Teams in all sports tend to go through great times and deep slumps in cycles. A stretch of good season records eventually fades into a string of losses that hopefully bounce back to a streak of wins. Right now, one of my favorite teams is in the second part of that cycle, the slump. But one guy in particular has been a bright spot this season, making it easier for fans like me to stick with the team through tough times.
The bright spot in this mediocre season is, of course, Giants rookie pitcher Tim Lincecum. Despite playing on a team that is holding fourth place (out of five) in baseball’s weakest division, Tim has managed to rack up 12 wins (almost double the next best pitcher on the team!) and a league-leading 175 strikeouts. His performance this year hasn’t just been good, it’s been incredible.
For true fans, guys like Tim Lincecum are saviors. With Barry Bonds retired and the Giants a few years from their last playoff games, I kind of stopped watching the sports page or flipping to the Giants game on TV. After a while, I caught myself totally ignoring the Giants and I wondered: am I still a true fan?
But then came Tim. All of his pitches dominated opposing hitters and made the games exciting to watch again. People from longtime fans to even national reporters have been paying attention to the Giants despite their record, all because of him! More importantly, I couldn’t stop following Tim’s progress and got back into following the team. A true fan was reunited with the team!
Have any of your favorite teams ever gone through a big slump? Tell us how you kept up with your squad even through the tough times!
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