Just like old times.

When I got home from work today my wife had the Rangers' site up on the computer. She informed me that Texas was leading the White Sox 8-5 in the eighth inning. I was encouraged that maybe the team could hold on to win the rubber game of the series.

By the time I got changed and back downstairs the score was 10-8 in the ChiSox favor. I felt like Jack Daugherty on card number 564 of the 1990 Score set.

You see, I know what Jack is doing here. He is watching the bullpen blow an early lead to lose the game. Either that or standing by as the starter gets shelled bad enough to put the game out of reach. When I was younger the Rangers weren't on the Internet. Hadn't even heard of the concept at the time. What I had to do then was wait until dark and then catch WBAP on the skip.

I would usually get tuned into the scratchy broadcast just in time to listen to the bullpen blow the lead that the lineup had built. Other times I would hear the opposing team take advantage of the situation to build their slim lead to an insurmountable number. Occasionally the game was already long over but needed to be played out for the record books. I know what Jack is feeling, I have often lain in bed on a summer night feeling the same emotion. Today's bullpen collapse took me back to many a summer evening listening to Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel bravely narrating yet another spectacular implosion.