Awesome night card, pt. 187: Just be happy

This Wednesday, I will have been on Twitter for a year. It's gone a little better than the first time I was there. I think I've adjusted to the weirdness that is, and I've learned not to expect too much out of it. For me, the benefits outweigh the annoyances.

But I'll be clear, if there is one thing that Twitter outlines over and over again, possibly even more than regular life does, it is this: "I don't get people."

Twitter is filled with strange stuff: people saying harmful and shocking things just for the sake of doing so, people getting their panties bunched over the most pointless happenings. Twitter is life without a filter and that is still odd to me, but I have adjusted.

But what I don't think I will ever get used to is the endless, endless, endless criticism tweets that come from certain very prominent fan sites. I try to follow the Twitter accounts of some team blogs because other fans do, they're popular, and I like to stay informed. But a lot of times I have to stop following them because I. Just. Can't. Take. It. Anymore.

Every decision the Dodgers make is met with derision. Whether it's the front office or the manager's office or what a player did on the field. And it's tweet after tweet of "what just happened" and "WTF" and "worst thing ever."

(Conversely, I find it difficult to follow my fellow Dodger fans who tweet nothing but play-by-play and "Yay!" I agree with you, wholeheartedly. But I need a little substance).

I will be the first person to tell you that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has made more than a few stupid moves during his tenure (AndruwJonesAndruwJonesAndruwJones). And I will be even more eager to tell you that Don Mattingly makes some bizarre decisions in the dugout and goodlordwillheSTOPTINKERINGforjustaSECOND? I've been known to critique my team. Even on Twitter.

But I don't do that a lot because I like my team and I actually want the personnel and strategic decisions of my team to -- here's a thought -- work. Criticizing them instantly doesn't exactly help my faith in the organization or my ability to root positively for my team.

So, the Dodgers acquired Michael Young late last night and the usual people have already launched into "worst thing ever" mode even though the thrice-dealt prospect surrendered for Young is a 24-year-old guy who was only good enough to extract John Ely the last time he was traded.

Like many fans, I don't see where Young fits in with the Dodgers. He's an established guy enduring a bad season who has a history of wanting to play every day. Yet he's now in a situation where's he's not going to play every day. I've read that Young has assured the Dodgers brass that this is not an issue.

I am also a little leery because I know that this is going to cause the usual people to babble about how Young is a character guy, how he's a tremendous leader and all that rah-rah team nonsense that infests college football on a game-by-game basis. But these same announcers (*ahem* Harold Reynolds) are going to do that regardless about someone else.

I refuse to automatically dismiss this deal. Why? Because the Dodgers are 11.5 games up after going on one of the greatest streaks in the history of the franchise! Shouldn't I be able to enjoy my team when it's doing so well? Can't I just be happy and not worry about every little move? Do I have to flip out over every step on the way? What's that say about me if I have an ulcer when my team has the second-best record in baseball?

I know part of being a fan to is to fret about everything. But really, with the way the players have performed this year, it's pretty obvious that someone has done something right. You can't play at such a high level in spite of the GM and the manager every single day. This isn't magical happenstance. Somebody had to do something correctly.

I'd rather just enjoy the ride than constantly chew my nails for fear that the addition of one person is going to cause everything to implode. The Dodgers are in first place!!! Enjoy!

Everyone else can get into the comparisons between Michael Young and Jerry Hairston or Nick Punto or Scott VanSlyke or Juan Uribe or blah, blah, blah, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!

I am going to enjoy the season.

If Michael Young pulls the whole thing down all by himself -- which is what I gather that people are freaking out over, because whining about anything else would be stupid --  then the Dodgers didn't deserve it anyway.

And if you want me to follow you on Twitter regularly -- not that you would -- try not be hypercritical all the time. Because that just makes me wonder what your mama did to you.

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Night card binder candidate: Michael Young, 2012 Topps Archives, #158
Does it make the binder: Sorry. Can't beat out a Sportflics night card.