Despite midseason trade rumors, Beltrán would prove instrumental to the team's hopes, hitting eight home runs in the postseason.

Despite resolving their salary cap problems, the team's rebuilding was clearly taking longer than expected.

Despite questions lingering about the team's struggling offense, the team compiled a 49 – 39 record by the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, good enough for second place in the NL West.

Despite not becoming a full-time starter until the tenth game of the regular season, Dorsett led the team in rushing with 1, 007 yards, scored 13 total touchdowns, and was the team's third leading receiver with 29 receptions for another 273 yards.

Despite assurances made when he purchased the team in 1994 that the Whalers would remain in Hartford at least through 1998, in March 1997 owner Peter Karmanos announced that the team would move elsewhere after the 1996 – 97 season because of the team's inability to negotiate a satisfactory construction and lease package for a new arena in Hartford.

Despite the team's poor play, Dwight Howard continued to develop and blossom in his third year in the league, culminating in his first selection to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Despite the team's seven-game improvement over the previous season, however, Gene Littles was fired at the end of the season and replaced by general manager Allan Bristow.

Despite the team's improvement, Carlisle was fired in the 2003 offseason.

Despite the team's losing record, the Warriors demonstrated that they could be a tough opponent with a healthy lineup and a strong bench.

Despite Buffet's partnership with the Dolphins, Buffet is a diehard New Orleans Saints fan, having attended the team's first game at Tulane Stadium in 1967 and later had Saints head coach Sean Payton serve as an honorary member of the Coral Reefer Band at a concert in New Orleans on April 1, 2012, in protest of Payton's suspension by the NFL as a result of the Saints ' bounty scandal.

Despite an impressive start, the team's form tailed off dramatically in the latter stages of the season, which led to Little leaving the club at the end of the season.

Despite the fact that McGriff only played in Tampa Bay late in his career, he collected 66 win shares as a Devil Ray, the team's all-time record.

Despite starting well with the team's return to the First Division, Dick Campbell was sacked on 27 March 2007.

Despite the team's pre-draft banter, the Sun used the ninth overall pick to gamble on raw talent in Astan Dabo, an unheralded prospect from Mali.

Despite the loss, hopes were high for the team's second game, against the Milwaukee Badgers.

Despite this, Lions fans were surprised at the move of the team directors to ask Annis Stukus to step down as the team's Head Coach in October 1955.

Despite Kariya's success with Canada at the 2002 Olympics, he had come off the worst statistical season of his career prior to the national team's summer development camp in preparation for the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Despite having their dreams of playing in the final dashed, Klinsmann's squad quickly recovered their composure, and journalists noted the team's upbeat mood in the practices leading up to the third-place match.

Despite the criticism and the team's poor finances the team insisted that bankruptcy was the right move.

Despite reaching the championship game, the team's attendance fell again, to a barely sustainable 17, 509.

Despite these events, she maintained a strong outlook on life, helping to maintain discipline, reduce tension, and increase the team's effectiveness throughout Europe.

Despite his team's loss, Stewart batted. 400 with a. 471 On Base Percentage in that series.

Despite being limited to 37 out of his team's 66 games, his strong leadership style of play earned him OHL First All-Star Team honours.

Despite the team's success that season, Kent's relationship with the Giants had soured.

Despite slightly improved play, Brooks was unable to lead the defensive Raiders to very much success finishing with a league worst 2-14 record.

Despite being outscored over the season, the Diamondbacks posted the best record in the NL with 90 wins and 72 losses.

Despite the acquisitions, the team failed to improve and finished with a record of 82 – 80, in second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite his ill health, Haley began compiling notes for possible use as a basis for either a biographical film based on his life, or a published autobiography ( accounts differ ), and there were plans for him to record an album in Memphis, Tennessee, when the brain tumor began affecting his behavior and he went back to his home in Harlingen, Texas, where he died early in the morning of February 9, 1981.

Despite being well out of playoff contention the Cubs went 24 – 13 under Quade, the best record in baseball during that 37 game stretch and was hired as manager on October 19.

Despite the club's poor record, several Rockies hitters gained notoriety for their exploits at the plate, assisted by the thin and dry air of Denver, which purportedly allows balls to carry farther than they would at sea-level ballparks.

Despite entering December with a record of 8 – 3, Dallas lost its slim grip on 1st place in the division with losses to the New York Giants and San Diego.

Despite his by now well established superstardom, Bowie, in the words of biographer Christopher Sandford, " for all his record sales ( over a million copies of Ziggy Stardust alone ), existed essentially on loose change.

Despite ceasing to record new material between 2002 and ( most of ) 2005, Brooks continued to chart with previously recorded material, including a top 30 placing for " Why Ain't I Running " in 2003.

Despite the early predictions for success, the Astros had a mediocre 44 – 44 record at the All-Star break.

Despite a fallout from record sales, Brown enjoyed something of a resurgence in this period starting with cameo roles in the feature films The Blues Brothers, Doctor Detroit and Rocky IV, as well as guest starring in the Miami Vice episode " Missing Hours " ( 1988 ).

Despite the good news off the field, and winning four out of five games to start the season, the Wizards just missed out on a playoff berth with a loss to the New York Red Bulls on the final day, finishing with a 10 – 14 – 8 record.

Despite his new record deal, he had a falling out with The Beast Crew when he signed over fellow member Champtown ( the two have become friends again since ).

Despite an AL-worst 63-99 record, the team drew over three million fans for the second consecutive year.

Despite finishing with a 6 – 10 record in the 2005 – 2006 season, the Eagles ranked second in the NFL in merchandise sales, and single-game tickets for the next season were sold out minutes after phone and Internet lines opened.

" Despite the difficulties in recording the album, Crow told the BBC in 2005 that: " My favorite single is ' My Favorite Mistake ,' it was a lot of fun to record and it's still a lot of fun to play.

Despite self-confessed lack of vocal talent, he released horror-themed singles during the early to mid -' 60s, the most popular " Jack the Ripper ", covered live and on record by garage rock bands including the White Stripes, the Gruesomes, the Black Lips and the Horrors for their debut LP.

Despite the album's record sales it wasn't able to top the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 2.

Despite this, they still finished the 1973 season giving up fewer points ( 150 ) than in 1972, and recorded a 12-2 record, including their opening game victory over the San Francisco 49ers that tied an NFL record with 18 consecutive wins.

Despite their defensive flaws, the Dolphins ' powerful offense led the NFL in scoring ( 513 points ) and total yards gained ( 7, 064 ), and helped the team reach an AFC best 14-2 regular season record.

Despite their defensive problems, the Bills finished the season with an AFC best 13-3 regular season record.

Despite poor record sales ( due to the elongated period of inactivity by the band ) the album is favored by critics and fans alike.

Despite the disappointing reaction to Y Kant Tori Read, Amos still had to comply with her six-record contract with Atlantic Records, who in 1989 wanted a new record by March 1990.