Jared Sandler | Texas Rangers Radio Network Host

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Yeah, no, we've landed and now in the car on the way home and get a few hours of sleep and get to celebrate a game seven win. Really exciting times, obviously. Well, let's talk first about Adolis Garcia. How would you describe the season that he's had?

Well, I guess up and down. I mean, if we're being honest, you know, he's one of these guys who, he's streaky, he gets white hot and then he does what he's done this season. You know, just collecting RBIs like they're going out of style. You know, for a long time he was the Major League and then American League RBI leader, then got hurt and ultimately didn't win the American League RBI crown, losing that to Kyle Tucker. But, you know, he is, despite the streakiness with the bat, every single day the personality and the energy, I mean, people describe him as the heartbeat of this team and I think that's a pretty appropriate description for him. He is the guy who fans cheer the loudest for, even if he's not necessarily the team's best player. He represents, I think, a lot of what is great about our game, the joy with which he plays and then the excitement that his play provides others. And he is, he's a lightning rod and this series, you know, he was the guy that stirred the drink and, I mean, it was, he felt really good when he was in the box and that certainly played out tonight. I am not saying that he was hit intentionally by Abreu, but... I'll tell you who he was.

Okay. There you go. Well, in that, fine, in that situation or any other, I can possibly understand why a pitcher might target his rear end or plunk him because he does have a tendency to posture. And I laughed my butt off, and I would if it wasn't Garcia, I would laugh at any athlete who did this, when he's standing there admiring his early hit, his blast that bounces off the wall and isn't actually a home run. And then instead of being at second, he's at first base. I mean, that's a little infuriating.

Yeah. And, you know, now he did steal second two pitches later to make up for it. But yeah, I mean, you know, Amy, at that part of the game, it wasn't, you know, we didn't know it was going to be a blowout, so that could have been critical.

Thankfully, it didn't, you know, it didn't prove to be costly, but, you know, he was also a few feet away from hitting three home runs tonight because of that. I mean, it's just, he, yeah, I mean, he watched that one, he probably shouldn't have, but, you know, he's consistent. And I get there are people that are in generation and they believe things to be a certain way. And, you know, who are we to, you know, say that you're wrong in the way that you, you know, you think, but I don't know. I just, I think that it's so important in any sport to remember it's a game and you should be able, you should have the freedom to play with that, that joy and that energy. And, you know, if Adolis would have taunted in game five, if Adolis would have talked to Justin Verlander or looked into the Astros dugout while trotting around the bases. All right.

You know, you're asking for it. He did nothing like that. You know, he celebrated with himself.

He celebrated with his teammates. And, you know, what was the, maybe the most critical moment of the postseason run at the time for the Rangers. And, you know, there's history between Adolis and Martin Maldonado and Adolis and the Astros. And that's honestly, I mean, at that moment, that's when the rivalry really came to life. I mean, this is, this is a rivalry. Dallas and the DFW Metroplex in Houston, they don't like each other, not the sports towns, just the town.

Right. People from Houston don't like people from Dallas and vice versa. And the Astros and Rangers don't like one another.

And, you know, that sparked the rivalry and that's going to make it more exciting for next year. So be it. But Adolis, you know, poetic dust is getting to win the, you know, the series, but also hoist the ALCS MVP trophy at Minute Maid Park.

Agreed. And I hope that he does enjoy every second, considering where he came from, his family history and the journey it took to get to this point. And now onto a World Series that's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Jared Sandler back in the Dallas Metroplex after the Game 7 in Houston. So what have the last few hours been like for you? It's been awesome.

Amy, I grew up in Dallas. I grew up a diehard Rangers fan, and I'm so fortunate to get the broadcast of the Rangers. But, you know, I think I can speak not only as someone broadcasting, but as a Rangers fan growing up and understanding what it's like to be a Rangers fan.

I mean, you know, I heard your little lead in, you know, your friend saying, hey, it's not over yet. Well, that's the curse of a Rangers fan. You know, Rangers fans have not experienced getting that final moment of satisfaction.

And, you know, the last six years have been really rough. And, you know, I just think this has been such a special run for Rangers fans. And to go through the Astros to do it, you know, I think that was big. You know, there were a lot of people that didn't want to play the Astros. They were nervous, and I get it.

But to exercise that demon was huge. But, you know, this is an organization that's been around for more than 50 years, and they've never quite sealed the deal. Obviously, a lot of people know about 2011 and how close the team was. But, you know, another opportunity to get back, and the crazy thing is, you know, this was not the year to do it. You know, this was supposed to be that first year where, hey, let's play competitive baseball into September, and the team makes the playoffs great.

