My fragile baseball psyche.

The game of baseball is driving me crazy. Because of the random chance factor. Weird things occur. That may never have happened in a baseball game before. Like last night. When the Chicago Cubs played the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta scored two runs on a home run in the top of  the first inning. The score remained that way into the bottom of the eighth inning. With two outs. And nobody on base, Then two Cubs players were hit by pitches.  Followed by a double. That scored a run and put the tying and lead runs in scoring position. And lo and behold, the Cubs then got a single. Scoring both runners. The Cubs had a 3-2 lead. I was elated. After all, it looked like the Cubs might win. All they needed was for their closer to shutdown the Atlanta team in the top of the ninth. But he gave up a game-tying home run. And the game went into extra innings Where the Cubs lost, 4-3, in the top of the eleventh. For the Cubs to have lost. In that exact way. In that exact sequence of events. Incredible. I presume it had never happened before. Just like that. Never before had a baseball game evolved in that same, exact way. And I didn’t want it to. Because I wanted desperately for the Cubs to win the game. By hook or by crook. So that I would feel good. Instead, I lamented. For much of the night. Yes, I was robbed. Of what could have been an evening of pleasure and elation. Because of the cruel twist of fate. In a baseball game. Crazy, isn’t it? That I allow this to happen. To my pathetically fragile baseball psyche. --Jim Broede
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