If being Consistently Competitive is entertaining then I'm content

by jbox on Jan 4, 2009 3:18 PM PST

Friar Forecast has a new post titled Why I am Content with Being Consistently Competitive (Revisited). While it may have nothing to do with my relief that the new owner wants set a goal of winning a World Series, it still is a good counter argument.

Right from the start let me just say that I want to be entertained and I have been entertained by the Padres for many years without ever winning a World Series and sometimes without even being competitive. It's actually easier to enjoy games when the team is simply consistent and playing to their potential.

I'm just speaking for myself, I realize that other people find their baseball enjoyment in other ways. I've said far too often that I did not find anything entertaining about watching the 2004-2007 teams flounder. Their record seemed to show that they were competitive in their lack luster division, but you knew all along that when they would need a miracle to survive the playoffs. The miracle never happened and they played the same baseball they played all year long, which was very mediocre and inconsistent.

That's really the only reason that the Padres plan of being Consistently Competitive irks me, because they use the 2004-2007 seasons as evidence of reaching their goal. The Padres seem to be perfectly content reliving those seasons where as a fan I would never want to watch that style of baseball again. It was way too irritating. I don't want a message of "more of the same", I would be thrilled if we had a team that played consistently enough to have a shot at the World Series, I do not want a consistently inconsistent mediocre team like Padres' teams of the past. Any steps the Padres take to become better each year is okay by me.

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spot on.

552

by wrveres on Jan 4, 2009 4:20 PM PST reply actions

Yeah

Having a winning record and making the playoffs totally sucks.

Go ahead and point me to a model of a team you really like. Something you would classify as entertaining.

If you want huge offensive output, you’re never going to get it while the Padres play at Petco. That’s all there is to it. Sure, the team might be offensively talented. But they will never play “entertaining” baseball at home. And, let me say, entertaining is completely arbitrary and depends on the person. I personally loved watching the close games and agonzing over every pitch. It makes the game that much more exciting when you know that the game’s outcome could be determined at literally any moment.

by Phantom on Jan 4, 2009 4:38 PM PST reply actions 2 recs

spot on.

1-10-DEN 18 (9:52) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-E.Royal INTERCEPTED by 93-L.Castillo (95-S.Phillips) at DEN 18. 93-L.Castillo to DEN 14 for 4 yards (62-C.Wiegmann). 6-J.Cutler pouts ob to DEN 25 for 11 yards.

by Wonko on Jan 4, 2009 8:38 PM PST up reply actions

It makes the game that much more exciting when you know that the game’s outcome could be determined at literally any moment.

Except for when the Padres are on offense you mean.

by Dex on Jan 4, 2009 9:02 PM PST up reply actions

I don't care if the team hits 500 home runs in a game

or in a season. Bottom line: win. I don’t care if the Padres score one run at home, as long as their run total, after 9 innings (or 10, or 22 for that matter), is higher than that of the opponent. Entertaining, boring, exciting, tooth-pulling painful … so what? Win.

by Lancers46 on Jan 4, 2009 9:19 PM PST up reply actions

if the padres hit 500 home runs in a game or in a season...

I bet you a million dollars that you’d care.

by Dex on Jan 4, 2009 9:22 PM PST up reply actions

if we had uncle milty he could totally do it

pooping not

www.wellbelowthemendozaline.blogspot.com

by justdave on Jan 5, 2009 8:05 PM PST up reply actions

Any team in any park

can determine the game with one swing. But I like that Petco is a great pitchers park. I like 1-0 games. I think they should make it even more pitcher friendly.
And, isn’t speed and pitching cheaper than some big bats?

by Jonny Dub on Jan 5, 2009 10:25 AM PST up reply actions

At some point

I’d like for this team to win a championship. Division titles and playoff berths are all well and good, but how about something more than falling flat on our collective faces when it’s playoff time? How about expectations being set a little more loftier than winning a pathetic division with a pathetic record? I’d like to start a season the favorite to win the World Series. Set the goal at a world championship and anything less is a total failure. Winning the division is great, but not if it means getting swept and humiliated in the first round.

by Lancers46 on Jan 4, 2009 9:16 PM PST reply actions

On starting the season a favorite to win the World Series

one, it’ll never happen because the Padres just don’t get that level of respect, even the ‘98 Padres weren’t expected to make it to the WS at the beginning of the season. Two, it’s that much more devastating when you are expected to go all the way and fall flat (See 2008 cubs for example). Personally, I relish the role of ultimately victorious underdog.

"2009 Padres.....Yeah, we're still here.

by Boilermaker19 on Jan 5, 2009 6:31 AM PST up reply actions