Baseball, and learning to accept defeat.

I have never been an athlete. But I raised one. A baseball player, specifically. He started playing T-ball when he was about 4 years old. He didn't have pushy athletic parents, obviously me nor his father were trying to fulfill some sort of unfulfilled personal athletic glory. We never played sports, but we were happy if sports were his thing. He asked us as a little bitty boy if he could "join the team" and we had to do research to even know where to sign him up.

He played all the way through his senior year in high school. He was really good at first base, and he had some good successes at bat and running the bases too. He loved the game.

He still does at the age of 25 as a young professional. He plays corporate softball at the advertising agency where he works, and he watches every game he can that his favorite team, The Texas Rangers, plays in.

Now comes the part about learning to accept defeat.

As a four year varsity player, my son had to endure several untimely injuries and lost most of the season's playing time his all important senior year. All of the goals of his years of playing ball had been leading him to his senior year as starting first baseman, and all of a sudden, he was losing time to another player who was stepping into his limelight.

Some similar disappointment is happening to the hapless Texas Rangers right now at the hands of the San Francisco Giants in the Texas Rangers' first ever World Series appearance.

I have personally been watching the Rangers since 1974, just a few years after their founding. Some of my early high school dates were to Rangers games, and I really didn't even understand the game that well, but I thought it was great to have a team in the area and be able to go out to the ball park in Arlington (Arlington Stadium) and watch the people having fun.

Now, we finally have a team that can play in the "big leagues". With the big boys. So far, somebody else is stepping all over their limelight. We have been defeated pretty soundly in the first two games, and it makes me just as sad as watching my own son wait for his chance in the senior year spotlight and see it taken away from him.

One thing I know about the son that I raised and about the team that I am so proud of is that they are survivors. My son - I could not possibly be prouder of. My team - I could not possibly be prouder of. Defeat is temporary and life gives second chances. It may not be the original dream, but it will be something different and maybe even better.

So Rangers, take that with you into Games 3, 4 and 5 here at home the next few days. World Series fans in Arlington are hoping to see you take all three of those games and then pick one up in SF to become the World Champs. But if by chance you can't do that... we still think you are a champion just for being there with the big boys and we will support you next season and beyond.

Baseball.

It has taught me a lot. It will do what it will do.