10.04.2010

Season in review: How do you graph a feeling?

Leaves are turning, rain is freezing and channels are flipping to football in much of the country. But for we fans of the Twins, there's still a little slice of summer to savor as we enter the post-season for the sixth time in the past decade.

Of course, it was never a foregone conclusion, and to prove that I've tried to chart how I felt about this season. Focusing on three main emotions as a fan: Confidence (that we are on the right track and everything will be okay), Concern (that we're deader than dodos, discos and d'alliteration) and Nauseous Confusion (for the plain ol' WTF moments that come up in every season). Below the graph is an explanation of the highs and lows I felt personally...if you didn't that's fine...you probably don't suffer from queasiness the way I do...and there's no drammamine for baseball.
April
Confidence: signing Mauer, opening Target Field, generally playing like badasses
Concern: Why can't we get a sweep?
Confusion: "Why does the ethics board need 90 billion copies of my research proposal?"

May
Confidence: Continued excellence, Kubel's walk off in New York
Concern: We can't seem to win bupkus on the Eastern seaboard
Confusion: "It's nice to feel weather again, but baseball players need to toughen up and play in the snow gol' darn it!"

June
Confidence: We're winning more than we're losing (barely)
Concern: Interleague is hard.
Confusion: "Why won't these African tv execs show baseball from the upper midwest?!?!? And why is everyone listening to that damn Waka Waka song!?!?!? AND DEAR GOD, YOU'RE A BUS DRIVER, DON'T IMPERIL YOUR RIDERS!!"

July
Confidence: We're still in the race, and no longer have to be distracted by the world cup
Concern: Bad build up to the all-star game, decline in pitching, and: "Justin, get up Justin, please oh please oh please get up Justin"
Confusion: "Who is this kid at third and what has he done with Nick Punto? And should I care?"

August
Confidence: Learning to love Danny V., feeling quite pleased with our bullpen
Concern: White Sox are still lurking...and...oh god...they got Manny.
Confusion: "Will MLB.tv's blackout policy allow me to watch ANY games?"

September
Confidence: We're close...we're close...we're close...WE WON!!
Concern: ...Uhhh...guys...shouldn't we win a few against the worst teams in the division?
Confusion: Seriously...they're the Royals! How can they score that many?

October
Confidence: Home field, and a good campaign by all...well done fellas
Concern: Yankees...but...meh...
Confusion: "What am I going to do after the season ends?"

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