The 5 Stages of Dodger Fan Grief

Well, Dodger fans, over a week ago we received the worst possible news in the history of all horrible news. Ok, maybe that’s a bit of hyperbole, but it sure feels legit.

Clayton Kershaw is on the 15-Day Disabled List for a mildly herniated disc in his lower back. I know, I know… group hug. He was joined a couple of days later by Joc Pederson, who made a spectacular, albeit shoulder crushing, catch into the wall at Miller Park, which in turn sent him to the 15-Day DL with a sprained right AC joint. They joined a plethora of other Dodger players currently in varying degrees of rehab. It’s safe to say the injury bug has plagued this team. But, Kershaw, our ace, our 3-time Cy Young Award winner, our MVP, the force behind our team and the best pitcher in baseball, that one really took the wind out of our sails.

We, as fans, had to decide what to do next. I, myself, upon hearing the news beat up a case of Gatorade. The players have something there, it felt pretty good.

But, perhaps we can get through this quicker by recognizing the “Five Stages of Grief” –  what stage we’re in and how to best move past it.

First, let’s confirm we are truly dealing with grief.

Grief is a natural response to loss. It is the emotional suffering one feels when something or someone the individual loves is taken away.

Yep guys, it’s safe to say we are experiencing grief at the loss of our beloved Kershaw.

That’s established, now what?

I guess we could troll teams struggling worse than us. I don’t know, I really hate baseball trolls though. So, let’s not be those guys. Plus, no other team is trying to cope with the (temporary!) loss of the best pitcher in the game. Our struggle is real!

So, with the help of my friend, the amazingly talented cartoonist, “Philbert” from DodgersBluePen.com let’s get to work recognizing the Five Stages of Dodger Fan Grief.

What stage are you in?

1. DENIAL

2. ANGER

3. BARGAINING

4. DEPRESSION

5. ACCEPTANCE

Ok, this is happening, this has happened. Clayton Kershaw is on the DL and at the time of this writing, no return date has been announced. But, we as fans can’t give up. There’s still half a season left to play. More importantly, there’s (only) half a season left to hear the dulcet tones of our Vin Scully. Win or lose, I personally, won’t give up one second of Vin’s final broadcasts. The Dodgers have an uphill battle going into the second half and they’re going to have to dig deep. They need us, the true blue Dodger fans.

So, pick up that Dodger gear you tossed across the room last week, put them on and wear them proudly and root, root, root for the Dodgers.

The bottom line, this team is not out of it. LA fans have a reputation for leaving games early, let’s not live up to that by leaving the season early.

Bandwagon fans jump ship when a team struggles, come on man (and women!), don’t be a bandwagon fan. Everybody hates those guys.

So in closing, who better than my personal favorite Dodger, Tommy Lasorda, to give us a pep talk to guide us into the second half of the season. If Tommy doesn’t get you outta your seat and cheering for the Dodgers then I don’t know what will.

Take it away Tommy…

If you’d like to see more wonderful illustrations, like those above, please visit “Philbert” at DodgersBluePen.com