For Rangers fans, it has been no better than 2010 and 2011 when the Rangers made back-to-back World Series appearances — losing in five games in a "happy-to-be-there" 2010 series against the Giants and then losing in heartbreaking fashion in seven games to the Cardinals in 2011 in a series they had all but won.
But for Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, there is a new favorite year on the job, and it's not one of those two World Series seasons. Instead, it's 2015, when the Rangers exceeded expectations by winning the AL West and retooling the roster along the way as he made a very strong case for top executive honors in all of baseball.
"Last year was the most fun I've had professionally, including the World Series years," Daniels told Norm Hitzges on KTCK 1310 AM on Monday.
Daniels gave several reasons, including how the team bounced back from a rough 2014 that featured a laundry list of injuries, nearly 100 losses and the surprising resignation of its all-time winningest manager, Ron Washington.
"Then you look at this year. We exceed external expectations, we kind of evolve over the course of the year," Daniels said. "Jeff Banister and his staff did an amazing job. Tremendous relationship with Banny and his guys. I thought there was real synergy between the front office and the staff. It just all added up it was a lot of fun."
Daniels said things should only get better in 2016 with guys like Yu Darvish back, along with a full season of Cole Hamels and what looks to be a dominant bullpen. So will he have another new favorite season at this time next year?
