How About Those Royals!

If you know me at all, you know that I am a KC Royals fan. It really goes back a long time. Actually to about 1969. My dad took my brother and me to so many baseball games back in that old Memorial Stadium that had housed the minor league KC Blues, the KC Monarchs of the Negro League, the KC Athletics and the KC Royals. Starting in 1969, the Royals became that mainstay MLB team in KC. The Athletics headed off to Oakland in 1968 and promptly became contenders and a quick rival of the expansion Royals who kicked it off in KC in 1969.

The Royals have been my team since then. About 45 years worth of my life. There have been some really good years through the mid-80s and then really lean years until the past couple of years.

What this team did this year though is really just plain, old baseball fun. A bunch of young players with a couple of veteran pitchers, a somewhat semi-successful manager and a fan base that had little to cheer for so many years. But it was a great combination. And the time was obviously right.

Back in the Spring, I sprung $20 for the MLB app on my phone and kept up with the Royals like I hadn't in over 20 years. That $20 investment brought a lot of enjoyment to this old KC boy. I listened to so many ballgames at night and enjoyed every minute of it.

The run through the wild card game; the division series; the conference series and the World Series was just good baseball fun. The Royals won so many games through that post-season stretch that they were not expected to win. They played some really good teams; the Athletics, the Angels, the Orioles and then the current MLB World Champion Giants. So much fun. So much good that happened in my hometown of Kansas City around these Royals.

Last week, I climbed in the car and drove to Kansas City to watch games 1 and 2 of the World Series with my dad and brother. It took me back to all those games we had watched in the old stadium and then the K starting in 1972.

I am a Royals fan but I realized even clearer last week watching those games with dad and James that it wasn't really about the baseball. It was really about the times we were together as family (mom would go back in the day and take a book or newspaper to read) and we just happened to be watching the Royals. This year the Royals helped me to remember what an amazing family and childhood I had and that I am a blessed dude for sure.

Hats off to the World Champion San Francisco Giants. You are a good team that squeaked past another good team, the Kansas City Royals.

Go Royals! (and as my brother reminded me this morning, only 113 days until the pitchers and catchers report).