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I spoke with Rangers' TV analyst Tom Grieve this morning about the matchup between Texas and the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.
"It's going to come down to pitching," he said. "It's what got us past the Yankees and San Francisco past Philadelphia. The Giants' starters are probably better known than ours, but talent-wsie, they're pretty close."
Grieve, who spent 10 years as the Rangers' GM, is the last remaining link to the expansion Senators, having played for Ted Williams in 1970. I told him I'd been at a game at RFK Stadium against Boston in which he homered in a Washington win. "I grew up a big Yankee fan," he said, "and hitting a home run against Boston was always a thrill. I did it again in Texas in '72 and Boston lost the AL East by a half-game. In my mind, that home run did that."
Grieve was Washington's number one draft pick in 1966, the sixth pick overall in the first round. His son, Ben Grieve, was later a first round pick of Oakland in 1994, the second player taken overall.
The 2010 World Series guarantees a celebration in a town that's not previously enjoyed that particular post-season excitement. It's also the first World Series since 2005 with no team in the eastern time zone. Grieve's association with the Senators is the only real local hook I can find, though Giants' coach Ron Wotus played with the Alexandria Dukes in 1981.
Take your pick.
