Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler is taking the club's fanbase to task for poor support of the team on Sunday, when the team beat the Angels 6-2 to clinch a tie with the Rays for the American League's second Wild Card spot. ESPN Dallas has the quotes from the long-time Ranger.
"We've been to the postseason three years in a row," Kinsler said. "We're fighting for our playoff lives. I'm just a little disappointed this place wasn't sold out and rocking.
"You can't say it's the Cowboys because they were on the road. The fans were chanting 'baseball town' and stuff like that, and we can't sell out."
"The fans that were here were amazing," he said. "They were allowed to chant 'baseball town' because they were here supporting us. It was a little disappointing to see the place wasn't sold out today."
The Rangers drew 40,057 fans for Sunday's game, slightly higher than their average of 38,709 for the season. The team also drew over three million fans this year, one of eight teams in the majors to hit that mark. It's their second straight year drawing over three million fans, but attendance has dropped by 10% from 2012 to 2013.
This isn't the first time that the passion of Rangers fans has been questioned. In February, former Ranger Josh Hamilton said that Dallas wasn't a baseball town, which figured into his decision to sign with the rival Angels this past winter. It's one thing for a departed star to make claims about the city's love for the game and their team, but for one of the longest tenured superstars on the team to say something…that's a completely different story.
The Rangers will host the Rays on Monday night in a tiebreaker game for the AL's second Wild Card spot, and if Rangers Ballpark isn't at capacity, I don't think Kinsler will be pleased.
