Losing and Skids

Every team loses... it's going to happen in a 56 game season but no one should take losing lightly because every loss hurts.  So much time is invested in a single season (morning lifts, runs, practice) and it should hurt if you're invested in the team.     

But just as there's a right way to win, there's a right way to lose.  In a "good" loss you played well enough to win but the other team made one or two bigger plays.  Maybe it was a pitch in a tight situation, a big hit, or a great defensive play.  In these losses you leave the park feeling a little bit better knowing that you played well enough to win but you just got beat.

Bad losses are avoidable-- usually it's guys going through the motions and a lack of focus or effort.  It's the games where pitchers don't challenge hitters and walk guys, hitters have bad approaches at the plate, or bad defense that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Your offense can run into some good arms.  A couple guys might start struggling at the plate and all of a sudden it spreads throughout the team.  Sometimes no matter who you put on the mound you can't seem to get anyone out.

Just about every team hits a losing skid and it comes in many different forms.  It's either the offense, pitching, defense, or a combination of the three.  Good teams turn it around and bounce back from a loss or skid while bad teams experience a "snowball" effect.