Richie Allen wrote:I've often wondered, when I hear the statement "It hasn't sunk in yet," if that is any indication of the actual importance of that championship for that person.
This is, by no means, meant to challenge anyone's loyalty to their teams. I just think that, for many people, losing hurts more than winning feels good. And on top of that, there's typically going to be more losing (not winning it all) than winning. So winning carries more of a burden. A single championship has the responsibility of trying to make up for all of those years of not winning it all. That's a tough task.
Well, 2006 felt so strange after all of those years of frustration. The 1985 incident. Losing to the Twins and the homerdome in 1987. Blowing the 3-1 lead by virtue of 2 blowouts vs. the Braves in 1996. Watching everyone on our pitching staff break before our eyes in 2000. Losing in the bottom of the 9th vs. the eventual World Champs in 2001 (after letting Craig Counsell hit a huge HR). Letting Benito Santiago beat is in 2002. Letting the Cubs beat us in 4 out of 5 games in 2003. Watching a team of destiny in 2004 lose to another team of destiny. Watching the 2nd team of destiny--saved by Pujols in Houston--ultimately fall flat in the last game of the old stadium.
All of those teams lost in such emotionally painful fashion.
Then in 2006, all of the sudden the team that wasn't supposed to do anything went through a talented Padres team, gave us an epic series against the Mets, but then just cut through the Tigers like a hot knife through butter. It almost seemed too easy. Where was the struggle? Where was that sudden turn of karma? Seriously? This team did it where the others couldn't? Jeff Weaver wins the clinching game and a rookie closer with no regular season saves finishes it out?
--P--
