yu Darvish – This 25 year old pitcher from Japan was all the buzz in the off season as the Rangers bid for the rights to negotiate. Darvish pitched 5 straight seasons with an ERA under 2.0 in Japan. He was 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA for the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2011 and has been named the most valuable player of the Pacific league. His accomplishments in Japan have definitely earned him a solid spot int he Ranger’s starting rotation, but we’ll see how his pitching abilities translate on the American ball field.

2. Aroldis Chapman – As I wrote in the last blog, Aroldis Chapman has swagger in 2012. He sites more confidence and a better sense of timing on the mound mostly due to the fact that the cultural differences he was unsure about before have been settled. He speaks better English, he’s made friends on the team, and he will do well for the Reds this season.

3. Yoennis Cespedes – Recently defected from Cuba and drafted by the A’s, Cespedes is immediately making an impression thanks to a 462 foot home run on Friday night. Aside from the fact that he can clearly mash the ball, Cespedes will be a fun player to watch this season as he adjusts to life in the U.S.

Michael Pineda is also on my list, I enjoyed watching him play for the Mariners last season – where he earned the nickname Pineda Colada. When he’s finally healthy and back on the mound, he should be a good addition to the Yankees.

In July 2009 the touted “best left handed pitching prospect in the world” – a Cuban by the name of Aroldis Chapman, defected from Cuba to chase the dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player in the United States.

Eight MLB teams were in the running to receive Chapman on their rosters – a player who had never watched a major league baseball game on television and couldn’t name any of the teams.

Upon review (and a few looks at the map of the U.S.), Aroldis Chapman signed a six year deal with the Cincinnati Reds. One thing that made a difference in the decision was the fact that the Reds have 10 players from Latin America on their roster.

According to Chapman’s agent Randy Hendricks, “In terms of the transition, we couldn’t look for a better place for someone who came from Cuba to pitch.”

Chapman made his debut on Aug 31, 2010 and finished the season with a 2.03 ERA. Last season, he posted a 3.6 ERA and broke the fastball record – clocking in at 105.1!

What’s in store for this season? According to MLB, he seems to be a little more confident. They report that he jokes around with his teammates more, has a little more “swagger”, and a better rhythm.

Why?

Because he’s successfully acculturated. Chapman has an English teacher that has been helping with the language barrier, but it’s more than just that – it’s the cultural side that he’s learned to adapt to.

He told MLB, “Things are a lot different than in the beginning. I didn’t know much. I didn’t know many people. I didn’t know the style of game. Now, I have a couple of years here and I’ve been able to build some relationships and understand it a little more.”

The key in Chapman’s case is that he acculturated and learned how to adapt to all aspects of American life: language, relationships, American baseball culture and American culture. What many teams, coaches, and players miss is the necessity of acculturating in all aspects of life.

It’s not just the language barrier that needs to be addressed, it’s the cultural differences in behavior and relationship dynamics, cuisine, the game of baseball itself, and in the way we think differently in relation to time and space.

Chapman says, “I’ve learned discipline and the routine. You don’t relax ever on the field. I’m more serious about that now. But you must understand that it’s a different culture, here. We, all of us Latinos, come from a different place but you learn how it is here. Once you adjust, it’s not a problem. You just have to adjust.”

Truer words have never been spoken. Aroldis Chapman gets it, and I think we will continue to see that because he’s adjusted and has confidence. He will become a very valuable player in the Red’s system this season and beyond.

Due to the recent arrests of Fausto Carmona and Leo Nunez, I want to shed light on an ongoing issue between MLB and players from the Dominican Republic (D.R.).While many Americans will see this issue only in black and white:

“They lied!”…
“Falsifying documents!”…
“Identity fraud”…

…the issue cannot be dismissed as just that. There’s a bigger picture here, one that can put the blame and consequence on several different parties. Obviously people need to take responsibility for their actions, but put yourself in their shoes and look at what’s really going on in the D.R.

Upon reading several comments on the MLB website, I was reminded of the South Park episode where they proclaim that the mysterious alien men who move to South Park are taking their jobs.

“They took our jobs!” they proclaim throughout the episode.

It’s interesting to see how we paint the picture in the United States: fraud, deception, and underhandedness. Most of the complaints criminalized players, making them out to be cheats, deceivers, takers of jobs! Come on people!

