Peaceful World Series thoughts

Peace amid stress: hard to attain, hard to retain. The sixth game, 10th inning stars of both the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals profess Christ, and as fans screamed, both felt peaceful at the plate. All of the Rangers will need peace as well as they try to recover from their two nightmarish losses.

First, let's review Thursday night's 10th inning. In its top half, Josh Hamilton, who gives God credit for pulling him out of years of drug abuse, walked to the plate with one out and one on. Hamilton said he felt God telling him, "'You haven't hit one in a while, this is the time you're going to.' I probably had the most relaxed, peaceful at-bat I had the whole series at that moment. But there was a period at the end of that. He didn't say, 'You're going to hit it and you're going to win.'"

Texas would have won had not Lance Berkman of the Cardinals delivered a key two-out hit in the bottom of the 10th. Berkman, according to The New York Times, "reflected on a prayer he had said earlier in the day. He does not pray for outcomes, he said, only the strength to concentrate and do his best." Berkman said, "I felt just at peace walking up to the plate, thinking, 'I may not get it done, but I feel like I'm going to give him a good at-bat.' And that's what happened."

Now to last night: The FOX announcers kindly offered consoling words to Texas fans when the seventh and decisive game of the World Series at October's end concluded with a Rangers defeat. Announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver talked about what fine players the Rangers had under contract and how they could very well be back in the Series next year.

That's true, but whistlers by the graveyard of baseball hopes should also note how hard it is to become champions: 162 regular season games, then up to 19 postseason games in three rounds, each of which must be won. The Boston Red Sox 25 years ago were the last team to lose after being only one strike away from winning the Series. They did eventually become world champions, but it took 18 years. Fans of the Rangers will need both hope and patience, which add up to peace.