Hang with ’em

John Papelbon had a tough blown save last night that if you didn’t watch the game, you’d think he just pitched poorly.  The

Phillies closer entered the game to pitch the ninth with the Phillies winning 3-1.  He gave up 4 hits that led to the Dodgers tying the game, sending it to extra innings.  The Dodgers won in the 12th on a walk-off home run by Matt Kemp.

This game proved that baseball will drive you completely insane if you let it.   The first of four hits off Papelbon was a hard hit double.  The next hit was a bloop hit into left field that landed just out of reach of three defenders.  The next hit was a swinging bunt that could not have been placed better if the batter had thrown it.  The hit that tied the game was a ground ball in the hole at shortstop.  Jimmy Rollins made a great play on it but the throw was just a hair too late.  Game tied.  Blown save. Only one ball was hit hard.  Hang with ’em.

“Hang with ’em” was a popular phrase when I played that was the equivalent of “hang in there” or “get ’em next time.”  The point is, sometimes the game just isn’t very fair no matter how well you pitch.  Some days you’ll seem to have nothing in terms of velocity, location, and/or movement and still end up winning the game.  Other times your best stuff leads you to a lose.  It’s just how the game works.

It’s not easy but you have to develop the ability to move on and just accept that these things are going to happen in baseball.

Sometimes you just have to “hang with ’em.”