So. My two (I know, I know) local baseball clubs are just… bad this year. Bad. When you have poor pitching, poor hitting, and poor defense, well, it all adds up to a shitload of losses and bye-bye playoffs, which is a sad thing to have to admit in June.

But I have been spoiled for the past five years, which admittedly is the extent of my baseball fandom. Spoiled because ever since that time, the Giants and the A’s have been winners. They have been in it into September, and even October. Even the World Series. They had Bonds, Tejada, Hudson, Dye, Santiago, Nen. Etc. There was always a good chance that on any given day, they would be winning.

This year, not so much. So this year, my loyalty is being tested. I am able to see how spoiled I have been. Am I a REAL baseball fan? Am I like one of those people who follows the Tampa Bay Triple A’s Devil Rays, or the Colorado Rookies Rockies year after year, season ticket holders, all decked out in their colors, knowingly supporting a perennially losing team? With the hope and belief that it will turn around, eventually.

I think it just works this way: every team gets their moment in the sun. My team’s moment has passed, for now. And now, the sun can shine on the clubs who have done their time in crappy baseball purgatory: the White Sox, the Orioles, the Padres. So the fair weather fans are separated from the real fans at this point. So which kind will I be?

Currently:

Giants 23W, 26L
Athletics 17W, 32L

Oh and PS: My real “home” team, the Mariners, are still waiting to be winners. Up to now they have been either losers, or just plain chokers. But have never won a pennant. And they keep a very solid fan base, somehow, through it all. Perhaps it’s their marketing department.