Let’s take Fausto Carmona for instance. He came from a very poor family in a small village in the Dominican Republic. Anthony Cantrovince, writer for MLB.com reports,

“His teeth were so bad that the Indians feared he wouldn’t be able to properly nourish himself, so they doled out the dollars for his dental work.”

Here we have a kid, coming from a dirt poor family of farmers with a shot at “making it” in the big leagues and bringing his family out of poverty. What would YOU do?

In Fausto’s case yes, he stole an identity and lied about his age, which in our minds is unforgivable. But in their country it’s not taken as seriously. Records are not held in such high regard in the D.R. In fact, your name could be changed at the drop of a hat. For example, the spelling of a name (like name Jimmy could go from Jimmy to Gemmy throughout their school year), or a nickname is written down on their school and hospital records that carries over and creates a problem later when their identity is verified.

Generally speaking, players who get caught up in the age or identity scandal usually do so without intent to be fraudulous. You see, there are several cultural differences at work here. The first being that birth dates and records are not held to the high level of importance in the Dominican Republic. The second being that there is a cultural difference in last name traditions. Dominicans take both their mother and their father’s last name, but many times only choose one, and can sometimes change to the other over the course of their lives depending on how involved a parent is in the absence of another.

So when an MLB official says you can’t do what you’ve dreamed of doing your whole life (your only ticket out of a life of poverty) until you have proof of your identity, it doesn’t matter whether you end up being John Doe or Juan Carlos. You’re going to get that piece of paper because until you do you’re not getting a work visa and you’re not going to the U.S. You see, for Dominicans, it’s not really about falsifying your age, it’s about finding any means necessary to prove who you are.

According to the DRSEA Informer, “Very often in the Dominican Republic, births are not registered until years after, when memories have become sketchy with regards to exact dates, locations and circumstances. A relative could take a child to register the birth and not recall the exact date, or be provided incorrect information by the mother and father who may be juggling the birth dates of several children in their heads. But, it would be a stretch of the imagination to believe that someone would falsify the identification of a 6-year-old in anticipation that 10 or 11 years hence that lie would benefit them in getting their child signed to a professional baseball contract.”

Of course this is not always the case, but it is a huge factor! What do you do if you don’t have a birth record? You get one. Because damn-it you’re going to do whatever it takes to get where you want to be.

Some poor Dominicans in rural areas are late to register births, which causes problems for players.
In cases like those, MLB classifies the age and identity as “inconclusive” — and sometimes the player is shut out.

“That’s a red flag,” says Jorge Pérez, the director of MLB Latin Operations.

“We try to be as comprehensive as possible,” says Daniel Mullin, MLB VP of investigations. “We try to be as fair as possible and try to help the player prove he is who he says he is. But if you can’t prove who you are, you can’t get a visa to come to the United States.”

Now let’s take age into account here as well. Take what you read above about the lackluster record keeping of Dominicans and combine it with the way MLB determines a player’s wage in D.R. and you may begin to understand another aspect of the overall problem.

According to the Miami Herald,

“A 16-year-old with a 90 mph fastball is more valuable than a 19-year-old with the same skills, and with lax record keeping and a culture so rabid for baseball, the temptation to become someone younger, to fit the mold, is often irresistible.”

Perhaps a way to stop at least some of the age identity problems would be to not weigh so heavily on the correlation between age and pay. MLB age limits do not apply in other countries, so why do they exist in the Dominican Republic? Are they just perpetuating the need to lie? Ability is ability whether you’re 17 or 18. If you look at the cases where a player was caught in an age discretion, it is usually over a matter of 2 or 3 years. This is because the pay is significantly different between those teenage years.

To close I’ll leave the words of Anthony Cantrovince becuase he said it so well,

“But when you think of Carmona — or whatever his name is — in the wake of this news, remember how desperate he must have felt a dozen years ago. He could spend his life in poverty, working on the family farm, or he could explore the value of his blessed right arm. And what if, in order to get the maximum value out of that arm, his best option was to tell a lie?… Well, from our first cognizant moments, we’re all taught not to lie. But having bettered his own life and the lives of his loved ones, I doubt this lie — a lie told by countless players in his position — is one he’d regret, if he did indeed tell it.”

