By ,
Published September 28, 2015
The Texas Rangers made a momentous statement this week, taking four straight games from the Houston Astros to assume first place in the AL West. Entering play Friday, their lead is two and a half games over Houston, which is having a very tough September so far.
As Gil Lebreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram expanded upon in a new piece, the leadership duo of Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder is making waves in the Rangers' clubhouse as they charge toward a potential postseason spot.
Rangers manager Jeff Banister said to Lebreton in his article that Fielder and Beltre seem to always be involved in boosting the team's spirits however it's needed. "They lead them on the field with the way they play," Banister told Lebreton. "They lead them in the dugout, with how loose they are at the times when they need to be loose. "And they lead them inside that clubhouse with the intensity level, vocally and physically, by how they play and the words they use."
Banister also referred to Beltre as 'the best pro I've ever been around', while championing Fielder's ability to 'lead the charge'. In fact, Banister said to Lebreton, he suspects the two 'feed off each other' in the clubhouse.
It's important to note that the Rangers are not operating at 'full strength', due to a number of injury issues. To wit:
That Texas is having so much success over the past few weeks despite all odds (and no Yu Darvish all season!) can be seen as a compliment to Banister as well as Beltre and Fielder.
Of course, the concept of 'clubhouse chemistry' is one wrought with differing opinions and hot-takes. Some say it doesn't play a role in a team's success or failure, while others consider it one of the intangible factors of any elite organization.
Whatever the case may be, the reputations of Fielder and Beltre are obviously quite positive right now, and could (emphasis on 'could', depending on where you sit on the argument) be helping the Rangers in their remarkable run so far in 2015.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/gil-lebreton/article35660730.html#storylink=cpy
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/beltre-fielder-standing-tall-as-rangers-leaders