| The Los Angeles Dodgers ease into the 2009 All-Star | | | | catastrophic. But like the frogs that are boiling to death |
| break with the best record in baseball, but as I | | | | because the water is imperceptibly heating up around |
| predicted in a recent article, the San Francisco Giants | | | | them, the Dodgers could wake up and see bubbles |
| are closing in on the leaders, now trailing by a paltry | | | | that aren't from celebratory champagne. |
| seven games. | | | | (3) The Giants can enjoy all of the stimulation and |
| Imagine you play for the Dodgers or Giants. Which | | | | press adoration of being underdogs, of fighting the |
| team would you rather be, right now: number one or | | | | good fight. Appreciation adds motivation. |
| number two in the standings? | | | | (4) The Giants are benefiting from the fast pace the |
| Before you reflexively reply that this is a no-brainer, | | | | Dodgers are setting. With a winning percentage that |
| that you'd vastly prefer to be sitting on a seven game | | | | would put them into the post-season as the Wild Card |
| cushion, consider these five reasons it's also good to | | | | champs, the Giants, by giving a great chase are in a |
| be the "chaser." | | | | win-win situation. |
| (1) You have a goal that is challenging. Moving from the | | | | (5) The Giants are in a great position to recruit |
| second spot, displacing the leader, makes you draw on | | | | personnel for the future. Showing this kind of grit |
| emotional and physical reserves that frontrunners don't | | | | makes them the sort of up-and-coming franchise that |
| need. | | | | players and staff want to join. |
| (2) You can't be complacent if you lose the next six | | | | So, before you gloat, Dodger fans, wipe off the |
| games. If the Dodgers lose six, and the Giants win six, | | | | rearview mirror. You're not alone in the hunt, and those |
| the boys in blue will still be on top. With each loss they | | | | chasers are poised to pounce. |
| can (wrongly) comfort themselves that it isn't | | | | |