What a year! 2011 was packed full of politics, protests, cultural misunderstandings and acculturation problems. And I was there to write about it all. Here are my top moments of the 2011 MLB Baseball year!

Seoul Nexen Heroes

The St. Petersburg International Baseball League

The St. Petersburg International Baseball League began their first season at Al Lang with a team from Canada, the Netherlands and North Korea. It was a great (and short) season! I learned a little bit more about baseball in the Netherlands and got an up close view of a North Korean practice and learned a fun new name for baseball in the Netherlands – Honkbal.

The Major League Baseball Dominican Development Alliance

Pre-season last year, the MLB-DDA was formed to help  give back to the communities in the Dominican Republic who provide us with amazing talent from passionate young men. The programs set up were to boost education, medical services, banking services and general health and well being.

“Baseball is America’s game, but the Dominican Republics passion.” – Lou Melendez, Senior Vice-President for International Baseball Operations Major League Baseball.

Baseball in Brazil

MLB partnered with the Confederation of Brazilian Baseball & Softball to host two elite baseball camps during spring training in hopes to popularize the sport in Brazil and find new prospects.

2011 Civil Rights Games

As MLB gathered in Atlanta to honor the players who stood for civil rights so many years ago, in the very same city on the very same day the governor of Georgia signed HR 87 – a bill very similar to Arizona SB 1070 that gives rights to police officers to demand immigration papers to anyone they suspect to be undocumented.

The 2011 All-Star Game

After all of the protesting and anger to move the 2011 All-Star game out of Arizona due to the signing of the SB-1070 bill – a bill that authorizes police officers to stop anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant – the game went on. Unfortunately none of the players who said they would protest actually spoke out as it happened, and much of the protesting went on with little to no media coverage. A disappointing day for the sport who’s commissioner stands and claims, “Baseball is a social institution with enormous social responsibility.”

MLB All-Stars go to Tawain

A team of MLB players travels to Tawain and learns a little culture while playing their national team, the Chinese Taipei. After drinking snake blood, wondering the market and experiencing the feel of a chinese game, the MLB players and readers like me got to hear a little more of the culture in the east and how they play the game.

Wilson Ramos is Kidnapped

The violent and dangerous nature of times in Venezuela was exposed this off-season when Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped from his home in Venezuela. Luckily he was returned safely.

A High School Reunion

A very unique reunion happened this year that is uncommon even for American players: Yashinori Tateyama was reunited with his old High School teammate when the Texas Rangers signed Koji Uehara. Through their interviews we saw a glimpse of what it is like to be the only Japanese player on a team.

My Favorite Experiences of 2011:

Covering the St. Petersburg International League games

Speaking at the first Ignite Tampa Bay about Literacy

Sitting in the press box at Tropicana Field during Game 2 of the American League Division Series with Henri Oliu and hearing the game called in Spanish!

Cheers to 2012!

Being a sports journalist as a woman is tough. I’m not going to pretend to know what it’s like because I’m just a blogger with a few lucky chances to have a press pass, but I know from the stories it’s not easy. Sports is still a mans world… the owners and decision-makers, the greats of the industry and the highest esteemed sports journalists — all male.

The announcement of MLB’s new dress code was a shock to me. Dress codes and social norms for how women should dress always get the fire going inside! I’m an adult, I don’t want to be told how to dress and I certainly don’t want to be held to a standard of dress that was meant for a man.

The new dress code, put down in writing at the winter meetings includes the following:

• No visible undergarments
• No tank tops or anything with a team logo.
• No sheer or see-through clothing
• No ripped jeans
• No one-shouldered or strapless shirts
• No clothing that exposes the mid-drift

MLB is not the fashion police here, they are not fathers who need to protect their daughters from making asses out of themselves, or getting into unnecessary situations. Don’t get me wrong, there is a certain amount of professionalism that needs to be displayed on any field from how you conduct yourself to how you dress. However, that responsibility is a personal one that should be left up to to the individual to know the difference between what is appropriate and what is not appropriate.

If you want respect, you need to conduct yourself in a respectful manner. It’s hard enough to get your opinion as well respected as the male version of you in the sports journalism world — to walk into a locker room in your mini skirt and stilettos and expect it — well, frankly that’s your problem. Do I think women should look like they’re going out on the town when they’re covering a story? No, but do I think it needs to be policed — and by MLB? No. I mean, is it really that big of a problem?

