LITTLE EXPERIENT!
Dear Giants Fans,
I know last night was hard, downright painful actually. MadBum pitched his heart out. Nunez did everything he could to get that ONE run. But let me ask you something? Going into the bottom of the 9th inning ahead 1-0 over those pesky Dodgers, did you feel we'd lose the game? It's okay to admit. I was right there with you. I'm a die-hard Giants fan who has believed in this team when no one else would, but I'll admit, last night I quietly said to myself, "one run isn't enough." Unfortunately I was right, but THERE lies the problem.
It's called collective consciousness. Our focus is misplaced. Let's face it. The last few weeks have been a whole new level of TORTURE. You'd think by now we'd be used to it? So many leads late in games only to have our bullpen disappoint. It's been so easy to place blame on Casilla or whomever else blows a lead, but it's not fair.
Let's take a look back at the last three World Series Championships, shall we? In 2010 when we coined the phrase TORTURE, the entire season was one of ups and downs and hell, every time Brian Wilson got the ball in a close game, I got nervous. It was never easy, but they found a way to get it done. Then in 2012, our boys coasted into the playoffs capturing the NL West title, yet had to work their butts off in the postseason to get that ring. Don't you remember the craziness of the series' between the Reds and Cardinals? And how about 2014? The Dodgers won the NL West and our boys had that Wild Card game vs the HOT HOT Pirates. EVERY time was different, so why shouldn't our 2016 run not be as well?
Here's what I've learned of late. Baseball is a lot like LIFE. You never really know where the ball is going to drop. Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes as hard as you pray for your team to get three outs in the 9th inning, it just doesn't happen. What's the saying? "Where focus goes, energy grows." Same concept. Giants fans are passionate. We live and breathe with this team. Sure we can voice our discontent of the should have, would have, could haves, but it doesn't really matter. WHAT matters is the BELIEF in the guys on the field, in the dugout and sitting in the bullpen - doing their best and supporting one another.
Hunter Pence said it perfectly in an article I read this morning on MLB.com when he said, "Baseball's one of those things where bonds are forged through adversity." We witnessed it during the 2012 playoff run as they developed that "never say die" attitude. THAT'S where the focus needs to be. As humans we tend to focus on things that become repetitive, no matter whether they are positive or negative. Of late it's been losing the close games. We need to change that as fans. We need to focus on all the GOOD this team has.
My partner in life is a Dodgers fan. God bless him, born and raised in LA. I love him for it. We get to have fun battles discussing our favorite teams. I get blamed for EVERYTHING that goes wrong with Kershaw and he knows better than to argue with me during EVEN-NUMBERED years. :) Last week we were chatting baseball and I said, "You must be excited as your Dodgers are making things interesting playing well and sitting atop the NL West", to which he replied as he grunted, "I just wish they weren't playing the GIANTS six more times, anyone else." See, even he knows what a special bunch we have.
So let the Dodgers win the NL West. So what? What matters is who is hoisting that World Series Trophy when it's all said and done. We just need to make it to the playoffs. We have a GREAT team. Look at our stellar pitching staff. MadBum, Cueto, Moore and Shark can certainly outduel the best. Our hitting is coming around and our bullpen will as well. We just need to BELIEVE!
Also, let's get real. The "Fat Lady" is so pre-occupied with our presidential election, she has no time to worry about baseball and our Giants. The photo above is what I placed on my Vision Board at the beginning of the year. I believe with everything in me that the Giants will be World Champs again this season. Instead of dreading those late innings when our boys are ahead, how about we envision a beautiful sunny afternoon on Market Street with orange, black and white confetti filling the sky as we celebrate with our TORTUROUS bunch.
I'm attending all four games of the Padres series at PETCO (AT&T South) where I will cheer for our boys, including Casilla and the bullpen. I believe in them and I know many of YOU do as well. So who's with me? LET'S DO THIS!
GO GIANTS!
