The pain of losing last year’s World Series hasn’t gone away, and at least some members of the Rangers know it probably never will.
“I’m not going to lie,” outfielder David Murphy said. “When I see the highlights, and when I really think hard about Game 6, it makes me a little sick to my stomach.”
One strike away from a parade and lifetime bragging rights in both the ninth and 10th innings, the Rangers fell victim to the Cardinals’ epic comeback. They know that the only way to erase those memories is to become a version of the 1923 Yankees.
That’s the only team that has won a World Series after losing the previous two, as the Rangers have against the Giants and Cardinals.
“It’s a brand-new slate,” second baseman Ian Kinsler said. “Just because we went to the last two World Series doesn’t lessen our odds of going to the World Series this year. It’s a completely different year, and we have to prove ourselves again. That’s the beautiful thing about this game.”
Kinsler, an unconventional thinker who frequently goes against the book on the field, said he had a great winter.
“I didn’t lose any sleep,” he said.
Maybe not, but some of his teammates did, especially Neftali Feliz. The 23-year-old right-hander failed to finish off the Cardinals. He was so distraught after giving up a run in the ninth inning of Game 6 that manager Ron Washington turned to Darren Oliver, who would be the losing pitcher in the 10th.
“Look, it was hard for all of us,” said Michael Young, a Ranger since 2000. “It took a couple of weeks to let everything process and just get over it. The last thing you want to do is sit there and say, ‘I’m good, I’m good, I’m good,’ and never really get over it. You have to give yourself some time to get over it. The Cardinals executed. They did a great job. So we had to take a little time with 2011 and then put our thoughts completely into this season.”
Japanese ace Yu Darvish was imported as a high-profile toy, but it remains to be seen if he will be a net gain as he replaces C.J. Wilson, who was the Rangers’ No. 1 starter before signing a five-year deal with the American League West rival Angels.
Winning a third straight division title is going to be difficult, as the Angels also added three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols. There are many keys for the Rangers’ continued success, but the biggest two would seem to be the production of left fielder Josh Hamilton — a free agent after the season, he enters the year without friend/accountability partner Johnny Narron, who the Brewers hired as their hitting coach — and the stubbornness of the team’s core, which has 18 postseason victories under its belt the last two years.
It will help that Young, Kinsler, Murphy, Hamilton and pitchers Scott Feldman and Matt Harrison have been there for the steady climb from 75 victories in 2007 to 95 last season. Shortstop Elvis Andrus, right fielder Nelson Cruz, lefty Derek Holland and Feliz date back almost as far.
“We’ve all grown together,” Kinsler said. “That’s the great thing about it. We went through struggles before 2010. We’ve also gone through some unbelievable winning streaks and times of playing great baseball.
“The last two seasons, we’ve been the best team in Major League Baseball. We understand it’s going to be more difficult.”
Game-changer: Pujols hasn’t just changed the Angels’ lineup. He has made a huge impact in the clubhouse with his approach this spring.
Generally one of the first players to arrive, he is showing his new teammates that his incredible consistency has come from his preparation as well as his natural talent.
“I wake up, take a shower and get here and do the things I have to do,” Pujols said. “It’s not like I race to be the first guy here. That’s who I am. It’s time to get my work and get myself ready for the season. It’s a long season. You want to make sure you get your work done.”
Manager Mike Scioscia appreciates it.
“When you get Albert in your own clubhouse, you can certainly see, not only his presence, but why he has maintained such a high level,” he said. “This guy practices hard whether it’s on the defensive end or on a base-running drill or whether just a situational batting practice. He practices his game very hard with a passion.”
A career .328 hitter who has averaged 40 homers and 120 RBIs per season, Pujols takes nothing for granted.
“When he’s getting ready to hit, there’s a focus that you see in a player of his magnitude,” Scioscia said. “It’s great for everyone in that clubhouse to see, especially our young guys.”
Heading out: It’s time for personnel with the Mariners and Athletics to get their passports. They leave Thursday for Japan, where they will play exhibitions against the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants and then two regular-season games against each other March 28-29 in Tokyo.
Maybe the craziest feature of this schedule is that they then return to Arizona and play five more Cactus League games before then playing a two-game series in Oakland April 6-7, with Easter Sunday a scheduled day off.
Welcome to the big leagues, Yoenis Cespedes. The Cuban center fielder calls the upcoming itinerary “weird,” according to translator Ariel Prieto.
The A’s and M’s can use 30-man rosters on the Japan trip but probably won’t use their No. 3 starter until April 9. Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, Brandon McCarthy and Bartolo Colon probably will make two starts each in the first four games.
Twitter @ChiTribRogers
