The Texas Rangers' World Series history
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Rangers fans packed the ballpark for Game 5 in the 2010 World Series. Photo: Chuck Solomon/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Before this postseason, it felt like the Texas Rangers were cursed. They hadn't won a playoff series since their last trip to the Fall Classic in 2011.
- They were just one strike away then from winning the title against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Why it matters: Before the Rangers beat the Diamondbacks in Game 5 on Wednesday, they had the second-longest drought for a World Series title in the MLB.
- The team hadn't won a title since becoming a franchise in 1961. Only the Cleveland Guardians have gone longer without a World Series win. They beat the Atlanta Braves for the title in 1948.
Flashback: The team started out as the Washington Senators and moved to Arlington in 1972 and were renamed. They didn't make it to the postseason for 35 years.
- The Rangers made it to the American League Division Series for the first time in 1996 but lost to the New York Yankees.
- They did that again in 1998 and 1999.
Catch up fast: The next time the Rangers made it to the ALDS was in 2010, when they beat the Tampa Bay Rays. They took the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees — a sweet victory against the empire.
- The Rangers won just once against the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series. The Giants took the series in Game 5 in Arlington.
- Texas made it back to the Fall Classic the next year after beating the Rays again in the ALDS and then the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS.
What happened: The Rangers faced the Cardinals in 2011 in what ended up being a seven-game rollercoaster series that went like this…
- It's Game 6, Texas is leading the series 3-2 and up 7-5 in the ninth inning. Closer Neftali Feliz is on the mound. There are two outs. Cardinal David Freese is at the plate. He has two strikes. Then he hits a triple. It goes over Nelson Cruz's glove. The game is tied.
- The Cardinals manage to win the game 10-9 in the bottom of the 11th, forcing a Game 7 where they win it all.
What they're saying: Before the World Series win, former Texas Ranger and future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltré said a Rangers title would be a relief, per the DMN.
- "I'm not only going to be thrilled for the fans here in Texas, but I'm going to feel like it's a little weight off of us because we didn't get it done, and those guys did it for us."