The Rangers organization knew they needed to address their main issue, pitching. The Rangers pitching staff started off strong, then dropped to ninth in the american league.
The Rangers combined record was 535-599, with a winning percentage of just .472, the last year they made it to postseason in 1999.
The Rangers have always had the offense to win, but were lacking in pitching.
In Ron Washington's first year as manager for the Texas Rangers, his team finished with another dismal year at 75-87. The Rangers were five games worse from the year before. In 2008 his team finished 79-83, winning four games more than 2007.
Yes it was a little better, but not what the Rangers fans hoped for. The Rangers fans have been to the postseason only three times in franchise history. The Rangers fans were wondering if they would ever become a baseball town, or ever see their team go to the world series.
In the 2009 season the Rangers played well enough to make a trip to the postseason, going 89-73. However, they came up just short of making it to postseason play.
The Rangers fans saw a dramatic change in the way their baseball team played the game of baseball. They were exciting to watch and played hard every night.
Ron Washington's style of baseball, is for the players to play the game hard. He stresses to his team to play the game of baseball, because they enjoy it.
The Rangers players bought into Ron Washington's style of baseball. In 2010 the Texas Rangers won ninty games and captured the american league western division title. They won their first ever postseason series, when they beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in five games.
They faced their nemises in the amercan league championship series, the New York Yankees. The three years the Rangers went to postseason play, they faced the New York Yankees in the divisional series. The Yankees had their way with the Rangers, by beating them 3-1 in 1996. In 1998 and 1999, the Yankees swept them.
Even though these same Rangers in 2010, were not a part of the postseason, against the New York Yankees. The Rangers fans were able to see their baseball team defeat the Yankees 4-2, to go to their first ever world series.
The Rangers organization finally got their revenge on the Yankees.
The Rangers fans and the players finally could say, our team made it to the world series. The Rangers lost in the world series 4-1, to the San Francisco Giants.
The Rangers players were very determined to go back to the world series in 2011.
Ron Washington's baseball team does not like to make excuses, when they lose a baseball game or the world series.
The star players like Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, a long with their teammates said, "being on the big stage was something they've never experienced" and they were caught up in the moment.
They have done something the Rangers organization has never been a part of.
The Rangers players, were in the "AH" of the moment.
The Rangers fans were also in "AH," for what their baseball franchise accomplished in 2010.
Sure the Rangers fans wanted their team to win the world series. However, the fans were a part of something they have never experienced.
Almost every year the Rangers fans would support their team all the way to September, then it was time to watch football. The Dallas Cowboys franchise has always been the professional team that remotely had a chance to win a world championship.
How ironic the Rangers changed that in 2010.
The second year the Dallas Cowboys, invaded the Rangers home town. The first time the Dallas Cowboys hosted Super Bowl XLV. The city of Arlington hosted a world series and super bowl in the same year.
In the off-season the Rangers organization, was unable to sign their ace pitcher Cliff Lee to a multi-year contract, who they accquired from inner-division rival Seattle Mariners. As you can imagine the local media and critics said, there is no way the Rangers will be able to compete much less to go back to the world series in 2011, if they don't sign Cliff Lee to a multi-year contract.
The Rangers found away to sign a multi-year contract with free agent Adrian Beltre. The Rangers felt like signing Adrian Beltre for his defense would be the same as signing Cliff Lee as their ace pitcher.
The Rangers went out and added Yorvit Torrealba, so they would have an upgrade in the catching position. They traded Frank Francisco to the Toronto Blue Jays, to get Mike Napoli to be a utility player. Napoli can play catcher, first base, and be a designated hitter.
Michael Young was not very happy when the Rangers organizaton accquired Mike Napoli, to be a designated hitter and their utility man.
Michael Young felt like the Rangers organization had betrayed him, after he had agreed to be their full time designated hitter. Michael had requested to be traded before the 2011 season had started. The Rangers were unable to find a suitable ball club to deal him to.
