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 the team's 2-14 record, they sold out six of their eight home games in 2006.

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 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 the debut of Donald Bradman, the inexperienced Australians, led by Jack Ryder, were heavily defeated, losing 4 – 1.

Despite strenuous efforts, Captain Hood's isolated ship came under heavy fire and was unable to cut off the trailing Justice as the French survivors escaped seawards, Zealous being struck by a number of French shot and losing one man killed.

Despite Confucianism losing popularity to Taoism and Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism combined those ideas into a more metaphysical framework.

Despite losing fan favorite Grace to free agency, and the lack of production from newcomer Todd Hundley, skipper Don Baylor's Cubs put together a good season in 2001.

Despite making the race very close, in the 161st game of the season, the Dodgers snapped their five-game losing streak – and the Rockies ' five-game winning streak – to clinch the West title.

Despite losing this match, Essendon's performance was good enough for its players to be awarded Brownlow Medal votes – best-on-ground was Brent Stanton ( 3 votes ), followed by Jason Johnson ( 2 votes ) and Andrew Lovett ( 1 vote ).

Despite Stephenson's losing some routes to competitors due to his caution, he was offered more work than he could cope with, and was unable to accept offers for additional work.

Despite playing in five losing Grand Finals, four between 1989 – 1995, its fans waited 44 years until it won another premiership — an AFL-record 119-point victory in the 2007 AFL Grand Final.

Despite recording the most successful home and away season in the game's history, the club went one win short of back-to-back premierships in losing the 2008 AFL Grand Final, but won the 2009 Grand Final against St Kilda.

Despite the return of Harris as manager from 1935 – 42 and again from 1950 – 54, Washington was mostly a losing ball club for the next 25 years, contending for the pennant only during World War II.

Despite yet another losing season, the Mets made history in 2011 when Jason Isringhausen converted his 300th save with the team, the third player in franchise history to reach the milestone while with the organization behind John Franco and Billy Wagner.

Despite initial excitement, the guidance of longtime baseball executives, Eddie Leishman and Buzzie Bavasi as well as a new playing field, the team struggled ; the Padres finished in last place in each of its first six seasons in the NL West, losing 100 games or more four times.

Despite losing the election, Tancredo managed to secure major party status for the Constitution Party in Colorado, as that state requires a party to surpass 10 % in a gubernatorial election to qualify for such status.

Despite the growing pressure to abandon production of war films, Warner continued to produce them, losing money in the process.

Despite losing a long battle with the Associated Press, called " Rox " by UPI employees, United Press International's legacy was recognized by AP when it made the UPI mantra " get it first but get it right " a cornerstone of a branding campaign launched on ap. org.

Despite losing all his money gambling at Monte Carlo, Flo charms Anna into signing with him instead.

Despite having a part in arranging Amer's suicide, Nasser spoke of losing " the person closest to ," and did not fully recover from the psychological blow.

Despite losing two general elections in one year, Heath aimed to continue as Conservative leader.

Despite losing as much as $ 4 million on the CBL, Mallett initially promised to bring the league back in 2004.

Despite winning Game 6 on the late-game heroics of Primeau and winger Simon Gagne, the Flyers came up short once again losing Game 7 in Tampa, 2 – 1.

Despite standing, and losing convincingly, against Thatcher in the second round, Whitelaw managed to maintain his position as Deputy Leader until the 1979 general election, when he was appointed Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister in Thatcher's new government.

Despite losing key members of their bench during the offseason ( including Okur, Mike James and Corliss Williamson ), the Pistons were considered a strong contender to win a second consecutive title in 2005.

Despite a lopsided comparison in terms of the two teams ' win-loss records, three of the four Pacers losses were close, losing games 1 – 3 by an average of just 5 points.

Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, the Timberwolves won their first division title in 2004 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Despite losing leading scorer Tom Gugliotta for half the season, the Timberwolves went on to post their first winning season at 45 – 37, making the playoffs for the 2nd straight season.