The saddest part of being a fan (for me)

[Tx Oriole]

24 minutes ago, tntoriole said:

I understand the sentiment.   The worst experience for me was watching Brooks at the end of his career and how skills had long been gone and he essentially was benched.  I imagine Giants fans felt that way about Willie Mays when he went to the Mets and was missing routine fly balls. 

It reminds us of our own time in the sunlight of our youth and how quickly it passes us all by. 

That's is very true. I see that in myself. I can't do the things I used to do. 

[NashLumber]

18 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

If you saw the pension and benefits to compliment the insane salaries these players get all guaranteed..some of your sadness for them would melt away.Lets be honest.

I do think they earned it. Just like the pension I earned in my career and depend on now. Of course, I barely get by. I have to teach guitar to make ends meet on top of it.  I don't begrudge them that. Pensions are the best part of how the earning structure has evolved, in my opinion. Most of these guys have a long life and many people to support long after their baseball careers are over. Many of today's players are from modest means (their families, parents). 

 

The money aspect had nothing to do with Frobby's original post. It's about fan connection to players. 

[Tx Oriole]

16 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

If you saw the pension and benefits to compliment the insane salaries these players get all guaranteed..some of your sadness for them would melt away.Lets be honest.

Yes they have a lot of money but it's not that I feel that way. It's sad to see the player I cheered for get to the point where he can't play anymore. I was a huge fan of Unitas. He was my idol. To see him get to the point he couldn't play anymore and then get traded was just sad to me. Don't care how much money theses players make. Its seeing a human being I cheered for not able do to things he used to. 

[tntoriole]

5 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

Yes they have a lot of money but it's not that I feel that way. It's sad to see the player I cheered for get to the point where he can't play anymore. I was a huge fan of Unitas. He was my idol. To see him get to the point he couldn't play anymore and then get traded was just sad to me. Don't care how much money theses players make. Its seeing a human being I cheered for not able do to things he used to. 

I was at the last home game for Johnny Unitas in December 1972.  He had been benched by Joe Thomas, the GM, in favor of Marty Domres and planned to trade him in the offseason.  John Sandusky had strict orders not to play him in the last game.  Domres had some hip pain, but Sandusky told him apparently to tell Unitas that his hip hurt too much to go back out in the fourth quarter against the Bills. A small plane with a banner "Unitas We Stand" started flying overhead and the crowd noise got louder.  Then the crowd saw Johnny start warming up on the side line and the noise jumped another level.  When he ran out on the field, yet another jump in noise.  Players in the huddle said they couldn't hear the noise was so loud.  And Johnny U threw a pass out to the sideline to Eddie Hinton who broke multiple tackles on a 62 yard TD run and scored on the first play.   Well,  I was jumping in the arms of total strangers and I have never to this day, even at the World Series games or the division playoff against the Tigers, never have I heard such noise in a stadium.  

[thezeroes]

25 minutes ago, NashLumber said:

The money aspect had nothing to do with Frobby's original post. It's about fan connection to players. 

This is about as short and to the point of Frobby's original post as you can get.  Thank You NashLumber.

[weams]

23 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

Yes they have a lot of money but it's not that I feel that way. It's sad to see the player I cheered for get to the point where he can't play anymore. I was a huge fan of Unitas. He was my idol. To see him get to the point he couldn't play anymore and then get traded was just sad to me. Don't care how much money theses players make. Its seeing a human being I cheered for not able do to things he used to. 

They really should quit before their skills get to the level that they are not who they were. Or even to be able to help a team. My opinion. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, weams said:

They really should quit before their skill get to the level that they are not who they were. Or even to be able to help a team. My opinion. 

Do you feel the same way about musicians and actors?

[weams]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Do you feel the same way about musicians and actors?

No. I don't. It's the team aspect I suppose. 

[NashLumber]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Do you feel the same way about musicians and actors?

Though you didn't ask me, I do think in some cases actors and musicians can re-invent themselves and have other approaches in their later years than what they did in their glory days. Alex Chilton comes to mind. Neil Young has taken some bizarre career turns too when folks may have preferred he retire and rest on his laurels. 

[thezeroes]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Do you feel the same way about musicians and actors?

Not a qualifying comparison.IMO

Joe Walsh can still play a better guitar than most members of any of todays bands.  Musicians can change the venue of what,where and how they play.  Actors can get roles that fit their age set.  Just look at the roles that Walter Matheau, Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford had changed to as they aged.  Baseball is for the younger players as age lessens the skill set.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, thezeroes said:

Not a qualifying comparison.IMO

Joe Walsh can still play a better guitar than most members of any of todays bands.  Musicians can change the venue of what,where and how they play.  Actors can get roles that fit their age set.  Just look at the roles that Walter Matheau, Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford had changed to as they aged.  Baseball is for the younger players as age lessens the skill set.

They are all entertainers.  Particularly when it comes to vocalists I think a lot of past their prime folks are out there.  No one asks a lead vocalist to retire when they can't hit the high notes anymore. 

Do you think watching Brando in the Island of Dr Moreau was any less sad than watching Brooks in his final days on the field?

Heck Millar hit a HR last night as a 45 year old playing for the Saints, how is that not changing the venue?

[SteveA]

16 minutes ago, weams said:

They really should quit before their skills get to the level that they are not who they were. Or even to be able to help a team. My opinion. 

Do they always know when that is?   It could be the case now for Chris Tillman.   Or maybe it isn't, maybe his shouulder will regain his strentch.   She he quit now in case it is?

And yes, it's probably over for Hardy.   But he has had slumps before.   These guys are competitors, they have had slumps and worked their way out of them many times.  They believe in their heart they can do it again.

Every coach since little league has told them to work hard, to grind, to play the right way, to compete hard, to try to win, to be mentally in the game, to never quit, etc.   Now when they hit a decline in performance, they are supposed to switch it off like a light bulb after 30 years and quit?

[Moose Milligan]

They're like old dogs who wanna still play but can't get their back legs moving.

[weams]

2 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Do they always know when that is?   It could be the case now for Chris Tillman.   Or maybe it isn't, maybe his shouulder will regain his strentch.   She he quit now in case it is?

And yes, it's probably over for Hardy.   But he has had slumps before.   These guys are competitors, they have had slumps and worked their way out of them many times.  They believe in their heart they can do it again.

Every coach since little league has told them to work hard, to grind, to play the right way, to compete hard, to try to win, to be mentally in the game, to never quit, etc.   Now when they hit a decline in performance, they are supposed to switch it off like a light bulb after 30 years and quit?

I'm sure they do not. And I do not think Tillman is done.

[maybenxtyr]

There are a very few who refer to the players like that. I get mad when I see someone calling a player trash or garbage...but to acknowledge that a player has been very good and his time is coming to an end doesn't generally bother me. 

 

The great ones make you feel that way, but that is reserved for a very few. I still remember Larry Bird and hoping that he would never have to retire. Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray were that way for me too.