Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know. Everyone has given up on the slump-stricken Padres. They lost 10 in a row when they had a 6-game lead. They just lost three of four from the long-past-eliminated Chicago Cubs...at home. They have to sweep a red-hot Giants team just to get into a tiebreaker on Monday, and then win that (unless the Braves pull the unthinkable and get swept by a Phillies team who is starting two minor leaguers this weekend...and even then we still have to sweep the Giants). They are being written off as the team with the epic collapse of 2010.
But I'm not giving up hope yet.
Am I being unrealistically optimistic? Maybe. Do the Padres have a snowflake's chance in hell of sweeping a team whose pitchers have been lights out for a month now? Probably not. But ya know what...?They're still in it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I bring to your attention, Exhibit A - the 1996 NL West pennant race between the Padres and Dodgers. After being swept by the lowly Rockies, the Padres found themselves trailing the 1st place Dodgers by two games. They had three games left to play...in Los Angeles. They had to win out, or the season was over. After winning the first two games against the Dodgers, the Padres found themselves tied for first place on Sunday, and in a scoreless dogfight as the season finale went into extra innings. Longtime Padres faithful will remember what happened next...scarcely-used pinch-hitter Chris Gwynn (brother of a certain other Padre) hit a 2-run double in the top of the 11th inning, and Trevor Hoffman, Mr. Automatic, came in and got the save and sent us to the playoffs.
Tony & Chris Gwynn The point is...
It ain't over.
Yes, our hitting is anemic. Yes, our pitching has floundered a bit down the stretch. Yes our best hitter needs an oxygen mask by the time he reaches first base. Yes, our best pitcher is a kid with a huge temper and no big-game experience. And yes, we have to go to San Francisco and win three straight, and then come home to San Diego and win a one-game playoff against the Giants.
If I'm manager Bud Black, I go into our clubhouse today and say, "We have to win today. If we don't win today, it's over. We win today, we get a chance to play for something tomorrow. Let's get runners on base, manufacture some runs, and do what we've done all year...win with strong starting pitching and our bullpen." And then let 'em go have some fun.
Likely? Not at all.
Probable? No way.
Possible? You bet your ass it is. As cute, little J.P. says in Angels in the Outfield, "It could happen."
"It Could Happen!" Go Padres. I didn't expect your last series of the year to mean anything other than maybe battling for worst record in baseball and the first overall pick in the 2011 draft You have surprised me, and I, for one, will not stop cheering and being optimistic until it's over. Go get 'em boys!
No comments:
Post a Comment