In for the long haul

Words of wisdom - if not words of comfort - for Nats fans from Thomas Boswell.

Boswell's focus is on the Nats, but his words apply to any and every baseball fan:

For both teams and individuals, baseball is a game of almost incomprehensible hot streaks that are so exciting, and equally mysterious slumps that are so demoralizing, that your own daily moods can be affected by the team's bipolar fortunes.
[...]
Baseball doesn't help you back up to your feet. You have to do that yourself. Whimpering doesn't help. The schedule maker just sends you to St. Louis for three days.

For the Nats, it's St Louis; for the Red Sox, it's the Yankees. The ballpark will be different, but the song remains the same:

You have a choice: Show up or fold up.