WHOCARESWGD

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I'm picking Texas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and New York.

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What's wrong with the weather in San Diego this year? We came home after a dejecting Sunday welcomed by rain and grey skies. It's almost exactly like the day the Chargers lost to the Jets last year in the first game of the playoffs, as if the city knows and is crying over the loss. Sucky.

However bad Sunday's finale was, it was a great weekend none the less. A weekend of ups and downs to be more accurate, but they were some damn good ups.

We listened to Friday's game on the radio as we drove up after work with hopes that Saturday's game would have some meaning. One loss that night and the rest of our weekend would be a bust. But sure enough, the Padres from 3 months ago were back and hungry again as they got to Cain early in the game. It really set the tone for the remaining drive and into Saturday morning. We all had this feeling like something big could possibly happen, something we would be a part of.

We finally hit South San Francisco around 2:30 AM. Even though we were excited and anxious for the game, a good night's sleep was going to be nice. Too bad the hotel would not let us check in to our room early, so instead we slept in the car and/or the lobby chairs. Not the most comfortable night I've spent. After about 7 hours, we finally got a smoking room around 8:30 AM. No time now to get real rest since we wanted an early start. So we showered, got our Padres gear on and taxied to ATT Park on essentially zero sleep. No one was tired though, this game was too important and too much fun.

We found a nice Irish pub right outside the stadium with food and beers, which we tried to get our fill of before breaking the bank on ballpark concessions. After building a decent buzz, we went in for some BP and pictures before game time. Ruben even got a ball (more on that later).

The weather at the stadium was sunny but cool and we found out that the standing room seats in right field are where the party is at. We were completely surrounded by Giants fans, mostly young and drunk, who turned out to be disappointed fans as the Zito gave up early runs on multiple walks. We were soaking it up, and a few people didn't take it too well. But for the most part, it was good clean baseball rivalry. The rest of the afternoon and night was complimented by the excitement of another win.

After visiting China Town for some Sam Wo, we walked all around town, often running into other Padres fans and cheering or other Giants fans and getting yelled at. We even ran into a group of cops in Little Italy and talked about baseball in San Diego vs. San Francisco. They were surprised that whenever they visited Petco the stadium was always half empty. At ATT it's a struggle to walk through the mobs of people. Too true.

We still had the rest of the night to enjoy in the city. And there are so many options! Movie at the Metreon? Sports bar downtown? Bar in the Mission? Nope. Despite my best efforts to avoid it, Chris and Ruben ended up dragging me to a strip club near North Beach. I was surprised how small it was, and it wasn't too dirty like the ones in the Tenderloin which was a plus. I guess it was cool for my first time and everything, but I had never planned on going to one before and I probably won't go again. We all agreed it was a bad (and expensive) idea which in the end cost us the series. I know it. As we were walking back to the BART, we ran into a few more Padres fans, one of which was mentally handicapped and in a wheel chair. Ruben gave him the foul ball he had gotten that day, which helped atone for some of our sins but not completely. At least we had a decent night's sleep to look forward to.

The next day, I could just tell there was a different feeling in the air. Our Padres attire was marred with stripper juices, rendering them unwearable (except Ruben who didn't care). It didn't feel like we had the same spirit as the rest of the weekend, and it didn't feel to good to spend $100 on scalped tickets just to get in the stadium. After the Giants scored two early, I knew it was over. The Padres were back to playing the way they had in September: just enough pitching, spotty defense, leaving runners on base but really no bats at all. The three game series ended up being a mini version of 2010. It was the only game all year I left early for. None of us wanted to be there for that celebration and probably get heckled out of the stadium.

It was a long, lonely drive out of San Francisco. We stopped by Darick's in Santa Cruz and had some dinner before hitting the road. Too bad Chris didn't know it was still too early to speed on the 101 and got pulled over. Add another $300 or so to the bill. We made it home around 4:00 AM and could tell that it was going to be an ugly day on Monday.

It's hard to say whether it was a great season or not. I love the playoffs and will surely watch them, but I had my heart set on the Padres being a part of it. More than anything though, I had gotten into a good routine of watching them win almost every night after work. At some point this summer it was really the only good thing I had going. I can't wait to see what this team looks like next year. I'll be counting down the days.

Well, it all comes down to toady. One more loss and the Padres are done in this division for the year, which as a whole was a good one but will a disappointing end to say the least.

If they can pull a win off tonight, we'll at least have the opportunity to be at the game tomorrow with some small amount of hope to cheer for. Otherwise, by the time we enter Burlingame exhausted from the drive, we'll have to turn on Sports Center and realize that Saturday's game will be nothing but an exhibition.

Of course, there may still be hope that the Phillies can beat Atlanta twice, or maybe even sweep them. At this point, the Wild Card seems more realistic, but in a way it's not because you're depending on another team to lose. I'd rather have control solely in our hands. And that means winning three games against the Giants in San Francisco, plus a one game playoff.

Crazier things have happened (a la 2004 Red Sox). And the Padres are able to beat the Giants if both the pitching is good (which it has been) and they hit (which they haven't). It's a lot to hope for, but it'll be a story to tell.

At the very worst, it's the first trip to San Francisco in a long time. We'll see what happens. Either way I'm ready for October baseball.