People will ask me in passing, "Getting nervous for tonight?" or "This must be nerve-wracking. Isn't it crazy?"
I've finally come to grips with my actual feelings recently, and they're not what I usually expect to happen.
Over the years, I've driven myself to tears and even to dry heaving over playoff sports. You could say I'm pretty into it. This year though, there's something different.
That feeling is, I'm just happy to be here, and I'm enjoying it, win or lose.
Obviously I want them to win the World Series, and I'd be disappointed if they didn't, but honestly, this most recent "even year" run is so unexpectedly awesome, that I'm happy no matter what. It's sort of the difference between the 2010 and 2012 title runs. With the first one, I was a nervous wreck and could hardly be around other people, followed with the euphoria and disbelief of victory being one of the best feelings I've ever experienced.
The '12 World Series? Whole 'nother ballgame. I enjoyed that one so much more while it was happening, because in effect, we were playing with house money.
I could already die a happy man after 2010, so 2012 was just gravy on this magnificently unexpected train to baseball immortality.
So you can imagine that this trend has continued for me-- as strange as that may seem.
No one, absolutely no one in their right mind thought that this particular Giants team would be 2 wins away from the World Series during the Great Depression they put us all through this season. It was such a low point of such sickening losing, that I almost just wanted the season to end. We all did. It was so depressing.
How could a team go from so good, to so horrific, to magically successful all in one season? It all defies logic, and because it makes no sense that we're here, I'm enjoying every bit of it.
I can't help thinking though about how much more nervous I should be; how I should be more upset when the ball doesn't bounce our way. Why aren't I a basket case like I used to be?
The answer is simple: we weren't supposed to be here.
Not only that, but we aren't beloved underdogs like the Royals either. America is soooooo over us. Luckily though, America is even more over the Cardinals, so I think people root for us by default.
But come Series time, America is rooting for those underdog Royals, or possibly Orioles, if they pull off the unthinkable. We're no longer cute and intriguing underdogs. We're weirdly successful and confusing to the mind.
We're the quirky, socially awkward team that's never been good enough on paper, but continue to run said paper through the shredder, then make accidental recycled works of art that sell for millions.
That's why I'm having such a good time. We're on the verge of creating another one of those accidental recycled masterpieces out of the paper we never look good enough on.
Dealer, let's let it ride. We're playing with house money.
Thoughts and musings
LOL Dodgers!
Seriously! How great was it when they lost? I was almost more excited about the Dodgers losing than the Giants beating the Nats. It was amazing.
Part of being "The Dodgerhater" means that those bastards winning the World Series is the worst possible thing ever-- similar to the feeling I got when the Seajerks beat the Niners en route to their Superbowl win. Damn you Broncos. Damn you for losing.
But I digress.
There's nothing better than the failure of such a star-studded group over overpaid a-holes. It damn
near brings a tear to my eye, it's so beautiful. Thank you Cardinals, thank you for that.
Also, thank you for Randy Choate's poor throw to first base.
Also, thank you for Mike Matheny's questionable managing decisions with pitchers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Bochy has apparently caught Mathenyitis, because he too has made some questionable pitching moves. You know, with the Stricklands, and the Romos and such.
My question isn't so much to do with those things, but WHY ARE TIM LINCECUM AND YUSMEIRO PETIT ON THE NLCS ROSTER IF THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO PITCH?
Lincecum, I get. He's a liability. Fine, don't put him in the game. But then why is a rookie who never pitched in Fresno getting the call? Why is Lincecum on the roster instead of oh, I don't know, SOMEONE WHO WILL PLAY?
It's truly bizarre to me.
Also, can we get Petit into the game? The guy has been nails, and he hasn't even been seen in the bullpen in Christ knows how long. What is going on here? Give me Petit after the starter gets the hook, and save Javy Lopez and Affeldt for lefties later on in the game. It's just plain weird.
Long series though. We'll see how it goes. Just an interesting use of personnel.
I won't question Bochy anymore though. If there's anyone who could turn Joe Dirt's lucky meteor into an actual meteor, it would be him.
PS: Joe Dirt's "lucky meteor" wasn't actually a meteor.
For me at least, 2010 just seemed like the Giants franchise became re-born. Everything that had happened before 11/01/10 washed away most of the bad memories and all of the teams that should have won it all but didn't ('62, '71, '87, '93, '02 and '03 just to name a few ). I'm certain it probably doesn't seem like it now that we're well on our way to a 3rd title, but I always feel like in a strange way this run is for all the guys of my youth--Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell, Dave Dravecky, Robby Thompson, the late Jose Uribe/Gonzalez, et al--and the guys before that who never had much of a chance to bring home a title to the Bay.
ReplyDelete