Former Ranger O'Brien Roots For Texas Title

Pete O'Brien knows about baseball disappointment.

When he joined the Texas Rangers in 1982, the team had never even been to the playoffs.  When he left after the 1988 season, that was still true.

The popular first baseman then played one year in Cleveland. It was 1989. That marked the 41st season since the Indians last won the Series, a streak that's still alive. He rounded out his big league career in Seattle.  The Mariners failed to make the playoffs before he retired in 1993 and they still haven't won it all.

Today, O'Brien lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Bill speaks with him about what it would mean for the Rangers and their fans if Texas beats the Cardinals to finally win it all.

O'Brien says he's happy to see the Rangers get another chance after losing to San Francisco in last year's Fall Classic.

"You know, usually around this time [of year] this is [Dallas] Cowboy time. And the last couple of years, the Rangers have wrestled away the front pages," O'Brien says. "It's a very easy team to root for. These guys are a very humble group, a very hungry group."

O'Brien says having Rangers great Nolan Ryan as the team's president and CEO has been critical to Texas' success.

"Nolan doesn't miss a game down there in the owner's box. I have a feeling those pitchers probably look over there now and then [and] just want to see how Nolan's reacting to their performance," O'Brien says. "It's like your grandfather or your father watching you in the stands and you want to perform."

As far as  the outcome of the series against St. Louis, O'Brien, who now runs a flotation spa with his wife, says he'll roll with Ryan's prediction: Rangers in 6.