It’s clear that most of these guidelines are directed at women reporters and journalists. Yeah, there are a few rules in there that apply to men but not really.

As Jane McManus said in her reaction to the dress code, “Guys who cover baseball were joking about this in a few reports and via social media, because they know it will never apply to them. No one would dream of measuring their shorts, no matter how frayed. The only time clothing has been an issue in press boxes has been when women are scrutinized.”

It’s true. Women are always scrutinized for the way they dress and it’s such a shame. From Hilary Clinton being analyzed down to the very necklace during her run for office to what Britney Spears is wearing at the beach. Women must wear suit coats to appear professional in the business world, they’re seen as immature or slutty if they happen to show a little cleavage or if their heels are a little too high and flashy if they wear too much jewelry.

MLB was not real clear about what specific incidents caused them to set up these rules, but there has been quite a bit of speculation as to what caused them. Some say it was poorly dressed bloggers, some the TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz and others say perhaps there are women who come in with press passes that are not media.

“We just thought it was time to get a little organized, to put it in place before there was an incident,” said committee member Phyllis Merhige, an MLB senior vice president.

ESPN also states there is a problem with bloggers who work for themselves. Which, well bloggers get a clue. But again, is it really that big of a problem? Any self respecting person who wants to be taken seriously and treated as an equal to other journalists would immediately realize they dressed a little too casual when they walked into the press box to see that they’re the only ones wearing their tommy bahama shirt.

There are some reasons that I could agree with MLB on however, so I’ll play devils advocate here. MLB has does have a right to make a dress code for people outside of their organization in order to maintain a certain level of professionalism. There is a much needed level of respect and professionalism that has to be given on both sides (media and players) especially when they allow women in the locker room — Not because anyone needs to be “protected” but simply because it’s a locker room! For goodness sakes, men aren’t allowed in the women’s locker room!

Ultimately, the rules and regulations that they have placed on the media — mostly targeting women — are uncalled for. This isn’t prep school, or Bible Study. I feel sorry for the next reporter who is stopped on her way out to the field to have her skirt measured only to realize she has to be turned away.

It’s pretty uncommon for American ballplayers to end up on the same team as a kid they played in High School with. There are so many kids who try their hand to make it to the majors, but the percentage who actually make it is very small. So if it’s that uncommon for American players, imagine how uncommon it would be Japanese players who play in the United States because of the small percentage who are drafted over from Japan. In fact, coming over from Japan can be an incredibly isolating experience for not just that reason. First, (as I’ve written about before), the cultures are extremely different, second they usually don’t speak the language and third you don’t know anyone.

This was the case for Koji Uehara when he came over from Japan. Uehara was a highly sought after player as rookie of the year in Japan, a member of the Japanese National team, winner of the Eji Sawamura Award and carries an unbeaten record in International Competitions (he pitched on the Japanese team that won over Cuba in the World Baseball Classic). In 1998, he was offered a $3 million contract from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, which he turned down to play for the Yomiuri Giants.

In 2009, he signed a 2-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles and began his trek to the United States. He came armed with a great attitude and a translator. Some of Uehara’s teammates will tell you that he was a pretty funny guy to be around — always speaking through his translator of course, but not afraid to initiate conversation and have fun in the locker room. This past season he was traded to the Texas Rangers and was relieved to find he would now be on the same team as Yoshinori Tateyama, a High School teammate he played with back in Japan.

Yoshinori Tateyama came from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and signed a deal with Texas in November of 2010. And so upon the signing of Uehara, the two were reunited and the press got a little inside information as to what it’s like to be the only Japanese speaking player on a baseball team.

“I was very surprised when I heard he was coming,” Tateyama said to MLB reporters. “It’s a strange feeling. Before, I didn’t even have an interpreter with me here in Texas… [Now] I have somebody to talk pitching with. Somebody to go out to lunch with,” said Tateyama.

In fact, Uehara and Tateyama are the first pair of Japanese pitchers to relieve in the same postseason game, and the second to appear in the same playoff game in MLB history — does that give you any clue as to how small the percentage of Japanese players is in the United States?

