A Grip on Sports: One thing about being a baseball fan is you can stretch out the agony throughout the spring, summer and fall

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Let’s just say it. The ups and downs of a baseball season aren’t for the faint of heart. Not conducive to avoiding premature graying. Or good for the weekly trip to the confessional, what with the cussing and all.

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• It might be easy to watch a 162-game season if, say, your focus was the Dodgers. Three future Hall of Fame players at the top of the lineup. A couple other guys who could play for anyone. A starting staff that is beginning to get healthy and add show depth. A budget that allows the not inconsequential ability to build a strong-armed bullpen. The hot dogs.

We will actually be in Dodger Stadium in about 10 days. We’re celebrating our mother-in-law’s 90 birthday in a suite, where she will be surrounded by her extended family. Not all of them are Dodger fans – a segment of the grandkids grew up in the Bay Area and adopted the A’s as their team, probably eschewing the Giants for the good reason they wanted to be included in the will – but they are all Kay fans.

And she’s always rooted for the Dodgers, ever since they moved across the country to Los Angeles in 1958 – when she was a young mom and could rock her daughter to sleep listening to Vin Scully on the radio.

In those ensuing 66 years, Kay has gloried in her Dodgers reaching the World Series 12 times, winning half of them. Even then, though, there was an almost 30-year gap between appearances, a time in which their fan base felt something akin to Moses’ followers in the wilderness.

It all ended in 2017, when the Dodgers began another renaissance, only to be derailed in the Series by the Astros and their trash cans. Still, over the past seven years, L.A. has been in the Series three times, winning in 2020 – the COVID-19 year.

We recount all that not to make anyone in the Pacific Northwest jealous, though we’re sure that is one of those unintended consequences. The same thing happens when local baseball fans look at the Yankees’ past. Or the Giants’ 2010-to-2014 stretch. Or the aforementioned Astros, who would do anything to steal a ring.

Our point is baseball has its haves and have-nots. We all know what category the regional team falls. It’s part of why each season is so maddening. Part of the reason behind the expletives hurled at the TV each night. Part of why deep down, most M’s fans know their team is just teasing them with images of Series’ victories to come.

And yet they return every year, like Cubs fans did from 1908 to 2016. Or Red Sox fans between Babe Ruth and David Ortiz. It’s part of what it means to hold the moniker “baseball fan.”

Pain is a constant companion. Disappointment rides shotgun throughout the season. Failure has its thumb out on the side of every road. The journey is not only filled with potholes but populated by sleezy mechanics who have no idea how to fix the bad breaks (pun intended).

And yet we come back. Night after night, day after day. We ride along. Hope a little duct tape and an extra hose clamp can hold the bandwagon together to get to the Promised Land just this once. Every win is followed by a wipe of the brow. Every loss necessitates a complete reevaluation of our life’s goals.

It’s exhausting. It’s wearing. And it’s worth every moment. Even if ultimate fulfillment stays just out of reach like some oasis in the latest mirage.

What triggered our woe-is-us rant this time? Nothing special. Just another night of watching the regional nine flailing at fastballs, swinging over sliders, choking on change-ups.

Like we said. Nothing special. Or out of the ordinary. We’re sure even Dodger fans experience it. Maybe every decade or so.

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WSU: Not only is it hard to be a fan, baseball is also darn hard to play at the big-league level. Ask Kyle Manzardo. His debut yesterday with the Guardians wasn’t a thing of beauty. And, yes, we typed in Cleveland’s former nickname before correcting it. Old habits and all that. … We’ve kept all of you abreast of this, but we have a story in the S-R to pass along concerning the upcoming Pac-2 football TV contract. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, spring practice is over for Washington. Does Jedd Fisch have the pieces in place to be successful in the Big Ten? … John Canzano answers questions in a mailbag, including one we had as well. … The Big Ten has a problem. A first-world problem. Jon Wilner explains in the Mercury News. … Oregon State lost a dozen players to the portal this spring. … The portal is Colorado’s favorite place to be. … Utah will have a player on its roster in the fall Gonzaga basketball fans will recognize. … Arizona is still adding to its offensive line. … Snoop Dogg is now the main face of the Arizona Bowl. … Oregon State has rebuilt its men’s basketball roster. What does it look like entering the summer? … A former Utah player is headed to St. John’s. … Arizona will play 20 Big 12 games next season. … The rebuild of Oregon’s women’s basketball roster continues with a highly thought of addition from North Carolina. … Colorado added a tall transfer from Texas Tech. … Not sure where to put this news but we settled on here. No one will be prosecuted for yelling racial slurs at Utah’s team when the women were in Coeur d’Alene during the NCAA Tournament. The Kootenai County prosecutor decided the actions did not rise to an illegal act. Stupid, deplorable and documented, sure. But not illegal. Alexandra Duggan has the S-R story.

Idaho: The biggest mover – in a lot of ways – among the Vandals during spring practices? That would be Lake City High grad Zach Johnson. He’s expected to be UI’s featured pass rusher in the fall. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana State seems to have completed  revamping its men’s basketball roster.

Gonzaga: No surprise, but Chet Holmgren finished second in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year voting. Jim Meehan has more in this story. … The baseball team experienced Oregon State’s power in a nonconference home defeat last night.

Preps: Former Central Valley High star Lexie Hull is a WNBA veteran these days. But her two previous years with the Indiana Fever probably did little to prepare her for the circus-like atmosphere she’ll be experiencing this season with Caitlin Clark as a teammate. … In the area, we can pass along this Dave Nichols’ roundup of District 8 soccer play Monday.

Mariners: The bottom line last night in Minnesota? The M’s fell 3-1 to the Twins. Luis Castillo threw well and the offense did get him a run. It should have been enough, right? … Jorge Polanco made his first trip back to Minneapolis since being traded. … Willie Mays turned 93 yesterday. Happy belated birthday to one of the few San Francisco Giants we have ever liked.

Seahawks: We linked this yesterday but we have the Times’ thoughts on the rookie minicamp to link from the S-R this morning. … We also pass along these thoughts on the different ways to ensure you have a quarterback. … The Hawks reworked defensive back Michael Jackson’s contract to free up cap space.

Storm: One thing about having veteran teammates. They can, if they want, show you the ropes.

Sounders: Backup goalkeeper Andrew Thomas has a new contract.

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• We are making a sacrifice for our Spokane friends. We are leaving town Thursday. And every time we leave town, the weather gets better. It’s true. Sunny days, highs in the 80s this weekend. You are welcome. Until later …