Look, blowing a seven-run lead is rare, but losing the game, to boot, truly hurts. Remember the 20th win in a row for the Oakland A's as depicted in "Moneyball?" The Royals stormed back from a huge deficit. Of course, Hatteberg's home run walks it off, and all is well - the win and the streak are saved. The Marlins loss to the Nationals on Sunday had no such happy ending. The team now owns the worst record in baseball. Peter Bendix is swimming against a tide of fan despair and anger.  We fans cannot see the entire picture - finances, internal discussions, expectations, and anticipated timelines are all unavailable. While I suspect the brain trust is honestly surprised at this level of ineptitude, they certainly WANT to win and draw fine crowds. Wags counter that these two obvious things are pollyannish or delusional. OK, fair enough. Win with these players? Ask people to attend games to see such a poor team, at an inconvenient ballpark, on top of past spurious situations? 

However, we must take a step back. For our mental health and because, well, it's only baseball and not life and death. I read several posts on "X" that call the year a total loss. Even if that is so, the season is qualified to be the often-rough start to important, systemic changes. It's a purge of our baseball system. We know the scouting and developmental foundation of the franchise must be amended. Low-income franchises must excel in this area to attain long-term competitiveness. We can look to the Orioles and Astros for comfort (or my oft-referenced Montreal Expos developmental prowess, starting from dead scratch as an expansion team in 1969).  We simply must acknowledge those teams' agonizing seasons as a component - medicine, so to speak - that has led to amazing success (Astros) and a current robust, young, exciting team (Orioles). Yet, it is important to realize those teams did/do not face the challenges the Marlins have when it comes to payroll limitations. 

Bendix is fighting a two-front war without the support of the civilian population (sorry for the martial metaphor). Perhaps (continuing with the metaphor), he will be our George Washington - losing many battles, but staying true to the disciplined plan, gaining strength, and prevailing.  If history, much less baseball history, reveals anything, it is that "hopeless" situations turn around and groups rise again. The Dodgers could spend their $3 billion in the next five years (to go along with the billions already spent in the Roberts era) and have only the pathetic 2020 fishbowl "championship" to show for it. Nothing is guaranteed. Atlanta won only one World Series in their dominating decade of the 1990s.

David Samson is right (cringe) when he states that he would rather have two championships in thirty years and stink for the other twenty-eight years than be "competitive" throughout and win nothing. No fan is truly happy being "competitive," or winning regular season games. Ask the Dodger fans if they would trade their great regular seasons. No one cares. Similarly, like Sunday's game, it hurts a lot more to lose that one than a 10-2 drubbing ever will. Yes, I realize the new playoff system is the impetus for a "just get in" mentality. That is smart and realistic - sorry. It will be the ticket for the Marlins again, as well. 

So, while we are rightly frustrated, embarrassed, and ticked off, let's give Bendix a chance. When the team wins number three, it will be incredibly sweet. Wouldn't it be fantastic if the Marlins won number three before the Dodgers, Braves, or Yankees won it all again?  Oops!