Thinking back to a book I read last season, The Samurai Way of Baseball by Robert Whiting, Whiting writes about Los Angeles Angels player Shigetoshi Hasegawa who signed on in 1998. Hasegawa made a concerted effort to learn English, but sometimes would hide out in the restroom “just to get away from English speaking people”.

It just goes to show how isolating and hard it must be to work and live in a country where you are not a non-native speaker and there are few around you that you can converse with.

Wilson Ramos, 24 year old rookie catcher for the Washington Nationals: kidnapped.

Many Latin rookie players, feeling indebted and proud of where they came from, play for the Winter Leagues back in their home country during the MLB off-season. This is what Wilson Ramos was doing in Venezuela in the off season — playing for the Tigres de Aragua. He was taken from his home in Santa Ines by four armed gunmen on Wednesday evening, November 9th according to MLB. The men “entered the house and took him away” according to reports.

Ramos is the first MLB player to be kidnapped in Venezuela, however other player’s family members have been kidnapped before.

• Yovit Torelba’s son and brother-in-law in 2009
• Victor Zambrano’s mother in 2009
• Ugueth Urbino’s mother in 2005

According to Venezuelan police there have been 618 kidnappings reported in 2009 and have increased each year since then. It’s not just ball players and their families that are being targeting however, the kidnappers target wealthy and middle class alike. Most wealthy Venezuelans have taken steps to protect themselves like purchase armored cars or hire body gaurds (which is what many of the MLB players do when they come home from the United States).
The crime in Venezuela is pretty bad, something most Americans don’t think about — in fact our media doesn’t normally report about things in Venezuela because the Venezuelan government does a very good job with keeping their indiscretions to themselves. Under rule of Chávez, the Venezuelan government stopped reporting crime numbers back in 2005. However, there is an organization that tries to keep track of the numbers due to the governments negligence to do so. Most people don’t know this, but Venezuela is the crime capital of the Western Hemisphere. Their murder rate is more than double Columbia’s, coming in at about 60 per 100,000 people.

According to The Miami Herald, Venezuela is on track to record 19,000 homicides this year! Compare that to these numbers

• Venezuela in 1998: 4,550
• This year in Iraq: 3,200
• It even exceeds Ciudad Juárez (the free-fire zone for drug traffickers on the U.S.-Mexican border)

According to the U.S. government website travel.state.gov, crime happens during all hours of the day — mostly crimes that involve money (armed robbery, theft, etc). If you ask any MLB scout, liason or coach that travels there, they’ll tell you exactly how dangerous it is. Armed criminal gangs run through the urban areas night and day, and poor areas are devoid of police presence.The most prevalent types of kidnappings in Venezuela are called “express kidnappings“, where  a person is abducted for quick cash in exchange for their release. There are also “virtual kidnappings” where offenders find out all they can about a child via the internet and call that child’s parents pretending to have kidnapped them. There are also “inside kidnappings” where the domestic employees of a household are paid to give kidnappers entrance into the house and accessiblilty to the children.

I could go on, but I think I’ve painted a pretty clear picture of what goes on in Venezuela. Despite all of this, and despite the fact that players try desperately to make it to an major league baseball team — they still come back. This is where their family lives. They are rooted in their community and proud of where they are from.
There are 81 Venezuelan ballplayers in the majors and most of them return to their homes in Venezuela every off-season regardless of the risk.
There was much mourning while Ramos was missing. Venezuelan fans in three different stadiums had a moment of silence before each game to pray for his safe return and some held signs that read “Free Ramos!” To show support, teams added green to their uniforms, with either a green band on one shoulder or a green “W” for Wilson on the chests of their jerseys. In fact, Venezuelan MLB player Melvin Mora of the Arizona Diamondbacks, proposed that the Venezuelan league call off its games “until he appears.”
Fortunately, they found Ramos on Friday, the 11th during an air operation in the mountains. After all of that, one would think he would have gathered his family and left the country but Ramos did just the opposite. Ramos spoke out and expressed his desire to stay in Venezuela to continue playing for the Tigres de Aragua.
“Venezuela is my home and I think the fans that have supported me and prayed for me deserve to see me play again. I have to show the appreciation for what everyone in my country has done for me” Ramos said.
“I feel so happy and proud of all the supporters and fans with the Nationals, Major League Baseball and Venezuela who [were] praying for me.”
What an amazing sense of community Ramos and the fans in Venezuela must have. This is Latin culture — to want to stay and give back to fans and people who fought to save you regardless of the risk and danger. He will, of course have body guards from now on but what he won’t do is abandon his home.

