It’s the economy, stupid. It’s back-to-school syndrome. Yeah, those two elements are the so-called reasons why the National League’s best team (Padres) couldn’t pack the house against the still-contending and defending National League Champions (Phillies) this past weekend at Petco Park.
Nah, it’s sweepaphobia that’s keeping Padres fans away. When forecasting the playoffs, Padres fans have memories of more sweeps than a janitor, more brooms than a witch convention, more early exits than the withdrawal method.
But that’s just perception! For the record, the Padres have (gulp) only been swept three out of eight series in club playoff history! Come on, now.
Let’s quickly review Padres post-season history:
In 1984, the NL West Champ Padres won the NLCS 3 games to 2 over the Cubs and lost the World Series 4 games to 1 against the Detroit Tigers.
In 1996, the Caminiti-driven Padres rolled into the playoffs with big dreams, only to be dashed by a 3-zip Cardinals sweep.
In 1998, after defeating the Astros 3-1 and the Braves 4-2, the Padres had the Yankees on the ropes in Game One, but for the love of Scott Brosius, the wheels came off as if the lug nuts were made of butter patties. Swept 4-0.
In 2005, the Padres finished with the lowest-ever winning percentage for a division champion, or any postseason qualifier, in a non-strike season, 82-80. After getting swept 3-0 by the Cardinals, the Padres finished the year 82-83, the first post-season qualifier in a normal-length season to lose more games than it won overall. Yikes.
In 2006, the 88-74 Padres won the division and opened with the Cardinals again, avoiding a first-round sweep by losing 3 games to 1.
Overall the Padres have a post-season record of 12–22; they have lost 10 of their last 11 games since winning the National League pennant in 1998.
Okay, not exactly the New York Yankees, or even the Florida Marlins, but not the Chicago Cubs either. The last time they won a World Series, Al Capone was extorting milk money in kindergarten.
Yet this sweepaphobia thing is holding Padres fans back. The foreboding is palpable, the big tease, the sense of doom, the inevitable Lucy Ricardo/ George Costanza catastrophes. Those two had no choice but to be losers–it was in the script.
There’s no script in baseball!
You think this is already over? You don’t think Latos/Garland/Richard can redeem this past weekend against Halladay/Oswalt/Hamels come playoff time? All they need is a measly run here and there.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Watch the following video and right afterwards jump on www.padres.com and start filling up Petco like Joey Chestnut fills his pie hole:
Yeah, you felt them. They’re called chills. It’s what happens when sweepaphobia leaves your body.
Craig Elsten -
Chainsaw -