Anything can happen. But, you know, this is a team that led the division in the first of the season, lost it the last day of the year. You know, there was that bit of heartache because of it. You go up 2-0 Houston, lose three straight, heartache again. I mean, this team has been, you know, knocked down and keep getting back up. It's an easy team to perform, and it's just a really exciting moment, I think, for Rangers fans because the Rangers have never won a World Series, and it's another chance to get back there and try and take care of some unfinished business.

So, the last few hours, Amy, it's been awesome. And to see the joy on people's faces, you really get a sense for how much this means to these guys and gals and the families and, you know, all that goes into, you know, the long grind of a Major League season. And to land back in Dallas with some fans there waiting, get a few days to recharge, and host Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. Well, then let's talk about the fact that they have won every road game. I know you mentioned that they are going to have the home field to start out the Fall Classic, but they've won every road game. And I think it's significant considering the last series that they had in the regular season. And as you say, it was devastating for them to lose that AL West title in the tiebreak to Houston, but the way we saw them bounce back. And then, in a microcosm, the ALCS, where they lose all three games in their own park and have to bounce back again. So, what is it about this team that makes it so resilient, that makes it a team that can continue to bounce back? Yeah, and Amy, too, you know, the Rangers' last nine home playoff games, dating back to 2015, won an eight. So, winning those road games is pretty significant. They're going to have to win some home games coming up.

That's the billion-dollar question, I guess. You know, the resolve and resiliency, the character. I mean, people, now that the spotlight is on the Rangers, they think of the big moments, but this was a team the last two months of the regular season. The bullpen struggles, then stretches the lineup, just sort of went through normal streakiness. And there were a number of times when you drive home from a game and think, is this team done? And they keep getting back up and answering the call. I think, Amy, I don't know for sure the answer.

I've asked a ton of people, got a lot of different responses, but the prevailing thing, I think Bruce Bocci deserves a lot of credit. His demeanor every single day is the exact same. You might know in the moment, you might look in the dugout in the eighth inning when the Rangers are giving up a lead in early September. You might see it then, but when he shows up to the park the next day, there aren't rules that are changing. It's not like we're going to go into panic mode and now all of a sudden you can't listen to music.

None of that. He's the same exact guy. And I think that carries over to their two best players, their middle infielders, Marcus Samuel and Corey Seeger. These guys are about as stoic as can be when they're in between the lines. And I just think all these things rub off on people. They've got the right mix of veterans and young guys.

And it's not just the stars. It's guys like Robbie Grossman. Robbie basically only plays versus lefties now. He's a veteran and he carries that demeanor. I think they've got guys who want to be there because they want to win. And even if there are guys who they were playing more early in the year, not playing much now. There are guys who, it's not that they're not playing much, they're not playing at all. But there isn't a lot of talking behind people's backs. Like, this guy, I can't believe I'm not playing over this guy. I mean, these guys are all lockstep. Hey, you know what?

Yeah, I do want to play more. But we're winning and I want to win and I'll do whatever it takes to win. There's just a lot of that messaging. And I just think that stuff's real. You can't quantify it.

It might sound corny or fairy tale, hallmark-y, but that stuff's real. And that sometimes is a separator for teams that allow them to maybe overcome some deficiencies and make a run like the Rangers have made. Well, leadership is a huge part of it, of course. And you point to Bruce Bocce. He's got all that championship experience. I also think, and you mentioned Corey Seeger as part of the tandem with Marcus Simeon, but the fact that Seeger is also a champion and came from the Los Angeles Dodgers who won their title on the new field there, right?

Like, before the Rangers ever got to host a World Series game, they were hosting a World Series game, but for other teams going back to the pandemic, right? So Corey brings that as well because he came from an organization that has perennially high standards. And so I think it's a good mix of veterans as well as guys who've obviously not been there before, but certainly can hit the snot out of the ball. Jared Sandler is with us from the Rangers Radio Network, and now they are headed to the World Series, first time since 2011.

He's in his car just fresh off the plane, so we appreciate a couple minutes here after our CBS Sports Radio. How does their pitching line up for the World Series? Yeah, so the Rangers, the big question going into the playoffs was about the depth or maybe lack thereof with their bullpen, but their starting pitchers, and really Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Evaldi specifically, have done such a good job of not just pitching effectively, but going deep into games. And as they've been able to do that, you know, understandably, it limits the need for the bullpen. And so they've really been able to ride the trio of Josh Boers, Aroldis Chapman, and Jose Leclerc.

