Culture Club

I was never a fan of Boy George, but the name of his band from the 80’s is appropriate for our Texas Ranger discussion today. Other than the usual talk about pitching, better offense, solid defense, better baserunning and avoiding injuries, the word we have heard tossed around the most in the offseason is culture.

What is culture? The dictionary (or Google if you prefer) says that culture is the shared system of beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that members of a society use to interact with their world and each other. That’s pretty heavy. How does that apply to baseball? Simplified, I would say that the members of the team are working together for the same goal and understand what they have to do to get there. They don’t necessarily have to be best friends, but they have to have mutual respect.

A lot of this talk centered around the idea that Seager and Semien didn’t get along. It certainly wasn’t a factor in 2023, but it became more noticeable in the next two years as the team struggled. It’s easier to smile when you’re winning; when you’re losing it’s far more difficult. For the last couple of years Adolis Garcia was the emotional barometer of the team, and Nathan Eovaldi is recognized as one of the great teammates in the game, but there hasn’t really been a position player who has stepped up as a clubhouse leader. The team seemed to be just going through the motions sometimes.

Baseball today is driven by money. There is much more emphasis on individuals and their numbers. These statistics drive salaries; consequently, team goals may get lost in the shuffle. So what do you do to combat that problem? One way is to buy enough players that you don’t worry about chemistry (Dodgers, Yankees, Mets) . Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. Another is to develop an organization that emphasizes teamwork above any other trait. (Milwaukee, Cleveland) That approach might not win a Series, but teams that do this perennially outperform expectations.

Ideally, you spend enough money to have the right players and establish an unwavering commitment to the right approach. And that leads us back to why the Texas Rangers are talking so much about culture. Remember how much credit third catcher Austin Hedges got in 2023 for his clubhouse presence? Now third catcher Willie MacIver is being lauded for his enthusiastic attitude. When the Rangers traded for Brandon Nimmo, you heard about his solid production, but you also heard about his desire to be a leader. Even last week’s signing of Andrew McCutchen emphasized how important he is in the clubhouse. Hopefully, these additions will make a difference. Who will step up among the young players and show leadership?

The person who has used the term culture the most is new manager Skip Schumaker. He freely accepts the responsibility of establishing a winning culture. I like what I’ve seen and heard from him so far. Let’s hope he’s successful!

That’s one man’s opinion - what’s yours?