Coping With An Inevitable Losing MLB Season

[Absolutely]

For the first time in a long time my team, St.Louis Cardinals, are in for a bad year. Many people are predicting a 5th place finish, out of 6 teams.
I was 12 when they went to the playoffs in 1996, but didn't really follow THAT closely, then you had the McGwire Show for two season - so missing the playoffs weren't too bad. But since 1999 they've made the playoffs 6 out of the last 8 seasons, with a really good chance to go every single year. 2 World Series appearances etc.

I now watch every single game, how do you deal with knowing your team is going to finish in 3rd place best scenario. It fucking blows, I can't watch every game knowing that they is going to be no payoff. Does that make me not a real fan? I can't invest time in a team that stinks. It'll be a long boring summer with no baseball watching.

Oriole, Brewer, Royal, Ranger, Pirate, Red fans how do you deal year after year :D

I can't just be like, "Well they played hard tonight in that win" if the win puts them at 10-25. I don't care if some shlub hits 4 hrs in a game if they lose, I don't care if someone wins 20 games if they only win 70. None of that makes it watchable to me, the whole point is to win. I can't find joy in those individual achievements if it doesn't aid the overall goal. I love watching baseball, maybe I'll have to just pick up an MLB package and watch every Mets game and pretend I'm a life long fan.

It's depressing

[Absolutely]

Obviously "LOSTING" should be LOSING in the title...

[alclark]

Oriole, Brewer, Royal, Ranger, Pirate, Red fans how do you deal year after year :D

:drunk::drunk::drunk:

At first you will care, and wonder why the players who played well the last few years can't seem to perform. Then, you will start to blame management for not making any moves to get better players. Finally, apathy sets in, and each game just becomes a 3 hour distraction away from the rest of your miserable life.

[Absolutely]

Finally, apathy sets in, and each game just becomes a 3 hour distraction away from the rest of your miserable life.

That's what it's always been, it's a good 3-4 hours a day almost or something you know will be there "to do". I don't want to lose that filler in my life, but I can't sit there and watch shit in a uniform.

[Smokezilla]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/jpmaverick77/shirt_myspace.jpg

[domelogic]

welcome to my world. except for the last two seasons and 1993 i have lived this since 1984. thanks for the company

[CM Mark]

welcome to my world. except for the last two seasons and 1993 i have lived this since 1984. thanks for the company

Took long enough for a Phillies fan to chime in. :action-sm


Oh, and growing up a Mets fan, I was pretty used to losing seasons. Hell, I still expect them and am pleasantly surprised when the Mets do well. Not that they have brought home a championship since 1986, but hey, at least that's more recently than the Phillies.

[edzeppe]

I was 13 when my team had a winning season.
they didnt have another one until i was 26.




quit whining.

[ih8Uboo-boo]

They just won the series 2 years ago and your whining about having to "suffer" through a losing season???

[Hoagie]

Most people follow the team and the rebuilding process of it. They want to watch young players develop and hold on to the hope that their team might "catch lightning in a bottle" and go on a streak that puts them in playoff contention. It's natural to not follow a team that close when they are not winning. But if you can't follow them at all unless they are winning then the bright side to that situation is that you really shouldn't feel that bad since you're not really a fan.

[Deadbent]

I dunno, The White Sox will most likely finish 3rd or 4th in the div this year, unless some catastrophic accidents take place with a lot of teams buses this summer.

I don't just cheer for the hometeam though, I do take a bit more of a vested interest in them (only due to the bets, or going to the park or something) but I take a lot of interest all across the league.

Baseball is just too good, and there's just too much goodness to keep track of to get locked in on one team. Or follow just one.
Every division has good teams.

I could probably watch every game of a home team losing season, I just can't get into games with absolute stinkers on the mound and plate at the same time.

Such a disparity of talent these days are usually reserved for, I dunno... An interleague Royals/Pirate game. Things like that.




And really, Hoagie. Catching that Lightning in a bottle. ..

One of the coolest things about baseball when it happens.




God I fucking enjoy baseball season.

[roche]

Boo fucking hoo. Try being a Texas Rangers fan.

[Voss's Tumor]

Boo fucking hoo. Try being a Texas Rangers fan.

QFT you whiney bastards!

Try playing Charlie Brown kicking a football every fucking season. Rangers start out in first place, everyone's batting like .750, then they just like, look at shiny objects and shit and we end up going 0-30 after the All-Star break.

The Cowboys are learning to incorporate that distinct talent, you're welcome NFC East.

[weakside]

Try playing Charlie Brown kicking a football every fucking season. Rangers start out in first place, everyone's batting like .750, then they just like, look at shiny objects and shit and we end up going 0-30 after the All-Star break.


LOL...this is true.

Being an Angels fan, every year the Rangers at some point in the season get me worried and I start to wonder if this is the year they put it all together. Then inevitably the bottom falls out from under them.

The Rangers will put up a lot of runs but that pitching staff very well might be the worst in baseball.

[Big Fat Steve]

:drunk::drunk::drunk:

At first you will care, and wonder why the players who played well the last few years can't seem to perform. Then, you will start to blame management for not making any moves to get better players. Finally, apathy sets in, and each game just becomes a 3 hour distraction away from the rest of your miserable life.Fellow Oriole fan? They will have the worst record in baseball this year, but they did the right thing, just several years too late. Blowing it all up had to be done.

