Excellent encapsulation of what it is like to be baseball fan (or Sports fan in general). I really loathe the championship or bust mindset that many fans subscribe to - and the expanded playoffs have furthered that feeling. Baseball is meant to be a constant enjoyment for many months, not a peak experience for a couple weeks.
Well written. Since it happens 29 losers - year end - One Elysium and 29 teams become subjected to the Fates.... Thus, "Wait 'til next year". Still a very interesting baseball season with Plenty of: Near misses, 2nd-half turn arounds, 1st half squanders, a few utter collapses, a few meteoric rises, a mad rush in September, and Some really great player performances.
Excellent, Ellen. Those of us who are Baseball Fans know that it’s so much more than the postseason.
It’s the expectation during cold Midwest February days of pitchers and catchers reporting. It’s the joy of listening to opening day on the radio at work. It’s hearing the call of a walk off grand slam driving home one day during some random game in May. It’s catching a night game during the summer with your kids and a stop for midnight Frosties on the way home. It’s late season heroics and pennant races and the heartbreak of injuries and lost opportunities. More than anything, for me, it’s the cycle, the routine.
I don’t know if this is philosophical, but I feel like all you can ask of your team is to be consistently in the hunt. If you make the playoffs every single year, on average, you should win one championship every 12 years.
Also, the Mets remind me of the Phillies teams of a few years ago. A bunch of good guys who play hard and seem like they all get along well.
A long time ago, before Chaz McCormick in Philly, before the Scandal, before the Process, before even Bagwell and Bidge made their World Series debut, when the Astros were okay, maybe good, I made a deal with myself that my expectations, my hopes, were for the team to play meaningful games last week of the season.
Philosophically I think that's a reasonable stance to take, but you always want more. Especially as you're chasing that first World series in your lifetime, or even more especially when you're chasing that second, or that third.
So you forget about the pact you made with yourself. But in the wake of an unexpected loss, a heartbreaking loss even, you can refresh yourself with the satisfaction of simply having been in it till the end.
I can relate to the best Phillies team not having won it all, because that's certainly the case with the Astros. I think any Houston fan will tell you that the 2019 team was the best on paper, the best on the field.
But I don't think i their failure was cuz of goals or disappointments or not being present, I think it is the built-in randomness. The game is designed so that the best team does not automatically win.
Which is good for the Astros when they have 88 wins, and not so good when they have 106. The equalizer is that the same thing can be said about the Yankees.
Great piece. I've liked this Phillies team for years now...despite being a Mets fan, but, you know. It's the Mets. This year turned out rad, but often, in the words of the great philosopher Wiggum, it tastes like burning to love that team and you have to think about something else. Something competent and himbo-shaped.
Mets fan weighing in here. I read one fan's post-mortem (truthfully those probably shouldn't be written the day after getting knocked out of the postseason) saying it's time to move on from Bohm. Are you nuts??? The kid (I'll be 55 soon, so I can call Bohm a kid) just had a great season derailed at the end by a hand/wrist injury, which is the worst thing that can happen to a hitter. I'm one of the few Mets fans who doesn't boo Harper. Hated younger Nats Bryce, but I've come to love the guy. I wish we had signed him when he became a FA. Was fortunate enough to go to the London Series with my older son. The Mets were just beginning their climb back towards respectability, and they weren't yet the fun team they've become. While the Phillies, especially Bryce, seemed to embrace the uniqueness of playing in the UK (the ceremonial first DP rather first pitch, Bryce using English artists for his walk-up music, the post-HR slide) the Mets trotted out Matthew Broderick...yawn...for their 1st pitch. But...I totally get the disappointment. We couldn't even sell out CitiField for the WC in 2022, angry that we choked away the NL East to the Braves. So a 101-win season, our 2nd highest win total ever, isn't looked at fondly by Mets fan. But regardless of how the NLCS plays out, Mets fans will always love 2024. Expectations indeed. It was a great season for the Phillies, just not a great postseason. They'll be back next October.
Excellent encapsulation of what it is like to be baseball fan (or Sports fan in general). I really loathe the championship or bust mindset that many fans subscribe to - and the expanded playoffs have furthered that feeling. Baseball is meant to be a constant enjoyment for many months, not a peak experience for a couple weeks.
Would be cool if a different someone wrote one of these about each time.
Well written. Since it happens 29 losers - year end - One Elysium and 29 teams become subjected to the Fates.... Thus, "Wait 'til next year". Still a very interesting baseball season with Plenty of: Near misses, 2nd-half turn arounds, 1st half squanders, a few utter collapses, a few meteoric rises, a mad rush in September, and Some really great player performances.
