I love the Fonz but..

[PrimeTime]

I don't like this statement..It's kinda saying he's not always trying his hardest all the time and if the team is on a cold streak or losing or whatever he just dosent care when he's up there.I know being in last place is depressing but that just shows he dosen't alwyas give 100 percent.Maybe im just misunderstanding this?

 

Soriano hit .200 with three home runs with Washington last September, but he's sizzling this September with a .307 average, 12 homers and a .743 slugging percentage.

 

"This September is different because last year the team was in last place and I was playing for nothing," Soriano said. "Frank Robinson (his manager with the Nationals) moved me to third in the lineup to try and get me 100 RBIs. But that wasn't the difference. The difference was that we were in last place and fighting for nothing. Now I feel like every game is playing in the playoffs and I have to do my best for us to win, and that gives me more concentration. This is totally different than last year."

[BigbadB]

His little hop before catching a ball in the outfield is what drives me nuts.

[brinoch]

I think you saw this played out with the Pirates this last weekend. It's been a long season, and it's hard to get up for late season games if you have no hope of making the playoffs.

 

I don't really see anything wrong with it.

[CuseCubFan69]

Losing does weigh on you when you care. I agree that you have to remain focused and the Hitters that do are the ones that can hit at all times, in good or bad. In a way it's a good thing what he said, he cares enough about winning that he didn't want to pad his stats for free agency.

[Electron Blue]

Alfonso wants to play better when he's actually playing for something? I'll take it. Now, no player should "not try hard," but I don't think that's he's talking about anyway.

[RynoRules]

I think you saw this played out with the Pirates this last weekend. It's been a long season, and it's hard to get up for late season games if you have no hope of making the playoffs.

 

I don't really see anything wrong with it.

]

 

Agreed. Would it be better if he said losing doesn't bother me? Of course it does, and I am glad that it does.

[kente777]

One might argue that he shouldn't have said that to begin with, but I have no problem with the statement itself--because it's the truth.

 

Certainly, every player should play his best at all times. But the reality is that it is much harder to get up for a meaningless game (both physically and psychologically) than the excitement of being in a pennant race.

 

Think about your own life. How much easier is it to jump out of bed in the morning and be happy and really productive at work when things are going great in your life? When things are going bad, you still get up, and you still go to work, but it's that much harder to maintain the same type of attitude and production.

 

Again, probably not the thing you want to hear from Sori because some things are better left unsaid. But he spoke the truth.

[St.Paul Cub]

One might argue that he shouldn't have said that to begin with, but I have no problem with the statement itself--because it's the truth.

 

Certainly, every player should play his best at all times. But the reality is that it is much harder to get up for a meaningless game (both physically and psychologically) than the excitement of being in a pennant race.

 

Think about your own life. How much easier is it to jump out of bed in the morning and be happy and really productive at work when things are going great in your life? When things are going bad, you still get up, and you still go to work, but it's that much harder to maintain the same type of attitude and production.

 

Again, probably not the thing you want to hear from Sori because some things are better left unsaid. But he spoke the truth.

 

Great point. It probably didn't come out the way he meant it. I think he was just stating the obvious that it was harder to focus mentally with the games being meaningless.

[Banedon]

This is a completely natural reaction. No big deal to me.

[CubinNY]

I think what he said isn't true at all.

 

Saying and doing are not the same thing. I know it seems obvious but people seem to assume that what someone says is necessarily a true reflection of reality. I do not.

 

I have a real hard time believing Soriano didn't "try" as hard at the end of last season. He might have been worn down from the long season, but I tend to believe that players "try" hard every at bat in a game.

 

It doesn't matter what he said.

 

He had terrible numbers in Sept last year, but he also had terrible numbers in June too. Does that mean he took June off too? He was also moved down in the order. Could that have played a factor? They also played the majority of their games in Sept at home in RFK where he hit aprreciably worse the entire year. Could that have been a reason?

 

The point is, there are a lot of factors that could affect a player's performance, "trying" harder seems a pretty insignificant one to me.

[Peoriaman]

One might argue that he shouldn't have said that to begin with, but I have no problem with the statement itself--because it's the truth.

 

Certainly, every player should play his best at all times. But the reality is that it is much harder to get up for a meaningless game (both physically and psychologically) than the excitement of being in a pennant race.

 

Think about your own life. How much easier is it to jump out of bed in the morning and be happy and really productive at work when things are going great in your life? When things are going bad, you still get up, and you still go to work, but it's that much harder to maintain the same type of attitude and production.

 

Again, probably not the thing you want to hear from Sori because some things are better left unsaid. But he spoke the truth.

 

 

well said. I like to really know how many of the posters here go 100% at work 24/7. I'd guess many posters are at work while they are browsing NSB.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

let's also not forget that he didn't want to go to the Nationals and threatened to sit out if he didn't get to play 2B, long before the Nats were in last place

[PrimeTime]

One might argue that he shouldn't have said that to begin with, but I have no problem with the statement itself--because it's the truth.

 

Certainly, every player should play his best at all times. But the reality is that it is much harder to get up for a meaningless game (both physically and psychologically) than the excitement of being in a pennant race.

 

Think about your own life. How much easier is it to jump out of bed in the morning and be happy and really productive at work when things are going great in your life? When things are going bad, you still get up, and you still go to work, but it's that much harder to maintain the same type of attitude and production.