An All-Star team of MLB players traveled across the world to Taiwan last week to play in the 2011 Taiwan Series, an exhibition game against their National team, the Chinese Taipei. Baseball has been a part of the Taiwanese culture since Japan ruled over the island and taught its people how to play the game. When President Lee became an elected leader in Taiwan, he used the game of baseball to instill a sense of National pride in the island that has lasted to this day.
Upon arrival to Taiwan the players were greeted by a sea of baseball fans who not only knew their names, but cheered them on. Pablo Sandoval, “Kung Fu Panda” in the states, “Kung Fu Hsung Mao” in Taiwan, was a very popular player that week to many of the youngsters.
“Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are committed to introducing the game at all levels, including providing a showcase for the best baseball talent from around the world. From the World Baseball Classic to Opening Series, Spring Training Games and All-Star Exhibitions, together MLB and the MLBPA have dramatically expanded the platform for international events, bringing MLB teams and players to fans in Canada, China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Taiwan and Venezuela,” according to a press release by MLB.
The two National teams played a five game series that moved to three different cities: New Taipei City (XinZhuang Stadium), Taichung (Intercontinental Stadium) and Kaohsiung (Chengcing Lake Stadium).

According to Andrew Morris, a Taiwan expert at California Polytech State University, ”I don’t understand the point of this MLB tour.

It’s not going to make the locals more interested in the domestic product. It will just show the divide between the two games and remind fans how seedy and violent Taiwan baseball is.”

And that it did as the MLB team of All-Stars swept the Taiwan National team. But apart from the warm and fuzzy message that MLB wants to expose its players to baseball in other countries, it’s main goal is to spread the MLB fan ship across the world and find new recruits for their teams. It’s marketing — look how MLB became popular in South Korea — over a scheme to promote Nationalism as they broadcasted MLB games that their first-time Korean drafted player Chan-ho Park pitched in.

Regardless of MLB politics, the players experienced playing ball in another country and were exposed to an entirely different culture. That kind of experience is priceless, and one that each player will surely take back to their dugout. The Yankees 2nd baseman, Robinson Cano was especially excited about the trip thanks to his father, Jose Cano, who played for the Wei Chuan Dragons in Taiwan in 1998 and 1999.

According to the stories published about the player’s experiences, the trip had a huge impact on each one. One of their first cultural experiences in the country was their stroll down “Snake Alley” and their encounter with Taiwanese famous snake blood.

“I didn’t travel halfway around the world to not do what the natives do, so I’m going to try it,” said relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, moments before watching the proprietor of the shop sacrifice the snake and pour its blood into shot glasses for about a dozen of the adventurous players to try.

“It wasn’t bad at all,” Hawkins said. “It’s supposed to give you stamina and help with the beauty of your skin. You should try it.”
The handful of moments each player has experienced depict how important it is for Major League Baseball to continue to travel around the world and open up opportunities for its players. The more exposed MLB’s players are to different cultures around the world, the more multicultural each team will become — making the acculturation process of new International players easier.

Pre-season predictions were thrown out as usual in 2011 with most journalists looking towards a Red Sox/Phillies World Series. On paper those teams were undefeatable. The Phillies with their ridiculous power starting line-up and the Red Sox with their team full of superstars.

Neither made it.

Then there were the division champion predictions – The Rangers and Giants of course because of last season, the Yankees, the Reds, and the White Sox;  but no one expected what happened this post season

It's Time This Time 2011 World Series

in Arizona

in Milwaukee

in St. Louis

and in Tampa

So what happened and why aren’t the Red Sox in the World Series like they were predicted to be?

Dysfunction: That is what happened to the Red Sox. Point the finger at Francona, or the starting trio that spent time eating fried chicken and drinking beer in the locker room. Whomever or whatever you want to blame the fact is this — you can spend $161 million dollars on a “winning team” but it doesn’t mean they’ll make it.

Big money gets you somewhere — even to postseason, but heart and team solidarity gets you to the top.

Interestingly enough, I wrote a blog at the beginning of the season about the appearance of a changed Red Sox team.

