Creech: Rangers blow chance to show compassion, help out Houston

PHOTOS: All the photos from Astros-Rangers games this season Crew chief Bill Welke (3) listens as Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch argues after a warning to both benches in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. Both benches were warned after Rangers starter Andrew Cashner, rear, hit the Astros' Marwin Gonzalez wth a pitch in the fifth inning. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) less PHOTOS: All the photos from Astros-Rangers games this season Crew chief Bill Welke (3) listens as Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch argues after a warning to both benches in the fifth inning of a baseball game ... more Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press Image 1 of / 779 Caption Close Creech: Rangers blow chance to show compassion, help out Houston 1 / 779 Back to Gallery

Up until Monday afternoon, the outpouring of support and genuine empathy from our neighbors up north had been really touching.

The Cowboys have graciously hosted the Texans. TCU is taking good care of the Rice football team. The city of Dallas has been phenomenal in its in efforts to reach out and help Houstonians.

Then, there are the Rangers.

The Astros were slotted to play the Rangers in Houston this week, but because of the destruction and devastation to the city from Hurricane Harvey, the games needed to be relocated.

The Astros are currently in Dallas.

OFF TO TAMPA: Astros-Rangers series moved to Tampa this week

Highlights

The teams play again in late September in Arlington, so there was an easy solution for all of this. All they had to do was switch the home and home series and call it a day.

Instead, the Rangers refused. The organization didn't want to give up September home games, so now they will all go to St. Petersburg to play.

This is a shameful and classless move by the Rangers organization.

Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. said exactly that in a sarcastic tweet Monday evening.

"Classy as always, should be absolutely ashamed. Greed never takes off days, apparently. Stay strong #Htown! We hope to be home soon," McCullers tweeted.

An entire city is going through one of the worst disasters imaginable.

Just step up and help in some small way - like by switching your schedule around and making life convenient for a team from Houston.

Several folks from the Houston area have evacuated to the Dallas area. A baseball game in the midst of of all of this devastation could have been a nice distraction, but because the two parties couldn't agree to a fair solution, now the games will be in Florida.

It's a real disappointment that the Rangers organization couldn't step up and make this easy on Houston.

Thanks to all the other sports teams and universities - Baylor is hosting the Rice volleyball team, UT in Austin is hosting UH football - who did step up to be good neighbors.

The Rangers could learn a thing or two from the other organizations who found ways to help.