 

Again, probably not the thing you want to hear from Sori because some things are better left unsaid. But he spoke the truth.

 

 

well said. I like to really know how many of the posters here go 100% at work 24/7. I'd guess many posters are at work while they are browsing NSB.

 

Im at work right now on here and Im giving about 3.5% today

[kente777]

One might argue that he shouldn't have said that to begin with, but I have no problem with the statement itself--because it's the truth.

 

Certainly, every player should play his best at all times. But the reality is that it is much harder to get up for a meaningless game (both physically and psychologically) than the excitement of being in a pennant race.

 

Think about your own life. How much easier is it to jump out of bed in the morning and be happy and really productive at work when things are going great in your life? When things are going bad, you still get up, and you still go to work, but it's that much harder to maintain the same type of attitude and production.

 

Again, probably not the thing you want to hear from Sori because some things are better left unsaid. But he spoke the truth.

 

 

well said. I like to really know how many of the posters here go 100% at work 24/7. I'd guess many posters are at work while they are browsing NSB.

 

When I'm happy, I produce the best. That's human nature.

 

And yes, I am work while typing this. ;)

[Peoriaman]

One might argue that he shouldn't have said that to begin with, but I have no problem with the statement itself--because it's the truth.

 

Certainly, every player should play his best at all times. But the reality is that it is much harder to get up for a meaningless game (both physically and psychologically) than the excitement of being in a pennant race.

 

Think about your own life. How much easier is it to jump out of bed in the morning and be happy and really productive at work when things are going great in your life? When things are going bad, you still get up, and you still go to work, but it's that much harder to maintain the same type of attitude and production.

 

Again, probably not the thing you want to hear from Sori because some things are better left unsaid. But he spoke the truth.

 

 

well said. I like to really know how many of the posters here go 100% at work 24/7. I'd guess many posters are at work while they are browsing NSB.

 

Im at work right now on here and Im giving about 3.5% today

 

 

well done! :)

[CubinNY]

One might argue that he shouldn't have said that to begin with, but I have no problem with the statement itself--because it's the truth.

 

Certainly, every player should play his best at all times. But the reality is that it is much harder to get up for a meaningless game (both physically and psychologically) than the excitement of being in a pennant race.

 

Think about your own life. How much easier is it to jump out of bed in the morning and be happy and really productive at work when things are going great in your life? When things are going bad, you still get up, and you still go to work, but it's that much harder to maintain the same type of attitude and production.

 

Again, probably not the thing you want to hear from Sori because some things are better left unsaid. But he spoke the truth.

 

 

well said. I like to really know how many of the posters here go 100% at work 24/7. I'd guess many posters are at work while they are browsing NSB.

 

Im at work right now on here and Im giving about 3.5% today

 

 

well done! :)

How hard would you slackers be trying if your boss and 40,000 paying customers were watching?

 

lol!!!111!1!!!1!!!

[CubmanPi]

If we're going to relate this to our own lives, I think that it's also fitting to look at how much we care about baseball and when. We're all diehard fans here, but compare the size of gamethreads now to the size of gamethreads last september. This is completely natural.

[kente777]

If we're going to relate this to our own lives, I think that it's also fitting to look at how much we care about baseball and when. We're all diehard fans here, but compare the size of gamethreads now to the size of gamethreads last september. This is completely natural.

 

Great point! When the Cubs are winning I am watching and very excited. When they suck, which is most of the time, I detach myself so I won't let it ruin my day (or year....or decade).

[justlikethecubs]

I'm at work and I am giving 100% (towards reading and catching up on things I've missed on here).

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm at work and I'm giving 100% to being one mean SOB right now.

[ninetynineplus]

Let's not forget Soriano was in a free agent year. I can't imagine he tanked the month before he was to be traded/resigned. I think it was a combination of a bad month of baseball for him and the lack of focus. I just can't imagine him "taking a month off" As it seems he likes to be out there too much. IMO

[kente777]

I'm at work and I'm giving 100% to being one mean SOB right now.

 

Yeah, I'd also like to add that if you HATE your job, you will also not produce as much.

 

I can only imagine what it means to be on a sucky team with sucky managment.

[kente777]

Let's not forget Soriano was in a free agent year. I can't imagine he tanked the month before he was to be traded/resigned. I think it was a combination of a bad month of baseball for him and the lack of focus. I just can't imagine him "taking a month off" As it seems he likes to be out there too much. IMO

 

The key is "lack of focus." When you're in a competitive situation, you're more focused.

[CubinNY]

Let's not forget Soriano was in a free agent year. I can't imagine he tanked the month before he was to be traded/resigned. I think it was a combination of a bad month of baseball for him and the lack of focus. I just can't imagine him "taking a month off" As it seems he likes to be out there too much. IMO

 

The key is "lack of focus." When you're in a competitive situation, you're more focused.

You guys are killing me.

 

Every at-bat is a competitive situation.

[biittner77]

As a baseball player on a losing team, whatever you do is wrong. If you don't hit you're mailing it in. If you do hit you're padding your stats after it no longer matters.

 

You guys are killing me.

 

Every at-bat is a competitive situation.

 

That's certainly true. The difference is that a negative result doesn't hurt as much or as long if your team is out of the race.