It’s a jittery time of year. I’m not talking about elections. I’m talking about baseball.
In 2023, Major League Baseball teams played 2,471 games. At the end of each, some people went home happy, some disappointed, and presumably some just went for the peanuts and hot dogs and didn’t care.
The intensity of those feelings was surely predicated on the individual fan’s expectation at the beginning of the game. True fans assume, hope, and pull for a win every outing. Mets fans usually assume the worst, though this year has been a pleasant surprise.
The game plays out over nine innings. Going into the ninth, you’d think the outcome was assured.
But not always.
In 192 of those games, the outcome changed in the ninth inning with a walk-off home run . . . presumably with the other team’s best reliever on the mound.
Our brains are prediction machines. In the case of ninth-inning baseball, our brains predict both the outcome and how we’ll feel about it. Sometimes, we get lucky, and the prediction matches the outcome. Sometimes we don’t. And not long after, we’re onto something else: the thrill of victory and the sting of defeat fast receding into the fog of memory.
You can do nothing to stop the prediction machine from doing what it does. You can learn to let go of your attachment to what happens.
You’ll be happier.
You’ll also be better equipped to respond and adjust to what comes next.
PS, here’s the list of 2023 walk-off winners.
Red Sox: 5 Padres: 2 Oakland: 7 Brewers: 8 Braves: 6 Twins: 10 Phillies: 10 Guardians: 7 Cubs: 2 Pirates: 3 Rangers: 4 Blue Jays: 6 Orioles: 6 Tigers: 7 White Sox: 8 Dodgers: 7 Cardinals: 4 Yankees: 6 Rays: 11 Reds: 10 Giants: 8 Marlins: 9 Nationals: 7 Angels: 5 D-Backs: 6 Royals: 8 Mets: 6 Astros: 4 Rockies: 6 Mariners: 4