Cali
Dear Giants Fans,
I know last night was hard, downright painful actually. MadBum pitched his heart out. Nunez did everything he could to get that ONE run. But let me ask you something? Going into the bottom of the 9th inning ahead 1-0 over those pesky Dodgers, did you feel we'd lose the game? It's okay to admit. I was right there with you. I'm a die-hard Giants fan who has believed in this team when no one else would, but I'll admit, last night I quietly said to myself, "one run isn't enough." Unfortunately I was right, but THERE lies the problem.
It's called collective consciousness. Our focus is misplaced. Let's face it. The last few weeks have been a whole new level of TORTURE. You'd think by now we'd be used to it? So many leads late in games only to have our bullpen disappoint. It's been so easy to place blame on Casilla or whomever else blows a lead, but it's not fair.
Let's take a look back at the last three World Series Championships, shall we? In 2010 when we coined the phrase TORTURE, the entire season was one of ups and downs and hell, every time Brian Wilson got the ball in a close game, I got nervous. It was never easy, but they found a way to get it done. Then in 2012, our boys coasted into the playoffs capturing the NL West title, yet had to work their butts off in the postseason to get that ring. Don't you remember the craziness of the series' between the Reds and Cardinals? And how about 2014? The Dodgers won the NL West and our boys had that Wild Card game vs the HOT HOT Pirates. EVERY time was different, so why shouldn't our 2016 run not be as well?
Here's what I've learned of late. Baseball is a lot like LIFE. You never really know where the ball is going to drop. Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes as hard as you pray for your team to get three outs in the 9th inning, it just doesn't happen. What's the saying? "Where focus goes, energy grows." Same concept. Giants fans are passionate. We live and breathe with this team. Sure we can voice our discontent of the should have, would have, could haves, but it doesn't really matter. WHAT matters is the BELIEF in the guys on the field, in the dugout and sitting in the bullpen - doing their best and supporting one another.
Hunter Pence said it perfectly in an article I read this morning on MLB.com when he said, "Baseball's one of those things where bonds are forged through adversity." We witnessed it during the 2012 playoff run as they developed that "never say die" attitude. THAT'S where the focus needs to be. As humans we tend to focus on things that become repetitive, no matter whether they are positive or negative. Of late it's been losing the close games. We need to change that as fans. We need to focus on all the GOOD this team has.
My partner in life is a Dodgers fan. God bless him, born and raised in LA. I love him for it. We get to have fun battles discussing our favorite teams. I get blamed for EVERYTHING that goes wrong with Kershaw and he knows better than to argue with me during EVEN-NUMBERED years. :) Last week we were chatting baseball and I said, "You must be excited as your Dodgers are making things interesting playing well and sitting atop the NL West", to which he replied as he grunted, "I just wish they weren't playing the GIANTS six more times, anyone else." See, even he knows what a special bunch we have.
So let the Dodgers win the NL West. So what? What matters is who is hoisting that World Series Trophy when it's all said and done. We just need to make it to the playoffs. We have a GREAT team. Look at our stellar pitching staff. MadBum, Cueto, Moore and Shark can certainly outduel the best. Our hitting is coming around and our bullpen will as well. We just need to BELIEVE!
Also, let's get real. The "Fat Lady" is so pre-occupied with our presidential election, she has no time to worry about baseball and our Giants. The photo above is what I placed on my Vision Board at the beginning of the year. I believe with everything in me that the Giants will be World Champs again this season. Instead of dreading those late innings when our boys are ahead, how about we envision a beautiful sunny afternoon on Market Street with orange, black and white confetti filling the sky as we celebrate with our TORTUROUS bunch.
I'm attending all four games of the Padres series at PETCO (AT&T South) where I will cheer for our boys, including Casilla and the bullpen. I believe in them and I know many of YOU do as well. So who's with me? LET'S DO THIS!
GO GIANTS!
Cali
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