Kershaw's and other Dodgers' thoughts on failed pursuit of Ohtani...“Just a gigantic waste of time..."

[Mark68]

12 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Well they have won several in mine already, but to be fair I was a Dodger fan for all but the 89 Dodgers, Koufax, Drysdale, Wills, and Snyder etc... They were a good team and the Angels were either still a minor league team or playing in Dodger Stadium at the time.

Once they moved to Anaheim my Dodger fandom faded in direct proportion to my Angels fandom rise.

They've won two in my lifetime.

 

But they've lost four. 

 

They have a .333 winning percentage in World Series in my lifetime. 

The Angels have a 1.000 winning percentage. 

[Second Base]

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one. 

Seriously, the Dodger hate is as stupid as the Dodgers calling Ohtani's pursuit a waste of time.  

[yk9001]

23 minutes ago, Mark68 said:

They've won two in my lifetime.

 

But they've lost four. 

 

They have a .333 winning percentage in World Series in my lifetime. 

The Angels have a 1.000 winning percentage. 

[Angel Oracle]

41 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one. 

Seriously, the Dodger hate is as stupid as the Dodgers calling Ohtani's pursuit a waste of time.  

I wouldn't say it's stupid, more of a local rivalry thing.

[Hubs]

1 hour ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Well they have won several in mine already, but to be fair I was a Dodger fan for all but the 89 Dodgers, Koufax, Drysdale, Wills, and Snyder etc... They were a good team and the Angels were either still a minor league team or playing in Dodger Stadium at the time.

Once they moved to Anaheim my Dodger fandom faded in direct proportion to my Angels fandom rise.

They won in 81 and 88, when the Angels were playing in Anaheim.

They won in 63 and 65 when the Angels played in Chavez as well.

They won in 55 in Brooklyn and 59 in LA, but the Angels were still in the PCL at the time.

[Lou]

2 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one. 

you are f'n crazy 

[hangin n wangin]

4 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

"I still think we're the best team in baseball," Roberts said. "That's his decision. We wish him well. We've turned the page on him."

1. You're not.

2. Positively Scioscian.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

5 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one. 

Seriously, the Dodger hate is as stupid as the Dodgers calling Ohtani's pursuit a waste of time.  

My hatred of the Dodgers goes back decades, and it has nothing to do with the SoCal thing. I have been a Braves fan since 1966, and I dealt with MLB sticking a team in Georgia in the NL West for years. It made no sense, but I became positively sick of the Dodgers and Tommy Lasorda.

As far as your comment about the World Series, why go if you're never going to win one?

[goldenGlove]

5 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one. 

And you would still have less championships

[yk9001]

Just to play devil's advocate - 

Your season would be important up until Halloween every single year.

 

Except for Pujols passing a dead guy on the all time doubles list, Angels seasons wilt around early august.

[IEAngelsfan]

7 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one. 

Seriously, the Dodger hate is as stupid as the Dodgers calling Ohtani's pursuit a waste of time.  

This is not one of your better posts.

[GrittyVeterans]

9 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'd rather make it to the World Series every year and lose than make it only once in fifty-something years and only win one. 

Seriously, the Dodger hate is as stupid as the Dodgers calling Ohtani's pursuit a waste of time.  

This is what someone who has never rooted for a team that goes on deep runs and fails every damn time says. I'm a Ducks fan, we've kind of experienced it the last 6-7 years. Not quite to the epic degree of the Dodgers' failures but pretty close.  Been to the playoffs 6 years in a row, 5 division titles, 2 Western Conference Finals appearances, etc...no ring to show for it all.

 

Are they more entertaining than the Angels in recent years? of course. Is the heartbreak worth it? Hell no.

There is only one ultimate goal in sports that really matters

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 4/4/2018 at 9:48 AM, Kevin said:

Making the playoffs is a waste of time for Kershaw.

I had no idea that he had given up quite that many post season home runs.

[UndertheHalo]

35 minutes ago, GrittyVeterans said:

This is what someone who has never rooted for a team that goes on deep runs and fails every damn time says. I'm a Ducks fan, we've kind of experienced it the last 6-7 years. Not quite to the epic degree of the Dodgers' failures but pretty close.  Been to the playoffs 6 years in a row, 5 division titles, 2 Western Conference Finals appearances, etc...no ring to show for it all.

 

Are they more entertaining than the Angels in recent years? of course. Is the heartbreak worth it? Hell no.

There is only one ultimate goal in sports that really matters

Absolutely this.  I don’t know if I agree with the one in 50 years thing.  I’m a big fan of winning divisions and having good regular seasons.  So I’m definitely not one of these nothing matters but playoffs types.  But the Ducks “success” while unquestionable, has also been extremely exhausting and ultimately far more frustrating then the hapless Angels.  The Angels were similar to the Ducks I’d say between 04-even out to 2012.  Very close.  I’m sure some of you would argue that through 2009 is more accurate.  Anyways. Some of those years killed me.   Anyway not good enough and the window slammed shut. 

On some level watching a team you pull for fail and it’s window close is way worse then just being shitty.  I don’t know if the Dodgers window is closed.  Probably, it’s not.  But losing in the World Series consecutively is absolutely shit.  

Edited October 30, 2018 by UndertheHalo

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, GrittyVeterans said:

This is what someone who has never rooted for a team that goes on deep runs and fails every damn time says. I'm a Ducks fan, we've kind of experienced it the last 6-7 years. Not quite to the epic degree of the Dodgers' failures but pretty close.  Been to the playoffs 6 years in a row, 5 division titles, 2 Western Conference Finals appearances, etc...no ring to show for it all.

 

Are they more entertaining than the Angels in recent years? of course. Is the heartbreak worth it? Hell no.

