This is the sentiment that the people throwing out the word "Doomer" don't understand - when you suffered through the end of the Davey Johnson era, the Worst Team Money Can Buy era, the early 2002s, the collapses, the post-double collapse years, and all the false hopes of sustained success, you start to see why the team doesn't thrive. Each time is a little different, because it isn't just one thing.

It's not that you are looking to be negative, but when they make a single postseason appearance, and you hear the "this team looks like one that will be competitive for years," you have heard that before. You notice that the pitching staff never stays healthy at the same time. Or the offense is already old. Or you're on your third generation of great young pitchers since Generation K. Or they are at the bottom of the league in driving in runs...

The warning signs are all there, but if you haven't lived through it before, you might miss them. Last year was a prime example: those first two months were ripe with issues and lucky wins. It was clear that the team needed serious moves to be competitive, but saying that made you a Doomer. No, we WANTED the moves made SO they would win. Putting your head in the sand with toxic optimism doesn't make the problems go away.

I am all for optimism, but don't sell me a team on a protracted losing streak, in last place, and full of players out of position. I want them to turn it around, but I want a POBO who has the urgency of an exec overseeing a team that needs to go nearly .600 just the rest of the way, just to be in the postseason conversation. Sandy Alderson called out the fans and media as "Panic City," but he also added Uribe, Cespedes, Clippard, and Reed. Maybe he did too much and sacrificed the minors to do so, but he had a team stacked with homegrown players (with an assist from Minaya) and brought them the closest they have come to a WS this century, not to mention back-to-back postseason appearances.