Don’t Let Last Season’s Playoffs Curb Your Excitement for the 2012 Phillies

As the start of Spring Training and the regular season get closer and closer, the excitement around the city and its beloved baseball team grows.

The only problem is that it just hasn’t felt the same this winter.

When talking about the Phillies and their upcoming 2012 season, there are plenty of interesting story lines and debate topics that a few fans could spend endless time discussing.

Jim Thome is back in Philadelphia. Jonathan Papelbon is the team’s new fiery, $50 million closer. Jimmy Rollins re-signed here. However, the one thing that comes up the most is the disappointment of last season’s first round playoff exit.

The feeling was indescribable. How could a team that won 102 regular season games get bounced in the first round by a team that barely reached the postseason? Better yet, how could a team that won so many games not score a single run in the deciding game 5?

There really isn’t an answer that will satisfy the thousands of fans who will never understand how such a great team ended a season on such a bad note.

What they do understand, however, is the sour taste that remains whenever it’s brought up in conversation. The disappointment has led to one of the most unfortunate attitudes that a sports fan can possibly have: the “we’ll see in the playoffs” way of thinking.

The Phillies beat the Boston Red Sox last night? Good win, but we’ll see if they can win in the playoffs.

The offense scored 8 runs against Chris Carpenter last night? Nice production, but let’s see if they can score in the playoffs.

The attitude is all too familiar with Phillies fans this off-season, and many of us would like to join the naysayers and be a little cynical of our team that underachieved miserably in the playoffs last season.

We can’t allow it to happen, though.

We can’t become the spoiled fan base that only gets enjoyment out of championship rings and celebrations. Obviously that’s the main goal, but enjoying the entire ride is the best part of being a sports fan.

It’s about watching your team grow together, not being critical of last season’s failure in the playoffs. It’s about the entire journey, not just the moment you pull into the driveway.

It’s about John Mayberry Jr. topping an improbable comeback with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 9th inning on Opening Day, a 19-inning game that ends with utility infielder Wilson Valdez throwing a hitless inning to get the win, and Cliff Lee going 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA and 3 complete game shutouts in the month of June.

It’s about loving and supporting your team throughout the entire roller coaster ride that is the Major League Baseball season.

Go Phillies.

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