Oh What a Night! The First of November 2023

Baseball in November is a rare occurrence, especially a team taking a single game to win a World Series title. However, it adds more excitement to the game. Question: Where were you on the evening of November 1, 2023? If you were either a Texas Rangers or Arizona Diamondbacks fan, most likely, your attention was on Game 5 of the World Series. This past Saturday was the two-year anniversary of the Texas Rangers capturing their first World Series title in franchise history. To celebrate it, I watched the aforementioned game again. Two years ago, I didn't have access to any sports apps where I could watch the games on TV, resulting in me being unable to watch any Postseason games and the first three games of the World Series. Luckily, I was able to watch games four and five. When baseball fans think of the World Series, the teams that come in mind are the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers. No one expected the Rangers and Diamondbacks, two small market teams, to reach the Fall Classic.

Game 5 of the 119th World Series took place at Chase Field on a warm November night. The Rangers led the series three games to one, which they were seeking their first championship in franchise history, while the D-Backs were going for their second World Series title, their first since 2001. The starting pitchers were Nathan Eovaldi (Texas) and Zac Gallen (Arizona). Announcing the game were Joe Davis and Hall of Famer John Smoltz. If you aren't familiar with Joe Davis, he announces NFL games and Los Angeles Dodgers games. I believe that he's way better than Joe Buck. No disrespect towards the other Joe, but Joe Davis's voice gets me so hyped up.

As for the game itself, Nathan Eovaldi and Zac Gallen were engaged in a pitcher's duel. Neither team had scored until the Rangers scored in the top of the seventh inning, making it 1-0. Rangers would score two more runs in the top of the ninth inning, making it 3-0. Finally, in that same inning, Marcus Semien sealed the deal by hitting a two-run homer to make it 5-0. Joe Davis said it best when Semien hit that home run: "Texas on the verge!"

Josh Sborz of the Rangers was on the mound to close out this game. Once he recorded the final out, he slammed his glove in excitement, hugging catcher Jonah Heim. Joe Davis uttered the following line when Sborz got the final out: "It's happened! The Texas Rangers win the World Series!"

The rest of the team rushed on to the field to celebrate. It was so exciting that I got to witness my own team finally achieving that ultimate goal. Never in the 20 plus years I've been a Rangers fan that I'd see them win a championship. That November night was amazing and I cried happy tears. I posted a reaction video on my social media pages. This was the same level of excitement I had felt when Cubs fans celebrated the team's first World Series title since 1908. The Rangers ended a 63-year championship drought with their historic victory.

"So long, heartbreak. Hello, World Series", Davis said. 12 years of heartbreak was finally over, meaning that we no longer have to talk about Game 6 of the 2011 World Series ever again.

The Rangers finished with an 11-0 record in road games, making it the most in Postseason history. This record still stands as of 2025. Nathan Eovaldi finished the Postseason with a perfect 5-0 record, while Josh Sborz earned his first save. Bruce Bochy became the third manager to win World Series titles in both the American and National League, making it number four for the then 68-year-old. Also, he became one of six managers to win four or more championships. The last three were with the San Francisco Giants.

The 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks were an amazing team. They were basically the "It Team" of that entire Postseason. Sweeping the Dodgers in the NLDS and defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in seven games of the NLCS got everyone's attention. They weren't a team to be messed with and were dangerous. I give the D-Backs credit for playing their hardest during the World Series. It wasn't the World Series matchup anyone expected, but both the Rangers and Diamondbacks gave everyone something to talk about back in 2023. Despite the Rangers winning their first World Series title, Nielsen ratings ranked the 2023 Fall Classic as one of the least watched in World Series history, averaging a disappointing nine million viewers.

Two years later, watching Game 5 of the 2023 World Series was me reliving that moment. When your team wins a World Series title, either for the very first time or in decades, it's a big deal. Even if you're not a baseball fan, we're passionate people who are invested in our favorite teams and players. Stats are another reason why I love this sport over others. It may not get as much attention as the Super Bowl, but we're okay with that. If you're new to baseball, my advice to you is to watch older games, including the Postseason and World Series. Once you do that, you'll fall in love with this sport in no time. Also, watch some regular season games, especially during October. Now that the 2025 World Series has concluded, we can all look forward to Spring Training, which starts in mid-February, and the 2026 regular season. Opening Day will be here before you know it. Speaking of Opening Day, it'll start on Wednesday March 25, 2026, with the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants. This date is the earliest for an Opening Day in MLB history.

What are some of your favorite World Series moments? Did you attend a World Series game in person and if so, who were the teams playing in it and what was the atmosphere like? Share them in the comments section below. If you enjoyed this story, please give it a like. Make sure you follow me on my socials. Finally, like this story and please leave a generous one-off tip. It'll be found at the end of this story. Big or small, your tips will support creators like me so we can keep publishing new stories and share them with everyone.