For Gibsons' native and starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Ryan Dempster will have a long off season to reflect on why the team's chances of making the post-season disappeared.
The Cubs finished the year eight games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Dempster finished a respectable 11-9 with a 3.65 ERA and 172 strikeouts.
Despite those numbers, though, Dempster said it's been a frustrating year.
"It's been up and down. We started off well and hit a bump on the road, and the bump turned out to be more of a hill," Dempster said during an interview in Chicago in late September. "It's the way it goes. You are going to have to overcome things during the year. We didn't put up as many wins as we wanted. We have to try to finish as strong as we can and build towards next year."
As the season progressed and the Cubs continually fell behind, it would be self-defeating and a good time to throw in the towel, but this was not the case for the hard-working Dempster.
"I don't look at the standings right now because I think when you're a ways back, if you're looking every day, then you're paying attention to the one game you're going to gain. It seems like kind of chasing the carrot, and you're never going to get there," he said. "If you put your nose down and work hard and worry about your games, then next thing you know you can surprise a lot of people and find yourself in a position that a lot of people didn't think you could get to. As a team, that's how we take it. We come in every day and play hard and can't worry because there are so many teams in front of us in our division.
Personal goals for this year were simple for Dempster.
"I don't put a lot of thought into numbers. Starts and innings are the biggest thing," he said. "I figure if I can make my starts and pitch innings, then I've got a chance to win games."
That determination may have fallen just short after Dempster ended up going for a short stint on the disabled list (DL) in July.
"I try to stay away from the training room as much as possible. Unfortunately, it was a freak accident where I broke my toe and missed three starts," he said. "For me, it was three games where I felt I could have helped us win three games, by being out there and giving us a chance to win."
In hindsight, those three games, if won by Dempster, may have had the Cubs much closer to the playoffs than they finished.
Even with the short amount of time on the DL, Dempster has fallen short in the win column due to a lack of run support.
"It's part of the game; it happens that way. I think run support, you can't control that. It's not like the guys aren't trying to score and win games," he said. "If you go out there and execute your pitches and try to do what you can, you can pick a team up by doing that. And all of a sudden you win a game one-nothing, and it takes the pressure off those guys."
There is an irony around Dempster's injury, as he turned down an opportunity to play with Canada in the World Baseball Classic back in March. He was taking precautions to avoid an early injury before the start of the season, and then he got injured during the season.
The last few years have been good to Dempster in various roles for the Cubs. Coming off Tommy John surgery in 2003, he feels no ill effects of the very successful surgery.
Dempster certainly has gone hard at it, assuming the role of closer for the Cubs from 2004 to 2007, compiling 87 saves.
Then in 2008 he began in the rotation again, collecting 17 wins and leading the Cubs into the post-season.
And Dempster works as hard off the field as he does on.
Dempster and wife Jennie are active partners with the Cubs in charitable ways.
"We do different things. We do ticket programs where for 20 games we bring in groups of 50 people, whether they are under-privileged kids, families that can't afford to come out, families with troops on Father's Day or nurses from the hospitals. I try to give back as much as I can to the community. I feel it's your responsibility as an athlete," Dempster said.
"It's such an honour to play the game and make the kind of money we do. Not only our money but our time, it's really important to give to the people."
That positive attitude has helped the family deal with daughter Riley's medical condition. Riley left hospital back in June, after a two-month stay, dealing with DiGeorge's Syndrome, a swallowing disorder.
"With Riley and her syndrome, it's been a daily, day-to-day thing. We make it through each day with her," he said. "What I've gone through, what we've gone through, pales in comparison to anything she's had to go through. She's had surgeries and major surgeries and things like that. She continues to fight through it all, and as a family, it's brought us closer together. But it's been very hard at times.
"On the field it has been frustrating, and I get myself into situations where it seems like it's a big deal and I get frustrated because I realize that there's bigger things in life. It's not that I don't get that serious, but when I'm out there it's my job, and I'm trying to do the best I can. It's definitely been a challenge and everybody has different challenges. Just because I'm an athlete and my life is more public, especially my personal life, I don't use it as a crutch or an excuse. [Riley] is strong enough that she'll get over whatever it is, and we'll overcome all the obstacles along the way and she'll grow up to be as strong and as healthy as she can possibly be."
