After the heartbreaking Game 162 loss, it was only a very slight afterthought that we really should have locked up the season a couple of days sooner, by taking 3 of 4 against the Cubs or even splitting the series. We, as Padres Fans, take pride in a few things. On the short list:
- There are very few of us.
- 1998
- 1984
One Cubs Fan in particular thoroughly enjoyed the final Padres games this season and wrote to tell me about it:
Subject: Revenge is Mine!
I wrote a harmless little letter to a Chicago Cubs writer talking about how I wished the Cubs could have shut up the Padres celebrating their 25th Anniversary of 1984 and you and your readers decided to take my letter and the response and have a field day ridiculing me. (http://www.gaslampball.com/
2009/5/28/891729/was-the-1984- celebration-too-mean) Fair enough. Honestly, I am glad you guys had some fun with it, even though I was target of your derision.
Then, in 2010, to prove how obsessed you guys are with 1984, when my cubbies visited this year, you wore your 1984 throwback jerseys. However, this year, we came, we saw, and we kicked your butts 3 out of 4 games! You would have made the playoffs, maybe even won your division if you could have managed a split against us but our pitching staff turned your "hitters" into little girls.
I loved watching the agony of your fans at the way your team choked this year. Maybe instead of planning how you are going to commemorate 1984, you should focus on the game at hand? Maybe you might still be playing baseball now instead of sitting at home watching the Giants and the Braves in the playoffs.
I’ve never enjoyed watching another team lose more. Heh heh heh . . .
Marty
I looked back at what he was talking about and, true, I made fun of his two weeks of deep depression, but I wasn't nearly as bad as I probably could have been.
After reading Marty's email, I tried to get the juices flowing for some really witty, but probably vulgar comeback, but I didn't have it in me. MARTY'S RIGHT! We should all eat crow. Or at least I was up for eating crow. I love to ridicule Cubs Fan plenty, but now I am continuing to pay penance.
With his permission I have reposted this email as another lesson learned from 2010: Cubs Fan is used to waiting long periods of time and is not beyond waiting YEARS to pounce and force you to eat crow.