Being a fan: Loyalty to the players or the organization?

…hard to say what his plan is here, but I think it involves breaking us all down boot-camp style… Letting us suffer through 99 losses. Keeping us guessing at all times on payroll, player contracts, and the fences…. being Sandy’s customer is mentally exhausting.

I will forever have faith in the Friar, but these next couple of years will test my fortitude. I still believe there’s a chance for a championship on Sandy’s watch, but I feel like I’ll be scarfing down a lot more dollar dogs before we get it done.

It’s not a one way street. Besides Peavy basically being a lights out pitcher, I’ve been loyal to him because of his seemingly genuine desire to please the fans. He pitches his heart out because he wants to bring a championship to San Diego. He has been very candid about wanting to stay in SD even though he knows he could make more elsewhere.

 That being said, ideally I want to be loyal to the organization; but I want the organization to be loyal to me. When KT is talking “wholesale changes” back in May and nothing really happens, then I’m kind of left believing that he is just paying lip service to the fan base. When Edmonds is the big off-season signing, again, I’m not thinking loyalty, I’m thinking lip service. I don’t expect SD to win a championship every year, after all, I’m not a Yankees or a Red Sox fan, but I do expect an earnest effort. I know next year will be rough, and I’m OK with that. I think that is why I’m OK with trading Peavy is the organization becomes better for it. But if I Peavy traded for 3 Braves fans to be named later, I’m through.

 I’ll stay loyal to SD as long as I see the organization trying to move in the right direction.

which is a weird combination of the organization and the players. No matter what, I’m always going to be a San Diego Padres fan. There have been too many fond memories and too many players that I’ve loved as Padres to ever turn on the team. Even now, when I think of Finley, Cammy, Wally, and some others, I always think of them as Padres. And that makes me happy.

As for this coming season, I’m really struggling to get excited about it. Losing Vasgersian and likely Peavy and Khalil is a punch in the guy. Of course, we may get players back in that trade that will make the team better. And ultimately, when the team is winning, it’s a lot easier to get excited. Who knows, we could get a player back that the fan base can latch onto and adore like they do Jake and Khalil.

Look, I always hope that the team is going to be good and that there’s going to be players I like supporting. But there’s no guarantee that either will happen all of the time, or even half of the time. We were lucky in the late ’80s and early ’90s that we had Tony to keep us interested. No matter what, we had a legitimate superstar who loved playing for the team.

And maybe that’s the key. If we lose Jake, who do we glom around? Adrian is a great player, but he doesn’t really seem to want that role. Who would step up and make us want to come to the games, even if next year ends up like last year?

So yeah, I totally understand the conundrum. I’ll be a Padres fan next year (though not a season ticket holder) and I’ll still go to games, watch them online, and buy their merchandise. But it won’t be with quite the same fervor or excitement as year’s past.

…“punch in the guy” is now a part of the GLB vocab now.

Have I mentioned that WG named his “guy” Skipper? So cute.

I don’t think it’s disloyal to hoffman or the padres by hoping he gets signed to a short contract. I think, as fans, we all want to remember those transcendant players in their prime.

Personally, I don’t like holding my breath for hoffman, knowing that he feasts on poor hitters, struggles mightly against good ones, and is good for one deep fly ball each outing. I want to remember him as the guy in 98 who would bounce his change-up in the dirt before home plate and STILL have hitters swinging at it.

It’s just no fun watching our idols hang on beyond their time.

I own a Peavy jersey and I had long pined for the day when the Padres would star a truly home grown ace. I enjoyed every moment of his rise and I defended him at every turn when he was bothered by injuries.

But for some reason I don’t have a problem with him leaving. Partly, because its not a free agency thing where the Padres are just letting him walk for more money and because I have faith that any trade will bring back talent to the franchise. I also don’t think its because I’m choosing the team over the player. Sure I’ll always be a Padres fan, but that doesn’t make me want to dislike Jake as he heads out the door.

The best way I can describe it is that Jake is a hot, bright girl destined for bigger things. The Padres are the boyfriend. A struggling artist living in poverty that may eventually paint a masterpiece or two, but right now is forcing the girlfriend to eat top ramen and never takes her out on a real date. Sure they could make it big together, but she’s ready now so it’s time for the girlfriend to move on. Maybe it’ll even free up our struggling artist to work harder on crafting that masterpiece. Maybe some day the girl will make it big elsewhere and the boy’s first masterpiece will be painted and they’ll hook up again. But, if they don’t then at least they’ll know they were better off for it.

I know there are contractual limits on these things, but still. Fans on the east coast have options. Fans in other cities have options.

The train runs right up the coast, and stops right at Angel stadium. They have an owner and front office that is all about the fans and the experience, not about saving a nickel here or there.
The only reason many of us stay loyal to the padres in the first place, is because it is the only game in town, as was said above .. it’s baseball.

Give us options, and I guarantee you the padres wouldn’t draw 10,000 a game. Nobody wants to watch that crap. 2-1 games every night, sitting around waiting 8 inning for Hells Bells. It gets old.

and then when you finally do get a star player here, the front office lies to him and the fans .. routinely.

Jakes moving on, is going to be the last straw for a number of fans.

Personally, i haven’t followed the Chargers since Seau and Harrison left. Since the owner starting holding practices in LA. He lost me as a fan then, and I have never been back. I haven’t given a dime, not one, and they had some good years since, and i still didn’t care, or watch.

The padres are dangerously close to that now for me anyways…

Does that make me un-loyal, maybe so. But i was an Angel fan as a kid, before moving to San Diego .. i support this team, ’cus it is baseball.

not anymore, thanks to the internet, and mlb.tv . I have options. I have no problems watching angel games versus padre games. they are on at the same time, and i can be at the park in an hour.

i just wished they would lift the blackout on FSW ..