The Curse of Bryce Harper strikes again. Do what Nationals did. And prepare to celebrate!
Nice write up. I really don't like the Phillies and still enjoyed it a lot.
29 teams end their season in disappointment every year. The better your team is, the later it comes, the more it hurts.
But there are thousands of moments from many players along the way. The kind of things that make baseball great.
Outstanding!
Well done Ellen! Baseball seasons are a story unto themselves.
Great stuff. A true fan. We feel your pain.
Excellent, Ellen. Those of us who are Baseball Fans know that it’s so much more than the postseason.
It’s the expectation during cold Midwest February days of pitchers and catchers reporting. It’s the joy of listening to opening day on the radio at work. It’s hearing the call of a walk off grand slam driving home one day during some random game in May. It’s catching a night game during the summer with your kids and a stop for midnight Frosties on the way home. It’s late season heroics and pennant races and the heartbreak of injuries and lost opportunities. More than anything, for me, it’s the cycle, the routine.
It’s everything starting back over again.
Wow. Bravo.
I don’t know if this is philosophical, but I feel like all you can ask of your team is to be consistently in the hunt. If you make the playoffs every single year, on average, you should win one championship every 12 years.
Also, the Mets remind me of the Phillies teams of a few years ago. A bunch of good guys who play hard and seem like they all get along well.
A long time ago, before Chaz McCormick in Philly, before the Scandal, before the Process, before even Bagwell and Bidge made their World Series debut, when the Astros were okay, maybe good, I made a deal with myself that my expectations, my hopes, were for the team to play meaningful games last week of the season.
Philosophically I think that's a reasonable stance to take, but you always want more. Especially as you're chasing that first World series in your lifetime, or even more especially when you're chasing that second, or that third.
So you forget about the pact you made with yourself. But in the wake of an unexpected loss, a heartbreaking loss even, you can refresh yourself with the satisfaction of simply having been in it till the end.
I can relate to the best Phillies team not having won it all, because that's certainly the case with the Astros. I think any Houston fan will tell you that the 2019 team was the best on paper, the best on the field.
But I don't think i their failure was cuz of goals or disappointments or not being present, I think it is the built-in randomness. The game is designed so that the best team does not automatically win.
Which is good for the Astros when they have 88 wins, and not so good when they have 106. The equalizer is that the same thing can be said about the Yankees.
Or karma.
<checks watch> Yup it's 2024.
Get over it. Can't even make a good tidings post (unless you're a Yankee fan) without hearing obsolete s*** from haters
"It is designed to break your heart." - Bart Giamatti.
Worth a read, every year: https://olh.openlibhums.org/article/id/4578/
Encapsulates perfectly what it is to be a lifelong fan of a team.
Great piece. I've liked this Phillies team for years now...despite being a Mets fan, but, you know. It's the Mets. This year turned out rad, but often, in the words of the great philosopher Wiggum, it tastes like burning to love that team and you have to think about something else. Something competent and himbo-shaped.
Mets fan weighing in here. I read one fan's post-mortem (truthfully those probably shouldn't be written the day after getting knocked out of the postseason) saying it's time to move on from Bohm. Are you nuts??? The kid (I'll be 55 soon, so I can call Bohm a kid) just had a great season derailed at the end by a hand/wrist injury, which is the worst thing that can happen to a hitter. I'm one of the few Mets fans who doesn't boo Harper. Hated younger Nats Bryce, but I've come to love the guy. I wish we had signed him when he became a FA. Was fortunate enough to go to the London Series with my older son. The Mets were just beginning their climb back towards respectability, and they weren't yet the fun team they've become. While the Phillies, especially Bryce, seemed to embrace the uniqueness of playing in the UK (the ceremonial first DP rather first pitch, Bryce using English artists for his walk-up music, the post-HR slide) the Mets trotted out Matthew Broderick...yawn...for their 1st pitch. But...I totally get the disappointment. We couldn't even sell out CitiField for the WC in 2022, angry that we choked away the NL East to the Braves. So a 101-win season, our 2nd highest win total ever, isn't looked at fondly by Mets fan. But regardless of how the NLCS plays out, Mets fans will always love 2024. Expectations indeed. It was a great season for the Phillies, just not a great postseason. They'll be back next October.
Also fellow Mets fan, and like you, I LOVE Bryce Harper. He's awesome!
I "hate" him once every 9 at-bats when the Mets play the Phils of course, but otherwise? How can a BASEBALL FAN hate Bryce Harper? I don't get it.