At the beginning of Spring Training they reported that their clubhouse culture had changed and what was once a clubhouse of independent personalities was now a team focused on solidarity.

“This is a culture we’d like to believe we sought to build,” said then general manager Theo Epstein as he explained to MLB the important role his scouting and development team and his team psychologist Bob Tewksbury has had on helping to create that culture.

But that solidarity didn’t last the season and the egos came back. Reports and opinions about what happened to the team blamed everything from their General Manager having a lack of care and concern, their skipper having marital problems and an issue with pain medication and their starting pitchers playing video games, drinking beer and eating fried chicken during games.

One Red Sox employee told WHDH that Beckett, Lester and Lackey appeared “bored on nights they weren’t pitching and this is how they entertained themselves.”

Whether any of these accusations are factual is beside the point — the point is there was a lack of team spirit, a lack of unity, and a lack of passion for their franchise and the game of baseball. It is an unspoken rule in baseball to stay in the dugout whether you’re playing that day or not to support your teammates.

It’s no wonder. These days the loyalty is just not there — the franchises pass players back and forth like they are a commodity to be sold. It is getting more and more rare to see players who are deeply rooted in their ball clubs — players like Derek Jeter and Marino Rivera who were raised and came to stardom with the same franchise.

Here’s the difference between the Red Sox and Texas: Nolan Ryan hand picked those players and even spent time helping them out when they were having trouble. You can see the solidarity every time they play and you can see the passion and the commitment to the team from their owner Nolan Ryan to their skipper Ron Washington.

You see, for teams whose rosters are stuffed full of big salaries and exploded egos, it may be hard to keep that team spirit shining. And to the average sports fan, post seasons like this blow their minds because, well — how could they lose with a team like that?

As you may recall, last post season I blogged about the amazing collection of players that made up the Texas Rangers — the same team (give or take a few) that makes up the Rangers now.

Last season it was the Rangers defeating the Yankees (Game 6 ALCS) that was so unbelievable. Previous to that season, the Rangers had never advanced past the first round of the post season in the 39 years the franchise had been around. Amazing. This is how the Ranger slogan “It’s Time” started last postseason. This team has heart, they show pure passion for the game and they are united. It is their claw and antlers on field signs of support, their celebrating with gingerale in the locker room to keep Josh Hamilton included and everything in between that pulls this team together. They are the epitome of solidarity.

“It’s unbelievable,” Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler said. “We’ve fought all year. To get back to the ALCS, get a chance to defend our title and go back to the World Series, that’s what we wanted all year.”

In fact, if you look at the teams that advanced against all odds in this incredibly surprising last game of the season, you will see the same theme:

The Tampa Bay Rays, the youngest team in baseball showed solidarity all season long despite the fact that fans only showed up for Yankees and Red Sox games. It was the unlikely combination of  the Rays coming back from an 8 run deficit to stun the Yankees coupled with the Red Sox who lost to the last place Orioles in the bottom of a soggy ninth inning. Their race to win the wild card was purely an incredible one.

The Arizona Diamond backs started the season with a young team groomed and plucked from their farm league, added a few “gritty veterans” and changed the culture of the clubhouse. This transformed their team from struggling, to climbing the rankings and taking over as a division champion. Instead of their players being bored, they were excited.

“It’s been a lot of fun just to enjoy this,” right-hander Ian Kennedy said. “It’s just a hard ending, but if you look back and figure out where we started, we started at the bottom and we were way at the top in the division. It’s been a lot of fun for the most part.”

The biggest key to their success in my opinion was Kirk Gibson spending the spring teaching the “value of mental toughness”.

The Brewers credit their success to their amazing fans who support them relentlessly at every home game. There is also an obvious close relationship between teammates, notably Prince Fielder, Nyger Morgan and Ryan Braun who have their own set of on-field hand signals.

All in all it’s been an incredible postseason that has kept the fans on their feet and excited and now it’s down to two: Texas and St. Louis.

Although Tony LaRussa would say, “Baseball is … don’t ever try to figure it, just enjoy it.”

I stick with Yogi Berra: “Ninety percent of the game is half mental”. And to that I say: Heart, passion, mental toughness and solidarity will win one team a World Series Championship. I believe that team to be the Rangers, “This Time”.