Last MLB offseason, we wrote how foolish the Texas Rangers were for hiring the washed-up, overrated Bruce Bochy to manage their team. Of course, to double down on their gamble, the Rangers organization also went on a spending spree, although it probably was to cover their butts, just in case. Well, the Texas franchise put up a $247M payroll to win 90 games … and qualify as the second wild-card team in the league.

The Rangers now have to play three games at Tampa to save their October existence, and we’re betting they won’t beat the Rays on the road twice. Tampa has a 59-percent chance to win Game 1 with the announced starters, and the Rays have a slightly better chance than that to win Game 2, as well. If there is a Game 3, Tampa is looking at a 57.7-percent chance of victory there, too. Needless to say, it’s grim for Texas right now.

But hey, the team made the postseason for the first time since 2016, so the mediots will crown Bochy’s return to the dugout as a “success”—but let’s be honest and look at facts first: the Rangers were 72-48 on August 15, and they closed down the stretch with an 18-24 finish. They limped into the playoffs, mostly because the Seattle Mariners crashed even harder in the end (11-17 in September). Then there’s the manager.

Texas won six fewer games than its Pythagorean projection, based on run-scoring differential. That usually comes down to decision making in close contests, and who makes those decisions? Exactly. Finishing with a minus-6 PPP mark is the distinct sign of bad managerial guidance. The Rangers also were 14-22 in one-run games and 40-41 in road contests. That doesn’t bode well for their wild-card series in Tampa, of course.

Furthermore, the team was 2-8 in extra-innings; those are four really big strikes against the manager’s impact on a $247M roster. Reality is that Bochy didn’t help the Rangers at all; he hurt them, tremendously. Anything can happen in baseball, but we feel Bochy has used up a lifetime of October luck in his life already with three miraculous postseason runs with the San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Look it up.

How much October luck can one guy get, when he doesn’t deserve it after enabling PED users in San Diego (Ken Caminiti) and San Francisco (Barry Bonds, et al)? None, really. But no one ever said this world was fair, so we will hold our collective breath until the Rays—or some other team—show the Rangers to the backdoor to the offseason golf courses. That’s all Bochy deserves at this point after soiling this grand game.