There is only one ultimate goal in sports that really matters

Been an Angels fan my whole life, and like most here, I vividly remember 2004-2009. Lots of playoff appearances, nothing to show for it, but that was still the golden era of Angels baseball. But I'd rather have the excitement and heartache of t every year than the victory once every sixty years and not much else.

At any rate, it could be worse, we could be Mariners fans. Some of the best players in the history of that game wore that uni, and still nothing. Haven't sniffed the playoffs in nearly 20 years, and now you've lost out on what is likely to be the second greatest Japanese player ever, have a bloated payroll, no farm system and just extended your GM and manager based on early season success that ultimately resulted in yet another failure. 

Even if Jerry Dipoto somehow reveresed all the terrible things he's done as GM, the Mariners still wouldn't make the playoffs for another five years minimum, but it's going to be more like 10. Three years from now he'll be fired and they'll hire someone and it'll take 5 years just to get the farm rebuilt and another 5 before they progress far enough and supplement via free agency. So that is legitimately a team that will go 30 years between playoff apperances. 

[GrittyVeterans]

1 hour ago, Second Base said:

Been an Angels fan my whole life, and like most here, I vividly remember 2004-2009. Lots of playoff appearances, nothing to show for it, but that was still the golden era of Angels baseball. But I'd rather have the excitement and heartache of t every year than the victory once every sixty years and not much else.

At any rate, it could be worse, we could be Mariners fans. Some of the best players in the history of that game wore that uni, and still nothing. Haven't sniffed the playoffs in nearly 20 years, and now you've lost out on what is likely to be the second greatest Japanese player ever, have a bloated payroll, no farm system and just extended your GM and manager based on early season success that ultimately resulted in yet another failure. 

Even if Jerry Dipoto somehow reveresed all the terrible things he's done as GM, the Mariners still wouldn't make the playoffs for another five years minimum, but it's going to be more like 10. Three years from now he'll be fired and they'll hire someone and it'll take 5 years just to get the farm rebuilt and another 5 before they progress far enough and supplement via free agency. So that is legitimately a team that will go 30 years between playoff apperances. 

Except the Angels got their ring in 2002 only 2 years before the beginning of the window you’re referring to, which greatly reduced the sting of 2004-2009. 

 

Im sorry but I still maintain that you are speaking like someone who has never rooted for a team and seen them  repeatedly go deep and never end up with anything to show for it.

[UndertheHalo]

16 minutes ago, calscuf said:

Don’t like 80% of the NHL teams make the playoffs?  

Not that many but it’s a 16 team playoff.  Anyway, the Ducks had been legit contenders.  Didn’t work out. 

Edited October 30, 2018 by UndertheHalo

[GrittyVeterans]

23 minutes ago, calscuf said:

Don’t like 80% of the NHL teams make the playoffs?  

16/31 since Vegas joined. Baseball is 10/30. So yeah, a lot more than in baseball. However the Ducks were in contention for a cup at least 3 of those years I’d say and it’s considered a choke that they didn’t get one during that window. Not as big as the dodgers though

[Rally Gorilla]

IMHO, the division races over 162 game are what really identify the successful teams.   I'm not a Dodgers fan, but I give them props for winning the NL West 8 times out of the last 11 seasons.   Not getting a ring during that time has gotta hurt though.   Reminds me a little bit of the Rangers.   "Freese hits it into center.  We WILL SEE YOU Tomorrow night!"  

[yk9001]

I must be reading this wrong.

 

You guys are saying you'd *rather* have Mariners-type seasons than Anaheim Duck-type seasons?

You'd *rather* never be in it, than be relevant, make a run, and fall short?

[Kevin]

33 minutes ago, yk9001 said:

I must be reading this wrong.

 

You guys are saying you'd *rather* have Mariners-type seasons than Anaheim Duck-type seasons?

You'd *rather* never be in it, than be relevant, make a run, and fall short?

For me its kind of a double edged sword and I understand both view points. 

1994 was my first full season following the Angels but of course the strike put us fans out of our misery. 1995 was super exciting until the collapse. It was amazing that they were in it until the very end but outcome was devastating for me as a ten year old. To be that close to the playoffs and have it ripped away on such a dinky hit (still don't know how Snow didn't come up with the ball) was heartbreaking. The follow up season was a disappointment with high expectations but I didn't feel that crushing blow. It was like "well this sucks that we're out of it so early but oh well."

Same thing with the Rams. Was thrilled when they won it in 1999 but it was gut punch to lose in devastating fashion against the Saints the following year and  ten times worse to lose the Patriots when they had no business losing to them in the first place. Follow up years sucked for them to be out of it early in the season but disappointment and devastation are two different things for me.

Winning championships in sports is such a difficult task that when you come so close but fall just short, it hurts badly. There is no guarantee that the following season won't produce injuries, free agency issues, sub par performances, better teams being in your way, etc. I prefer my teams to be in it till the end but dread the feeling when they fall short. 

[Blarg]

I'd rather watch the Angels in the world series more often, now they already have a trophy. You have to be pretty dumb to say, only if they won. 

[Second Base]

9 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

16/31 since Vegas joined. Baseball is 10/30. So yeah, a lot more than in baseball. However the Ducks were in contention for a cup at least 3 of those years I’d say and it’s considered a choke that they didn’t get one during that window. Not as big as the dodgers though

So 50% of the teams in the NHL make the playoffs.  If MLB went by that insanity, the Angels would be a playoff team every year. 

[yk9001]

The worst thing in fandom, in my opinion, is seasons like the Angels have been having (Ohtani playing excepted).  Good lord, I would LOVE for the Angels to lose the World Series in five games, rather than turn the page starting in May.