January 1, 2008
New Year, New Expectations
Yesterday I took a moment to reminisce about 2007 and how my expectations were different from reality when it came to the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a fan I was pretty laid back and quite content to watch the young players begin their development adjusting from being minor league players to making a name for themselves at the major league level. I was willing to overlook the errors of youth knowing that these kids could learn some valuable lessons by overcoming the adversity that comes from a lack of experience. The problem came when the Arizona Diamondbacks exceeded everyone’s expectations. No longer were they looked upon as an up-and-coming team who would be a force to be reckoned with in 2-3 years. By October they were the National League’s best team and the one to beat in the post season. Even their unceremonious exit from the National League Championship Series was met with thoughts of an upset rather than being bested by a better team with more experience.
