“Codependency is a behavioral condition in a relationship where one person enables another person’s addiction…”
Yeah, I looked it up. Just to be certain. Sure enough, I’m a classic case.
I need the Rangers.
The baseball “experts” told us in the beginning of the year, “Don’t get your hopes up for the Rangers”. “They don’t have it.” “Too young.” “Too few pitchers.” “Too stinky.”
That last one was just rude.
I often think, how do they know? It’s 162 games! What makes them so sure?
Next thing you know, the Rangers get off to a decent start. Take that, experts! Then they start building momentum! They were in second place at mid season! They began to whisper, “Wild Card?” Woo hoo! We may have something here after all!
Then July happened. Then August. They sank like a rock. Now they’re in 4th place and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind the Astros.
Again.
So as it turns out, for the entire first half of the season, they were just teasing. They beckoned. They winked. “Come on” they said. “We’re gonna be good this year. Really.”
And once again they had me believing them.
It’s an addiction I can’t shake. Every year it’s the same thing. At the start of the season, I’m going in eyes wide open. I know the odds of any team winning the World Series are extremely slim. 1 in 30, to be exact. So “I’m just going to enjoy the season”, I say. “No expectations”, I assure myself.
Then they start winning.
I’m so pathetic. I latch on like a dog waiting for his peanut butter covered Milk Bone. “Sit, boy, sit!” “Watch the games!” “Check the standings!” “It could happen!” “Good boy!”
Only to get that doggie treat ripped out of my grubby paws.
I don’t know what happened. Just last month they were so good. Now they’re so bad. They’ve lost 10 of their last 12, and they’re losing 7-1 tonight. What happened?
Did they get tired? Too sweaty? Distracted? Are they having trouble at home? Maybe they’re delirious. Maybe the heat makes them think it’s golf, and the lowest score wins. What makes a team look so good one day and so bad the next day?
And the day after that, and the day after that, and the day…
The aforementioned “experts” will inevitably point to pitching, inexperience, “coming into their own” or some cockamamie rubbish. The bottom line is scoring more runs than your opponent, and the same team that’s being outscored every night is the same team that was in the playoff hunt a month ago.
And now here they are, just a few games away from elimination.
Again.
Well, that’s it. I’m walking away. I won’t be hurt again. I just can’t trust these Texas Rangers to finish the job. I will not invest another ounce of emotional energy on this deceptive team. I’m done.
Until next year.