Real Men Don't Whine

Did you see Mike Soscia after Game 2? The ump clearly made a bad call that cost the Angels the game (okay, no sure bet that they would have won the game, but unfair nonetheless), and he didn't go on and on and on about it afterwards. Instead he said, hey, the guy messed up, but we didn't hit, we didn't get the last out afterwards, so we're going to put it behind us and move on.

Can you imagine Joe Snorre ever saying that? Not me. Snorre would go on and on and on about how unfair it was, how the Junkees should have won the game, how he wants a full investigation, how MLB is fixing things to keep the Junkees out, and God knows what else. That's become the Junkee way. When the call is for the Junkees, that means the ump got it right. When it goes against the Junkees, the ump got it wrong.

Perhaps this whining attitude, along with the Curse of Jeff Nelson, is the reason that the Junkees are ringless in their past five seasons. Whining creates an attitude of we can lose and it isn't out fault. In other words, it gives your team a built-in excuse to lose.

Remember the 1985 World Series? In Game 6, the ump messed up, and the Cardinals, who were up 3-2 in the series, lost the game and had to play Game 7. Their skipper went on and on and on afterwards about the injustice, how they should have been celebrating as world champions, and so on and so forth. The guy didn't shut up. The next night his team came out dead. They were sloppy, losing 11-0 and giving the Royals the championship in the process. That's what whining does. Had he said, listen, the ump messed up but we can still win Game 7, who knows.

So as long as Snorre whines and bitches, the Junkees know they can come up short and it's okay. Here's hoping that Snorre comes back next year!