Friday, March 18, 2016

Love/Hate, Hate/Love, Love/Love

Chapter 1, In which The Dream releases Love Hate and it becomes Hate/Love

Pop artist The Dream released an album in 2011 called LoveHate. He stated the title was short for “love me all summer, hate me all winter.” Which got me thinking about the Royals from 1986-2013, during which devoted fans would do the exact opposite of The Dream by loving the team all winter and hating them as they floundered hopelessly all summer. “Our Time” always became Their Time, which was followed by Cry In Your Cereal After A Ten-Game Losing Streak Time.

Of course all that is behind us now that the Royals are Defending Champions Of The World, but I couldn’t help but think about how the reverse Love Hate also applies to several Royals players, namely Luke Hochevar and Wade Davis, who we have had complex relationships with over the years. As starting pitchers, those two were complete buffoons on the mound but as relievers they have been lights out, which has changed Love/Hate to Hate/Love.

Chapter 2, In which Hate/Love became Hate/Hate

Take yourself back to early 2012. The Royals were in the middle of a 90-loss season (somehow they finished in 3rd place in the AL Central).  Bruce Chen was the Opening Day starter and led the team with 11 wins (and he only had 14 losses!). Billy Butler had the best year of his career. Then there was Luke Hochevar, the former 1st pick of the 2006 draft, who was coming off a career-best year in which he won 11 games and produced a paltry (for him) 4.68 ERA. That winter, we thought he was going to break out and become the right-handed version of Clayton Kershaw. We loved Luke Hochevar. We admired him. Some of us even wanted to bear his children.

Then the season started and summer came and he dropped a dud on us. He lost 16 games which is NOT easy to do and Hate/Love really became Hate/Hate.

Chapter 3, In which Hate/Hate becomes a complex phenomenon

Fast forward to late 2012, when GM Dayton Moore shocked the world and traded the #1 Prospect in All The World (Wil Myers) plus some other loose change to the Tampa Bay Rays for James Shields and Wade Davis. “Davis is the key to the trade” they all said. It was reported that Davis, a former Rookie of the Year candidate who was coming off a career-best year in 2012 after being demoted to the bullpen, was a decent starting pitcher who might need some gentle tweaking from a pitching wizard like Dave Eiland. We weren’t ready to love Davis just yet and we still hated Hochevar from his dismal 2012 season, so Hate/Hate became a complex phenomenon where Royals fans were prepared to either Love if Davis or Hoch would pitch ok or absolutely HATE if those imbeciles failed to not suck.

Chapter 4, in which a complex phenomenon became What The Hell is Happening

As it happens, Hochevar was sent to the bullpen for the 2013 season and pitched terrifically. Hate/Hate became Love/Love. Davis, however, was inconsistent and pitched like a douche which resulted in Hate/Hate. Then Papa Hoch tore his elbow and missed 2014 and Davis was sent to the bullpen. We did not know what to think and Love/Love Hate/Hate became What The Hell is Happening.

Chapter 5, In which What The Hell is Happening became Love/Love


While Papa Hoch sat out 2014, Wade Davis became the Greatest Relief Pitcher That Has Ever Lived. He has completed pitching feats that are completely unheard of, such as loading the bases in the bottom of the 9th inning with 0 outs only to strike out the side. Davis does not look at strikeouts. It is believed that if you hit a home run off of Wade Davis you or your family will never be heard from again. And Papa Hoch, his arm fully healed and ready to demolish opposing batters’ confidence, threw 82 strikeouts to only 17 walks issued in 2015, a ridiculous ratio that not even Cyborg Wade Davis completed. The change from What The Hell is Happening to Love/Love was now complete. We completely love Davis and Papa Hoch in the winter, summer, spring and fall and every other team with their humanoid bullpens can go suck it.  
Wade don't look at strikeouts
Papa Hoch

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