With all the moves the Rangers made, it made them a stronger team in 2011, than 2010. The Rangers organization worked their issues out with Michael Young.
Even when spring training started, critics were wondering how Michael Young's issues with the organization would effect him and his teammates.
Ron Washington said, when Michael Young gets out on the field, he will be fine. Ron went on to say that Michael Young is a consumate professional, he will play the game the way he always does.
As we saw in the 2011 season that they over came all odds and went to their second consecutive world series. The reason for the success of the Texas Rangers organization is Ron Washington and their executive staff.
Ron Washington has an incredible relationship with his players and they respect their manager.
The Rangers have an outstanding farm system, and is regarded as the best in major league baseball. The Rangers have incredible talent, and through their success the last two seasons, they have become one of the powers in major league baseball to go after top notch free agents.
The Rangers will be around for a very long time, contending for the world series in 2012 and beyond.
As the Rangers have been successful sticking within their organization, they are also able to go after proven free agents.
The Dallas Stars, won the Stanley cup in 1999. The Dallas Stars were dominant through 1999-2005. In 2006-2007 they started to make some changes after their disappointing first round loss to the seventh seeded Colorado Avalanche.
In 2007-2008 the Dallas Stars returned to playoff prominence, then in 2008-2010 the Stars had their down years. Last year they did not make the playoffs, but improved with a 42-29-11 record.
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 50 | 25 | 7 | 107 | 226 | 197 | 3rd, Pacific | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Canucks) |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 45 | 30 | 7 | 97 | 242 | 207 | 3rd, Pacific | Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Red Wings) |
| 2008–09 | 82 | 36 | 35 | 11 | 83 | 230 | 257 | 3rd, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2009–10 | 82 | 37 | 31 | 14 | 88 | 237 | 254 | 5th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2010-11 | 82 | 42 | 29 | 11 | 95 | 227 | 233 | 5th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
The Dallas Stars organization has been looking at the Texas Rangers organization, who had improved dramatically in five years.
After the Stars missed the playoffs for their third consecutive year, they fired head coach Crawford on April 12, 2011.
They hired Glenn Gulutzan to be their head coach on June 16, 2011. With the hiring of Gulutzan, that makes six coaches they have hired, since moving from Minnesota.
The Dallas Stars knew they needed to make some moves in the off-season to get back to where the organization wants to be. They wanted to go out and pick up proven free agents to go with their talented youner players.
As Ron Washington of the Rangers, who has an outstanding relationship with his players, so does Glenn Gulutzan. The Dallas Stars are modeling their organization, after the Texas Rangers. When the Stars saw the Rangers young talent surrounded by proven veteran players and how it made them successful.
The Dallas Stars organization, decided to make the same transition for their organization.
The Dallas Stars, went out this off-season to get some proven veteran players, to surround their young talent they already had.
The Dallas Stars have seen, how it has made the Rangers organization a major league power. Staying with young talent within their organization and accquiring veteran players to surround them.
As we've seen early on, in the 2011 hockey season. The Stars are 11-3, with the best record in the national hockey league. The Dallas Stars are playing hard in every game. The Stars have brought Dallas a Stanley cup in 1999, can the Stars get back to that dominance they had in 1999-2005.
The Dallas Stars, who are following the model of the Rangers, just might be the model they need to go back to the Stanley cup finals.
No matter what type of player nucleus an organization has. The key is to have a head coach, that has a great relationship with his players.
"It has been said, since the Rangers have made it to two consecutive world series, most major league teams are starting to follow the Rangers model of success."
How funny is that?
I remember when the Texas Rangers organization was a laughing stock. Now professional organizations are looking into, the Rangers model of success.
If the Dallas Stars are successful in 2011-2012 hockey season, we know that the Rangers model has worked for another local professional sports team. The Dallas Stars just might be a contender for the Stanley cup for years to come.













