Blowing 3-1 is MUCH worse. Getting swept..well, you lost to the better team (in a SSS). 3-1, you got to take care of business.

Agreed. Long winter for the Cards fans. Kind of like the Sox in 2008.

They both suck, because losing sucks any way it happens.

I think it hurts more to be so close and to lose, but when the pain wears off, fans of both teams have a lot to feel good about. I bet Cards fans find that happy place before than Yankee fans do.

Cards fans actually love their teams. Different feet at their stadium. Cannot remember them booing a player. Sat next to one during a Cub's game. Cards lost. Fan shook my hand and said good game. Card fans have long winters regardless of whether they win or lose. And they have a museum to remind them of their greatness, too.

On another hand, still think the Yankees won the 1964 World Series. Have rooted against the Cards ever since. But I do swoon over their uniforms.

3) They also have last year's title to keep them warm plus the comeback against the Nats.

[5] They also won't spend the off-season wailing and moaning about the team being fundamentally doomed. Heck, they didn't even really indulge that last year when they had good reason - Pujols leaving.

I haven't heard from my brother (glennrwordman), who is a huge Cards fan about his beloved team losing. I think I'm a little concerned because he's always so vocal about the games, whether winning or losing. I may send out a search party! O Brother, where art thou??

I think getting swept is the worst, especially after your pitchers kept you in (most of) the games.
Failing to close the deal after being up 3-1 is the sucks, but at least you showed up,
and made it a compelling series.

Blowing a lead like that is much, much worse. When you get steamrolled in 4 straight, "what if?" doesn't really rear it's ugly head too much in the aftermath. You got spanked, plain and simple.

But to be that close and not seal the deal...ooooph.

9) you're losing 4 straight either way, but if your record is 3-4 in a 7 game series you at least got out of the gate and showed some fight, took the other team to the brink.
Showing up for a series and losing it is always better than not showing up at all.
Your job, especially in the postseason, is to win as many games as possible.

Yankees were up 3-0 in '04. We know how that turned out. This year they got swept. '04 was agonizing; this year was frustrating. But as Jon says, losing sucks any way it happens.

11) '04 was more agonizing based on the opponent. You would have preferred getting swept by the Red Sox. Really?

or look at it this way:
more baseball is better than less baseball, yes?