Last season when the Rangers had a comfortable lead in the AL West at this time, things were a lot less comfortable than they should have been.
That's because Josh Hamilton, who would go on to the win the AL MVP award, was injured and forced to miss nearly the entire month of September as the Rangers cruised to the division title.
But the Rangers didn't miss him nearly as much you'd think because of David Murphy's performance.
Murphy, a Houston native and Baylor grad, is one of the more beloved Rangers by fans. Call it Texas roots. Call it his Rusty Greer-like persona. Call it whatever you want, but fans love Murphy.
It's been tough this season though as Murphy hasn't been very effective.
After hitting .291 last season, Murphy is just up to .251 this year, but things are on the upswing.
Murphy has gone 8-for-19 on the Rangers homestand, which has included eight games. He has two home runs, including a big grand slam in last Friday's win over the Angels, and seven RBIs.
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If Murphy can have another hot September, the Rangers should be in business as it appears Josh Hamilton has rediscovered his MVP talent and Adrian Beltre is scheduled to join the team late this week or next week.
