One step. That's the nothing personal word of the day. It is Tuesday, October 17th, 2023.

One step. That's it. One step closer. Two teams are one step closer to winning the World Series.

We're in the league championship series. It's like the semifinals. The final four. You got to win four games.

When you go on the road, you'll hope to win one of two. Go back home. It's a two, three, two format. The Texas Rangers go into Houston.

They know Houston's a terrible home team. They know the Rangers are streaking. They take the first game and they are not satisfied.

They go into Houston and sweep. It's called a mini sweep when you win two out of two, but the Rangers have swept the Astros. Almost incredible, except when you realize how hot Texas is and how mediocre Houston is at home.

But the things that happened in yesterday's game were mind-boggling for any executive or manager to watch. I felt for Dusty Baker as he's watching his team implode in the first inning.

I'm watching when you have to win game two to even the series and you've got your co-ace on the mound, Framber Valdez. Really their number one starter all year long.

And then they got Verlander at the deadline and they move Valdez back to number two, which just lengthens the rotation makes them a bigger favor to get back to the World Series and win the World Series.

And once you know it, the things you practice in spring training, where all the players are not paying attention. They're annoyed. They want to leave so they can golf. They're bored with the drills. They just want to play.

Spring training is really hard to get players excited and motivated because it goes on too long.

Position players really only need a week or two. Pitchers need longer, but it's frustrating for them to build up and they just want to get in the games. They want to throw live VP in games.

But when spring training first starts, you're doing simple drills, teaching pitchers how to field their positions.

When to throw to first, where to move on the bun play, when to throw to second, how to listen to the catcher on what base to throw to on a little tap or back to the pitcher.

And what you try to teach the players is the footwork. The great infield coach Perry Hill talked about replacing your feet.

For those of you who have kids who play baseball or if you play baseball yourself, when you are fielding a ball in the infield, a pitcher, let's say, and it's a comebacker and you need to throw to first.

You get the ball, you replace your feet, which means you get your feet pointed in the direction of the base to which you're throwing.

Last night Valdez gets the ball. His feet are facing the wrong direction. He doesn't throw the right way and he throws the ball away.

And the Texas Rangers are able to take advantage of that and they scored four runs in the first inning before Houston could even get an at bat.

The Rangers had one game one and they're up for nothing in the first inning. The crowds out of the game, players are despondent. Texas is feeling good because they're playing with house money.

And Houston said no problem. We've got 27 outs. We can still come back. But no, it didn't happen.

Nathan Yavaldi was the pitcher of the former Marlin, former Red Sox hero in the postseason, former Dodger. He was pitching a very, very good number two starter on their rotation behind Montgomery ahead of Scherzer.

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