The official AL West Champions T-shirts that were handed out to the Rangers on the field after they beat the Angels yesterday "won't be available at Globe Life Park in Arlington," according to Evan Grant of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. The T-shirt, designed by MLB and "emblazoned with the logo 'The West is Ours,' features a silhouette of the Dallas skyline as the backdrop." The league "designed a series of shirts and sweatshirts for teams in the postseason featuring city skylines that are dubbed on mlb.com as either 'Locker Room' or 'Official Postseason Locker Room' gear." For the Rangers, who have played in Arlington since they arrived in Texas in '71, this "presents something of an issue" as Arlington "doesn't feature a prominent cityscape skyline." Rangers officials, "well aware of regional sensitivities, were surprised when they opened the boxes on Sunday afternoon." The T-shirts "were sold at the park on Sunday until inventories ran out." The club made the decision "not to restock the particular T-shirt" at the ballpark (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/5). In Ft. Worth, Stefan Stevenson notes fans "can still order the shirt" on MLB.com and at other area retail stores "without the Rangers’ backing." The shirts "are likely to go fast and not return" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/5).
