Good Enough to Lose

It's June 19, 2007 and it's safe to say, the San Francisco Giants are playing good enough to lose.

With an almost innate ability to bumble any offensive play that requires the skills to execute a bunt or hit-and-run, the Giants are leaving their pitching staff in the unenviable position of either having to stabilize the game by not allowing any more runs and or find Duane Kuiper's corked bat, the one he allegedly brought to batting practice before one game that his teammate used (Andre Thornton)to hit a grand slam. (Kuiper told the bat boy to "lose" the bat so there would be no evidence if the authorities were to investigate.)
This inability to execute basic baseball fundamentals puts unnecessary pressure on the player who already bears the burden of responsibility far beyond anyone else on the field. That player, being the pitcher.

There are going to be those games when the hitters are seeing the ball well and the umpire is not. It's an accepted part of the game. But to be put in the position of having to pitch in the stress-filled environment of a team playing catch-up, time and time again, may cause some sort of ripple effect.

The expectancy of having little support may force a pitcher to do too much and this may lead to injury, both physically and mentally. (Sort of like when a batter goes into a slump. He forgets all that he's done to get to where he was before the slump.) Because of the need to try something new in hopes of achieving a different outcome this may take away from that pitcher's strengths and expose him to weaknesses he never knew he had. Everything he worked on to get him to where he was at peak performance is now lost because he was getting credited for the loss even though it wasn't really his fault.

Mental injuries can lead to physical injuries.

And it all starts when you're on a team that plays good enough to lose.

kevin marquez