[Steam]

I sat through the Yankees teams of the early 90s and you know what? I watched or listened to pretty much every game. I sat through John Sterling and Joe Angel, John Sterling and Michael Kay, and all of the various MSG TV combinations involving the likes of Bobby Murcer, Ken Singleton, Jim Kaat, etc. I cheered when Andy Hawkins lost the game but gave up no hits, I sat through the Lance McCullers era, the Dave LaPointe era, Steve Farr being a dominant force in fantasy baseball but worthless on a lackluster team, Steve Howe getting chance after chance, Ron Kittle, Alvaro Espinoza, etc etc.

The bottom line is that I didn't give up. I followed Derek Jeter through the system since he got drafted back in '92, tracked Andy Pettitte starting in A ball, hoped for the best out of the likes of Sam Millitello, Russ Davis, and Sterling Hitchcock. Got teased in '93 when they came up short and then got cock blocked back in '94 with the strike. Then they hit it.

And you know what? The years of suffering made it better. The pain makes the good times worth it. After a few years of winning I got complacent and I think I needed the pain again. I constantly read up on 2004 and watch highlights of painful moments in hopes that the reward will make it all worthwhile.

I've gone through many different stages in my life, but the one thing that I can't grow out of his my love of the Yankees.

[flyerfan116]

Took long enough for a Phillies fan to chime in. :action-sm


Oh, and growing up a Mets fan, I was pretty used to losing seasons. Hell, I still expect them and am pleasantly surprised when the Mets do well. Not that they have brought home a championship since 1986, but hey, at least that's more recently than the Phillies.

you really are a cunt

[oandapartycock]

They just won the series 2 years ago and your whining about having to "suffer" through a losing season???

Seriously. It's been 20 years for me. I did see them win their only playoff game since 1988 when Jose Lima blanked the Cardinals en route to losing the series anyway.

And last I checked, 9 and 3 is the best record in baseball right now. Reverse psychology. That ol' gag...

[Sevenyars]

I'm a life long Reds fan. I just wait till the season is over, then the local fox plays "big Red machine" games all winter.

[Absolutely]

I'm not going to lie, I'm coping well at the moment.
9-4 is more than I was ever expecting.

Bring on the Brewers, the Cards play them 5 games coming up and completely miss Sheets both series, which I'm loving.

Royals and Baltimore aren't doing to shabby either, though their divisions are much tougher than the vaunted NL Central.

[weeniewawa]

being a Giants fan has been kinda sucky, they almost did it but gave it away to the disneyland team. I even keep an eye on the A's but the have let me down too.

[Sct Ptersns Twn]

Let's go BUCS go!:icon_roll

[tysonpunchinguterus]

I not only sufferd through that same era as a kid, but I actually got my picture taken with Alvaro Espinoza. Beat that, Jim Norton!

I sat through the Yankees teams of the early 90s and you know what? I watched or listened to pretty much every game. I sat through John Sterling and Joe Angel, John Sterling and Michael Kay, and all of the various MSG TV combinations involving the likes of Bobby Murcer, Ken Singleton, Jim Kaat, etc. I cheered when Andy Hawkins lost the game but gave up no hits, I sat through the Lance McCullers era, the Dave LaPointe era, Steve Farr being a dominant force in fantasy baseball but worthless on a lackluster team, Steve Howe getting chance after chance, Ron Kittle, Alvaro Espinoza, etc etc.

The bottom line is that I didn't give up. I followed Derek Jeter through the system since he got drafted back in '92, tracked Andy Pettitte starting in A ball, hoped for the best out of the likes of Sam Millitello, Russ Davis, and Sterling Hitchcock. Got teased in '93 when they came up short and then got cock blocked back in '94 with the strike. Then they hit it.

And you know what? The years of suffering made it better. The pain makes the good times worth it. After a few years of winning I got complacent and I think I needed the pain again. I constantly read up on 2004 and watch highlights of painful moments in hopes that the reward will make it all worthwhile.

I've gone through many different stages in my life, but the one thing that I can't grow out of his my love of the Yankees.

[goreds2]

I'm a life long Reds fan. I just wait till the season is over, then the local fox plays "big Red machine" games all winter.

Same here. It's not looking good thus far. Reds are currently in last place. :mad4:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp

It's early but a nice job by the Cardinals so far this year.

[blakesnake00]

How do you think I feel ? Im a chicago cubs fan.As of today 5/11/08 I believe that the Cards are in first.Awwwwwwwwwwwww I feel soooooooooo bad for you!!!!!

[blotto98]

No offense but at least you can prepare for it if you know going in your team will be down.
Try supporting a team that goes out and makes three blockbuster deals- are tagged to score 1000+ runs and run away with the pennant....only to be the stinkiest stinkbombs to ever stink up a stinky field!

(I'm of course speaking of the Tigers, for those who didin't know)

[Creampier]

No offense but at least you can prepare for it if you know going in your team will be down.
Try supporting a team that goes out and makes three blockbuster deals- are tagged to score 1000+ runs and run away with the pennant....only to be the stinkiest stinkbombs to ever stink up a stinky field!

(I'm of course speaking of the Tigers, for those who didin't know)

I honestly thought you were talking about the Mets until that last sentence!

[roche]

No offense but at least you can prepare for it if you know going in your team will be down.
Try supporting a team that goes out and makes three blockbuster deals- are tagged to score 1000+ runs and run away with the pennant....only to be the stinkiest stinkbombs to ever stink up a stinky field!

(I'm of course speaking of the Tigers, for those who didin't know)

Trust me. Nothing is worse than being a Rangers fan. They are doing the same thing this year they usually do. They start off like shit, make a run around early summer to give you a little bit of hope, then they just shit in their hat.