AL West

After storming out to a 2-0 lead in their ALDS clash with the Tampa Bay Rays, it quickly appeared as if the Texas Rangers had taken firm control of the series and were inevitably headed to their first American League Championship Series appearance in franchise history.

"Six-and-a-half games back and not playing very well in a season we thought we ought to be in contention.  I think we were losing ground with the field," Ranger managing general partner George W. Bush said in June of 1992 upon firing his manager.

One has 27 World Series titles under its belt. The other has one postseason series victory in its 50 years of existence, which coincidentally came on Tuesday night.

If the Wild Card system in Major League Baseball had any remaining detractors entering this season's Division Series round of postseason play—and it did—the pair of excellent series (San Francisco-Atlanta and Texas-Tampa Bay) may have wooed them all.

Months before Stephen Strasburg's name (and elbow) was mentioned in the same sentence as Tommy John, the hype surrounding him and the anticipation of his arrival into Major League Baseball rivaled fans consumption of Fernandomania in the 1980s.

It isn't like they are baseball neophytes. They aren't a bunch of nobodies with no history. The baseball world at large may look at the Texas Rangers as a glorified Triple A team, never a threat, no great players, sub-par management.

And why not? After all, it did take the Rangers 38 years (49 if you count the time the franchise spent in Washington, DC) to win a postseason series.

The Texas Rangers and their fans, the long-time ones at least, spent the night celebrating the team's division series win for the first time in franchise history.

With the win and straight Cliff Lee dominance, the Rangers pushed the Dallas Cowboys to page two for the first time in, well, a long time.

There will be joy in Texas, for mighty Ian Kinsler has hit a homerun.

The Texas Rangers, facing elimination in game five, and yet another first round postseason exit, were able to finally muster up some magic for a franchise that has not had much to get excited about. In 1996, 1998, and 1999 the Texas Rangers won the AL West, but each time they would fall to the Yankees in the ALDS, winning only one game in three postseason appearances.

Nearly 50 years of baseball. The last 39 of those years in Arlington. One of only three teams to have never been to the World Series. The Texas Rangers were not exactly a team with a rich tradition. However, when B.J. Upton popped out to left center to end the ninth inning, Texas fans finally had reason to celebrate.

The Texas Rangers held what looked like a typical clubhouse celebration after winning the ALDS on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg. However, if you watched closely, the Rangers’ first postseason series victory in franchise history had one major difference during the locker room scene on TV: they were partying with pop instead of champagne and beer.