Yes, it's finally over.  The shock of there not being another game (or Fantasy lineup changes to be made) is slowly starting to fade, like the Summer we have spent the last six months basking in, to a cool 60 degree Winter where we can foster new stratagems, new hopes, that will, with a little luck, burgeon forth into beautiful fruition by this time next year.

Unfortunately for Texas Ranger fans, our team basked in the Sun with us and then, as usual, wilted in the Texas heat in the second half of the season.  I guess what we really need are hitters born on the Sun, and pitchers born in the sweltering climes of some Venezuelan jungle.  Maybe they need more air conditioning and cool, refreshing beverages like those in our living rooms.  Or maybe, just maybe, what really needed was to hire Buck Showalter for a few years and then fire him, as the Yankees & Diamondbacks before us did with fantastic success.   For thoses of you who don't follow this type of thing, the Yankees & Diamondbacks won the World Series the year after they fired Buck.  Since drafting players from the sun isn't very realistic, drafting Venezuelan pitchers too simplistic, and having a beer fridge far less probable than one stocked with anabolic concoctions, I think that this is the greatest source for hope for Ranger fans since Tom Hicks became owner and chose John Hart over Doug Melvin.  At least I have more hope in the firing of Buck creating a winner than I do of Hank Blalock hitting after the All-Star break.

Also congrats to Pudge Rodriguez, Kenny Rogers, & Craig Monroe making the World Series with Detroit Tigers.  Yet more former Rangers & Drillers doing big things once they leave us.