They have not needed to really expand beyond that a ton. And the times they have, with the exception of one game, they've had, you know, a decent amount of success. Now in a seven-game series, that can get exposed, and that's where they got into a little bit of trouble in games three, four, and five in the series against the Astros. You know, if they face the Phillies, a team with guys who will draw walks, a team that can hit the ball out of the yard, you know, that's going to test them. Not that the Diamondbacks won't, but the Diamondbacks just go about things a little bit of a different way. I think that you can ride a playoff run with some great relievers and maybe aggressive bullpen usage, but that's not how this team's made up.

It's kind of more traditional. They're riding their starters, getting those guys through six into the seventh inning, and limiting the exposure of their bullpen. So, I think a lot of it hinges on their starters. If Nathan Evaldi and Jordan Montgomery are taken out of the game in the fourth, fifth innings, well, you're not playing to your strengths. You're now asking your bullpen, a group that's been shaky for a lot of the year, to try and carry you. So that's, I mean, it sounds so simple, but, you know, if you really follow teams in the postseason, I mean, heck, the Diamondbacks in a game seven tomorrow or tonight, however you want to look at it, they're going to go with Brandon Faught. And, you know, he might go four innings, maybe five innings, I don't know, and then they're going to try to piece it together.

That's just not how the Rangers are wired and made up, and it's worked for them so far. But that is going to be the big question going into the World Series, how their starters can hold up, and can they continue to bridge the gap and support their bullpen by going deep? Well, I tell you what, I mean, I'm not a huge believer in Max Scherzer at this stage in his career.

I know what he's done in the past, but we've seen him in the last couple of playoff runs be unreliable. So, not a huge fan of using him, but at the same time, Jordan Montgomery comes in out of the bullpen and gets another win. Between him and Evaldi, they win all four games in the series.

Yeah, and, I mean, those two guys. Evaldi, a free agent signing who probably was available at a little bit of a discount because of the help stuff, and maybe not having a super sexy last season. And Jordan Montgomery, a guy who, you know, probably to some degree undervalued to the trade deadline, and he's earning himself a boatload of money, he's a free agent-to-be, and a lot of Rangers fans are asking, Can we sign him? Can we sign him?

And the Rangers would love to, but with every outing like this, that asking price is going up, but those are two moves that have been made within the last eight months that have played such a pivotal role in this team's run. Nathan Evaldi, he's won four games this postseason. He's the first player in franchise history to win four games in a single postseason.

He's quickly developing a reputation of being a big game hunter, and Jordan Montgomery doing much of the same. Before I let you go, Jared, you mentioned their home record in the last nine playoff games. It's not great.

Obviously didn't win one in the ALCS, but they do have home field advantage for the World Series. What do you expect for Game 1 on Friday evening? Well, I expect Nathan Evaldi to start, and I hope, I don't hope, I expect a great crowd.

I will tell you, Amy, it sounds crazy. Friday nights in Texas are tough. It will be sold out, but there are a lot of people who would otherwise be there. They got high school football that night.

It will be sold out. We'll probably have some Creed playing, and the energy in Game 3 against the Orioles was unlike anything else. Now, the Astros took the wind out of people's sails in Games 3 and 4 of this series, but this is a fan base that is hungry for a World Series.

The team has never won one, and I can't wait for the atmosphere of Friday and Saturday night. Has your adrenaline worn off yet? Amy, not yet. No, there's no shot.

It's 3.20 here locally. There's no way. I got a meeting at 8, and there's no way I'm going to sleep any time in the next.

Amy, I'm still drenched, or I reek of alcohol, champagne. You know, I got to shower and unpack, and there's no way I'm going to bed the next night. Well, it's a good thing you're not getting pulled over, because that would not play well with a police officer. Yeah, better hope that that cop is a Rangers fan.

Otherwise, I'd have a lot of explaining to do. Yes, well, we're glad that you are safe, but I can certainly understand. So, you can find Jared on Twitter, at Jared Sandler, and he does not just studio for Rangers, but on our Dallas affiliate, 105.3 The Fan, you're going to hear him, because the Rangers are headed to the World Series. Well, I'm sure it was a blast. Thank you so much for making a few minutes for us. Amy, thanks so much for having me.

Have a wonderful rest of your morning. Thanks for having me. This episode is brought to you by FX's A Murder at the End of the World, starring Emma Corrin, Clive Owen, and Britt Marling. Emma plays Darby Hart, a sleuth and tech-savvy hacker.

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