They Made Us Learn About Loss

Chad's mention yesterday of Kyle Lohse kicking away a play-off game for the Phillies should remind Minnesotans that it was three years ago this week he performed the same service for our hometown nine. According to the local blog The National Anthem Before a Cubs Game:

October 9, 2004 - New York 6, Twins 5 (Game 4, ALDS)

The Twins, fighting to keep the series alive for a fifth and deciding game, led 5-1 with just six outs to go. Enter super-setup guy Juan Rincon. Five batters later, Ruben Sierra was circling the bases with a game-tying three-run homer; the Yankees would win it in the 11th when Kyle Lohse wild-pitched A-Rod home. Another Ivan Drago moment, and the occasion of the famous Juan Rincon quote, "Nobody wants to be in my pants right now."

That excerpt comes from a post entitled Our 25 Worst Losses, Ever. It documents the most painful and depressing moments of being a Minnesota sports fan and appears to be definitive. Reviewing my past depressions and nightmares, I can't think of any that would supersede these. That Twins collapse was only #10 on the list, you can imagine what horrors come next.

Not surprisingly, that list has a high correlation with this list of Top 11 Most Bitter Moments in Atomizer's Sports Life. There are a few new entries here, including another appearance by an old friend:

11. 2005 Twins home opener. Ben buys his tickets for the home opener three months in advance and is brimming with anticipation for the big day. He's certain the Cy Young Johan Santana will be on the mound when the Twins host their first game of the season. The day finally comes and his anticipation soon turns to anger as starter Kyle Lohse surrenders two long balls in the sixth inning en route to a 5-1 loss to the hated White Sox.

The Elder Adds: After the Vikings lost the NFC championship game in OT to Atlanta in 1999, I came up with my own list of bitter sports memories called The Agony of Defeat. And like Atomizer's list, most of them are also covered in the National Anthem Before A Cubs Game list. Good times, good times.