As a fan of the Texas Rangers, it had to have been pretty easy to root for good things for Koji Uehara this season. He never did anything to rub Rangers fans the wrong way, and he was a pretty solid relief option in 2012, when the Rangers lost in the AL Wild Card Game to Uehara's former team, the Baltimore Orioles.
When the Rangers acquired Uehara at the trade deadline in 2011 along with Mike Adams, it was supposed to fortify a bullpen that was already one of the league's better ones. Adams was awesome. Uehara? Not so much.
The Japanese veteran especially tanked in the postseason, putting up an infinite ERA in the ALDS, a 13.50 ERA in the ALCS and was then left off the World Series roster against the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Wednesday night, Uehara got the ultimate redemption by closing out the clinching Game 6 win for the Red Sox, over that Cardinals team he didn't get to face in 2011. He was also voted the ALCS MVP for his three saves against the Detroit Tigers.
Over the course of the entire postseason, Uehara gave up one run (in the ALDS) in 13 2/3 innings after giving up five runs in 1 1/3 innings for the Rangers back in 2011.
Is it a bit hard to swallow for Rangers fans? Sure. But you can still be happy for the guy.
