Liftoff.
This all happened in the space of about 23 hours, beginning late Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.
Round Rock right fielder Nomar Mazara singled to center in the top of the first inning.
Mazara singled to right in the top of the third inning.
Mazara homered in the top of the fifth inning.
He didn’t appear in the ninth.
Mazara presumably went to sleep (though it would be understandable if he didn’t).
He then boarded a plane in Des Moines on Sunday morning with his buddy Brett, because Rangers Director of Travel Josh Shelton told them where to be, and when.
They flew west, about 1,425 miles.
They got off the plane and into a car and found their way to a ballpark that holds about four times as many people as Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs.
And then?
Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara singled to center in the top of the first inning.
Mazara singled to right in the top of the third inning.
Mazara homered in the top of the fifth inning.
He didn’t appear in the ninth.
All I changed in the last four sentences was replacing “Round Rock” with “Rangers.” That simple.
Which is basically what Mazara’s big league debut felt like: A change in the name on the front of the jersey, but otherwise pretty much no difference.
It’s just baseball.
Nomar Mazara is pretty good at baseball.
I’m looking forward to tonight’s game in Seattle.
But not as much I am to the career that launched yesterday, starting with a 1,425-mile trip and peaking at 443.5 feet to right center, at 105.4 miles per hour.
Photo: Emily Jones