The Texas Rangers finally achieved their long-awaited dream of winning a World Series title on Thursday night, as they displayed their championship banner for the first time in franchise history. The banner was dropped from Globe Life Field’s roof support high above right field during the season opener against the Chicago Cubs.

The team had been waiting for this moment after 52 seasons in Texas and 63 overall as a franchise. They had fallen short in two previous World Series appearances, losing to Bruce Bochy’s Giants in 2010 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, when they were just one out away from clinching the title in Game 6.

Manager Bochy thanked the fans for their tremendous support and mentioned that championship rings would be presented before the series’ second game on Saturday night. Max Scherzer, who was on the Washington Nationals’ championship team in 2019, expressed his excitement about celebrating the win with fans after pandemic restrictions prevented a traditional ceremony in 2020. He recalled their ring ceremony being done via Zoom and shared that he was looking forward to soaking in the moment with the fans this time around.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who scored the run that gave the Florida Marlins the 1997 World Series crown, admitted to feeling envious watching the ceremony from the opposing dugout. This honest sentiment reflects the competitive spirit among teams in Major League Baseball.