SURPRISE, Ariz. -- On Tuesday morning, after a team meeting likely to be full of references to "missions not completed," the Texas Rangers, losers of six consecutive playoff games over the past two seasons, will take the field as a full squad for the first time this spring.
Across the continent, a Houston team that was a chic pick last year will take the field with added veteran leadership, which it so badly lacked on the way to an underachieving finish in 2016. Only eight miles to the east of Surprise, the once-again revamped Seattle Mariners are sure to get it right this time.