Don’t Know What You've Got, Till It’s Gone

[AngelsWin.com]

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Director of Social Media - 

My kid’s new school schedule has me all jacked up.  He just started middle school last week and the bus is picking him up at 6:43 am.  (6:43 am!!!!  WTH?!?!  What kind of school board does something like that to parents … errrrr … I mean kids?!?!)  So getting up with him at 5:45 am has my internal clock all out of whack. 

This morning I woke up at 4:40am and was trying to figure out what day it was.  My internal dialog went something like this …

“4:40 am, Cool, I still have an hour left to sleep.  Wait … do I?  What day is it?  Oh, it’s Sunday.  Sweet!  I can go back to sleep for hours.”  (Rolls over and tries to get comfortable.)

“Man it’s hot in this room!  I should open a window.”  (Gets up and opens window, then gets back in bed.) 

“There, that’s better.  Well … not really better, it’s still hot in here.  But it ought to start cooling down now.  You know what?  I have to pee!”  (Goes to the restroom, and then gets back in bed.) 

“There!  Window open.  Bladder emptied.  Now I can go back to sleep.”  (Checks clock again.  It’s 5:02 am.)

“Hey … it’s September.  Man the summer went by quick.”  (More tossing and turning.)

“Yup … September.  Only a month left of Angels baseball.”  (Lays there for a moment.  Eyes open wide…)

“Only a month left of Angels baseball?!?!?  No!!!!!”

Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it, this has been a disappointing year for Angels baseball.  It’s September 1st and not only is the team 16.5 games out of first place, but they’re still 10 games below .500.  This is not what we were expecting when we gathered in Tempe, AZ last March for our AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest. 

But do you know what’s worse than a disappointing Angels baseball season?  No Angels baseball!

It’s a loooooonnnnnnggggg winter folks.  Starting in just 29 days, we will have 5 months of no Angels baseball action! 

I get that some of you may have already tuned out.  But honestly, if you’re one of those people, you’re not reading this anyway.  If you are reading this (and thank you for doing so!), then you’re still plugged in.  Yes, you’re not happy with how the season has gone, but you’re still plugged in.  You’re addicted.  You’re a fan!

So enjoy this last month!  Cherish these last 28 games!  When the December cold is chilling your bones, you'll be longing for the game’s sights and sounds. 

The crack of the bat.

The freshly cut grass.

The pop of the catcher’s mitt. 

Many fans, myself included, have spent a good portion of the 2013 season complaining about the performances and results on the field.  There has been endless dialog and discussions about what needs to be done to fix the team for the 2014 season.  Who should be traded, who should be fired, etc. etc. etc. 

I get it.  Believe me, I do.  But I submit to you that we have all winter to perfect our hand wringing.  We have all winter to second, third and fourth guess the moves (or lack of moves) that the team makes. 

When the final out is recorded in Texas on September 29th, Angels baseball goes dark.  The field will be empty, the ballpark will be closed and the long wait for Spring will begin.  Don’t hasten that!  There are 28 games left! 

28 games for another towering #Trumbomb. 

28 games to enjoy watching Calhoun, Green and Jimenez bloom into big leaguers. 

28 games to see what #Troutstanding thing Mike is going to do next.

Folks, there are just 28 games left to watch Angels baseball in 2013.  Don’t let them slip by!  Drink it in!  Treasure it!

September 30th will be here before you know it and the team’s schedule will be empty.  The autumn and winter will feel like they last forever.  Don’t cavalierly let these last 28 games slip by.  Cherish it! 

Because you don't know what you've got …

… until it’s gone.

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[Blarg]

You should get a Ariens Deluxe 28+ to clear that diamond so you can get in a few games before the real snow falls.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Well said. The NFL only partly fills the void until we hear those four magical words:

 

Pitchers and catchers report.

[NJHalo]

Well written.

With an assist to Tom Keifer

[Stradling]

I loved this article. It is exactly how I feel about baseball.

[Tyler]

Thought this was going to be about Torii Hunter.

[Glen]

We should...cherish the games we have, we should cherish the games and watch...cherish the games...

[Spirit]

If this article had a soundtrack, this would be it. 

 

http://youtu.be/i28UEoLXVFQ

[Stradling]

I thought this was going to be about DR's shenanigans threads.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

We should...cherish the games we have, we should cherish the games and watch...cherish the games...

 

Somehow the music that goes with that doesn't fit with baseball.

[Spirit]

Cherish is the word I use to describe

All the feeling that I have hiding here for you (Angels) inside

[Bruce Nye]

You kids!  I was thinking of Joni Mitchell and "Big Yellow Taxi."

[mancini79]

I'm first a fan of MLB in general. Although the Angels are out of it, I still enjoy watching games. I always miss baseball when the season ends.

[tdawg87]

I thought this was going to be about when Lifetime was banned.

[Chuck]

Nice job Geoff!!

The way the team has looked of late combined with reading Doc's and AJ's pieces... Now this one. My priorities are reorg'd and my joy is renewed!

[Tank]

You should get a Ariens Deluxe 28+ to clear that diamond so you can get in a few games before the real snow falls.

Or just have nates wife shovel it.

[Dave Saltzer]

Exactly. Even after a bad season like this one, I will still go through baseball withdrawals and will go into that mini depression that will only be somewhat broken with the winter meetings and things. It will last exactly until pitchers and catchers report next February. So yes, let's enjoy it.

[Spirit]

As much as I'll miss watching the team play every night, I will not miss the Head & Shoulders commercials.  Geeeezzzzzz.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I'm first a fan of MLB in general. Although the Angels are out of it, I still enjoy watching games. I always miss baseball when the season ends.

 

I always watch the end of the World Series, even if I don't care for either of the teams in it. It signals the end of another season, and a long, cold wait until spring training. I feel like I'm squeezing the very last out from the season just past.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Vegas Halo Fan

[Vegas Halo Fan]

As much as I'll miss watching the team play every night, I will not miss the Head & Shoulders commercials.  Geeeezzzzzz.

 

They truly suck.

[LBHalos17]

Great article, Geoff!  I'm gonna really be feeling it too, because our Sunday team will miss the Fall season (The City pulled two fields from the league, which cost four teams their spots).  I usually spend the off-season with my baseball dvd collection:  re-watching movies, catching-up on World Series dvd's, and suffering through MLB channels vanilla winter-lineup...

 

Let's start a countdown to Spring-training thread...

[Angelsjunky]

Very nice piece, Geoff. I do agree with you, but at the same time I have to admit that this is the first season in memory that I won't be sad when its over. Even in the 90s...well, we didn't know any better. But we've become jaded, so games are expected to be relevant into September...and they haven't been relevant since July.

 

So while I appreciate your sentiment, I'll be fine when the season's over. I look forward to seeing what the off-season brings and, more so, what next April brings. And, to be honest, I could use a break from the trials and tribulations of the team and will be happy to enjoy postseason baseball, football, and then will become excited again come the winter meetings.

[Tank]

When baseball ends, hockey begins. When hockey ends, baseball begins. Being a lifelong Angels and Kings fan, my disappointment is tempered by a renewed hope every six months, only to be followed by more disappointment and more renewed hope.

It's an endless washing machine cycle of being a fan of the locals, with occasional moments of glory sprinkled in between to keep me coming back. Go Kings Go!

[HaloCory22]

Great article! 

[kevinb]

Give me college football and the nfl. Angels season was over months ago. Great article. But I'm much more interested in the offseason than anything the Angels have done or will do this season. Even going to games I hardly even watch