Getting C.J. Wilson too, after Albert Pujols, is kinda like opening up your biggest Christmas present under the tree and discovering that it's an Xbox 360 with Modern Warfare, CoD3 already packaged inside. You get totally excited and dash to the entertainment center and hook it all up and can't wait to start playing, only to be called back to the family and reminded that you have more gifts.

So you open up your other present and find Assassin's Creed Revelations! After the fabulous stuff in your stocking (Dipoto, Premium The Ex, Lyle The Ex, Hawkins, etc.), this just keeps getting BETTER!

Perhaps, as the fuss dies down a bit, it is now time to kick back and mull over a few sweet thoughts concerning CJ...

In 1979 Nolan Ryan was in California as the Ace of the Halos staff. He had just concluded a season wherein he went 16 - 14 and he was a Free Agent looking for a new contract. His old contract paid out $200,000 for the season, and he wanted $1,000,000.

Infamously, the Angels GM at the time, Buzzie Bavasi, declared that nobody was worth $1,000,000 to play baseball and that Ryan could be replaced by "...two 8 and 7 pitchers." Bavasi refused to even consider Ryan's actual value and Ryan left the Halos carrying a strong bitterness towards Bavasi (and others in the FO, Autry being the exception).

Ryan landed in Texas, with the Astros. And he ended his career with the Rangers, the team he now owns.

Fast forward 32 years, and pay special attention to the reflections of that history:

In 2011 CJ Wilson was in Texas as the Ace of the Rangers staff. He had just concluded a season wherein he went 16 - 7 and he was a Free Agent looking for a new contract. His old contract paid out $7,000,000 for the season, and he wanted $15,000,000.

Apparently, Nolan Ryan determined that no pitcher for the Rangers was worth $15,000,000 to play baseball and that Wilson could be replaced by "...two 8 and 3 1/2 pitchers" (paraphrase mine). Nolan refused to even consider Wilson's actual value and Wilson left the Rangers carrying a new-found understanding of what the Rangers actually felt about him as a contributor.

Wilson landed in California. In Anaheim, with the Halos.

Let's hope that this echo of the past holds similar accolades for Wilson in his future tenure here!