Win now

What he said. I am no fan of "five-year plans" or, more recently, talk of "2008" or "2009." The plan which involves sacrificing the present opportunity to better seize a mythical, coming, better one--this plan always fails. This kind of thinking has a big part in how this team managed 14 consecutive losing seasons.

First, winning and losing each have their own inertia. If the team wants to win in 2009, they better win in 2008; if they want to win in 2008, they better win in 2007. The team cannot build a winning tradition soon enough.

Second, good ticket sales are the team's best guarantee of long-term success. And fans will not buy many tickets to see a team with a losing tradition.

Third, Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny, Jason Bay, and Freddy Sanchez, to name a few, are playing as well as they may ever play. The 2009 team will be lucky to have four players as good as these guys are right now. Anyone is wrong if he thinks that, in 2009, it is likely that all four of these guys will (a) still be on the team and (b) still be performing at this high level. It's now or never for this team.

As the old sayings go:

Have you somewhat to do to-morrow; do it to-day.

One To-day is worth two To-morrows.

An Egg to day is better than a Hen to-morrow.

The Use of Money is all the Advantage there is in having Money.

and

He that lives upon Hope, dies farting.