Oh the Pain...........

A great friend of mine, who shall remain anonomous so let's refer to him as George, told me one day, during a conversation about our respective trips to Wrigley Field, that the Cub fans "Pissed him off". I was shocked. Who, after all, could possibly dislike the Cubs or their die hard fan base? I asked him point blank, "Are you serious"?
He told me that it bothered him immensly that the media around the country was so enthralled with the loveable losers, (at that time both the Cubs and the Red Sox with the Red Sox having since shaken the loser description). He maintained that his Giants and fans like himself had had it every bit as hard as anyone in baseball. The realization hit me hard, like ice cold water hitting you in the face. He was right.
As a Dodger fan I was so used to being immersed in our intense rivalry with the Giants, and it's back and forth nature. The Dodgers losses over the years in late season failures to the Giants had caused me to lose sight of the fact that while the Dodgers had gone on to many World Series appearances and 6 World Championships in my lifetime poor George had seen only 2 appearances and absolutely zero world titles. The old New York Giants had many succesful runs, many of which at the expense of the Brooklyn team, yet the team in San Francisco had failed so miserably since their incepion back in 1958.
I felt it my duty and responsibility to say it here that you are right George. This 2009 season, now at the All Star break, is no different. The Giants are playing great ball. Their pitching staff is beyond reproach as the finest set of starters in the game. The Giants are a team to be reckoned with except.............
The pain George and all the Giant fans will feel is a gut wrenching pain like no other. Finding a way to lose is not as easy a thing as most fans think. Melt downs are NOT an exclusive property of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs after all treated their fans to World Championships at the beginning of the 20'th century. The San Francisco Giants faithful have been kicked in the teeth every single year of their existance. When the 2009 season has ended and the last World Series game has become a memory the Dodgers may not be Champions of the Baseball world but the Giants? The fact that they won't be winners is a sure thing and the pain felt by their fans will endure until next year when another dose of it will be conjured up by their heroes. You are right George, you are right.