Dear Negative Twins Fan, Get Over Yourself

I think you're hitting on a key element of modern fandom, here, Paul, in that it has become more important to be right about sports than to simply enjoy them.

By that I mean most fans want to be able to predict the future than hope for the best. That way, if the fall does come (and it might, yet) they can say they were right all along. It's easy, and it keeps you from being emotionally hurt by your team and makes you the smartest guy/girl at the party.

Of course, it also keeps you from truly enjoying all the cool things in life too. 

When the Twins were winning division titles people were still bitching that the Twins weren't doing enough to win a World Series.  Those people will never be happy, they consider themselves 'experts', smarter than even long-time baseball people like Ryan and Molitor, and will always be nitpicking about something the Twins aren't doing right.

Personally I just want them to be competitive, have a chance to win every series, have a .500 record, play good baseball. It makes it fun to watch and listen to them, makes you want to tune them in, it has you checking the standings to see how the other Central division teams are doing.  You don't do that when they're 15 games out.

Right now I''m enjoying the ride.    I was bummed they got rained out last night, I had some behind the wheel time planned, and was planning on listening to them.

I hope that this article is targeted at people who are cynical/defeatist/crabby/crybabies/unconstructively negative (I know they exist on these pages) and not at people who have well-considered constructive criticisms of the Twins. The latter group simply don't just want to feel good about their team on June 1st (which I do), but also on November 1st. But I must say it is a little rude to associate constructive criticism (or negativity or whatever you want to call it) with selfishness or ego. It really isn't about myself. I am over myself. I want the Twins to win in June AND October, and I want them to be winning at those times next year and the year after. I'm not making constructive criticisms because I want to emote all over this page and bring everyone down. I want to win, just in the medium-run and long-run too. If that makes me critical or negative, then so be it.

It comes down to enjoying baseball, which can be done no matter the outcome of a game. To see the subtle interplay of gamesmanship, the cat and mouse interchange of bluffs and tricks, that's where the enjoyment of a sport like baseball resides.

Maybe I'm misinterpreting this post, but yes, the fun of baseball is everything you mention.  That's what makes it a great game.  But the end result is all that matters.  Correctly doing all of those things that makes baseball great is what makes you win 2 of 3, versus 1 of 3.  

When the Twins were losing 90+, I was still watching because the game is great, but you gotta admit, watching a great game when your team wins is WAAAYYY more fun!

Also, anyone just waiting for the other shoe to drop is missing the point.  The fact we're talking about a team with a winning record, let alone the best record in the AL, is reason enough to be happy.  At the beginning of the season, most of the negative people would've been thrilled if you said they'll finish .500.  Maybe they do go on a losing streak, but if, at the end of the year, they're even flirting with a Wild Card, this season has to be viewed as wildly successful. 

Let's ease up on the snark, everyone.

 

My sentiments as well, and, even though I'm a paeon newbie here, might I add that I think it's good to avoid injecting political viewpoints. The discussions can get contentious enough just with baseball as the topic.