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PAGE 10
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21; 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Commentary: What the Royals mean to me
This was a proud franchise, or so I was told.
From 1976-1985, the Kansas City Royals made the playoffs in seven of 10 seasons and reached the ALCS in six of those seven. The World Series in two of those six.
In the city I was born in and call home, Kansas City — where the fountains danced to the smooth jazz and the barbecue tantalized — was once a baseball frenzied one.
The Royals were 860-701 during that stretch. The historic run culminated in 1985 when Brett, White, Wilson, Bret Saberhagen and Dan Quisenberry paraded around Liberty Memorial, hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series
It was a time when Willie Wilson flew around the bases When watching Frank White play second was like reading poetry. When George Brett hit .494 in July of 1980 and .390 on the year.
Twenty-nine opening days passed. Twenty-nine All-Star Games. Twenty-nine trade deadlines. Twenty-nine seasons.
Including this year's magical run, the Royals had finished above. 500 only seven times since the 11-0 victory in Game 7 of 1985 World Series.
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The 2014 Wild Card berth marked the first time the Royals had made the playoffs since Brett's heroics almost three decades ago.
My first encounter with Kauffman Stadium is blurry. The details of the game itself are lost on me, but I remember being with my dad in the biggest crowd of people I'd ever seen. I remember the smell of hot dogs, the sound of bat on ball and a smattering of drunkkards yelling obscenities as balls were dropped and batters struck out looking. Seven years old and as impressionable as silly putty, I looked out from my seat with a sense of wonder, and knew I'd be coming back. Often.
My birthday, April 9, is near the beginning of baseball season, so as an early gift each year my dad would pull me out of elementary school early so we could make it in time to the K for opening day. Royals baseball and my dad signaled the end of school and the beginning of summertime.
My dad and I would attempt to manage the team from our basement television. So many times, Trey Hillman didn't listen to us.
Gradually, I began to follow the Royals more closely as I aged. Players stole my heart: Mike Sweeney and Angel Berroa. Carlos Beltran patrolling center field.
To me, born in 1993, Royals baseball had meant trying
to make it out of May before being eliminated from playoff contention. It meant the Royals trying to play spoiler to teams on the brink of the playoffs. It meant "next year's our year."
It never meant late-inning home runs. It never meant a highlight-reel defense, the best back of the bullpen in baseball history, or even the playoffs.
And if certainly was never this: a World Series matchup with the San Francisco Giants.
Royals baseball was pretending that I didn't know the Royals allowed a walk-off homerun, or made a costly error or walked the leadoff man. It meant giving my dad my best incredulous look of bewilderdment as he summarized the game on the drive to school.
To me, Royals baseball was going to bed before the game was over on a school night. My dad had sent me up to my room in the sixth or seventh inning and told me I needed sleep. I went upstairs begrudgingly, only to stay up with my Walkman under the covers, listening to Denny Matthews as the Royals pried defeat from the jaws of victory.
I remember the Royals losing on a ball that glanced off a bird in the outfield. I remember Ken Harvey getting hit in the back on a relay throw to the plate. I remember the Royals losing to the Indians after a 10-1 lead.
Damon and Jermaine Dye come into their own in Royal blue, only to be traded or signed elsewhere because they could no longer be afforded.
Royals baseball was watching Carlos Beltran, Johnny
I remember obsessing over things not specific to the Royals success to get through all the losses: managers, umpires, ejections, the Hot Dog derby standings, and more than anything, our farm system.
Royals post-game on the radio meant listening late until Josh Ford concluded his show with a look "down on the farm." The future: hope. I dreamed of better days to come — we all did — but we never thought that day would arrive.
But here they are. I wouldn't change anything, but would I do it again?
Kansas City lost at least 100 games in four of the five years from 2002 to 2006.
I two years ago, the Royals came home for the first time of the year after a 3-3 opening road trip. Teeming with optimism, they squared up against the 1-4 Cleveland Indians who had four batters in their lineup hitting below 200.
I rushed home from Calculus class to catch the first pitch. My dad was late getting to the game because of work. By the time he reached his seat, and by the time I found the channel, it was 7-0 Cleveland in the bottom of the first. The loss marked the
★★★
second of a 12-game losing streak. Kansas City finished 18 games under .500.
Last year, on May 5, the Royals were 17-10. By the time the calendar turned to June, the Royals were 22-30. They'd lost 20 of their next 25. The Royals went 43-27 in the second half, finishing the season 10 games over .500, but still missed the playoffs.
but still missed the playoffs.
There was 2003, when the Royals started the season 9-0,
16-3, and were 10 games over
.500 by the All-Star break —
seven games up on the AL
Central.
I'll never forget Denny Matthews' voice crackling over the air on a makeup game from a rainout in June 2003. A September matinee against the Arizona Diamondbacks, one of the biggest games of my young life.
The Royals were four games over .500 heading into the afternoon and just a game and a half out of first behind Chicago and Minnesota.
They knocked Randy Johnson around in the first five innings, but blew a three-run lead late and lost on Lyle Overbay's single in the 10th inning. You could feel the playoffs slipping through their hands. Tony Pena's club would finish the season seven-and-a-half games back and would miss the playoffs. Even when the stars seemed to align, when we really "believed," it still wasn't good enough.
That's why I distrusted the 2014 team.
The Royals front office banked on the fact that they
were a second-half team after a first half that fell short of expectations, and after starting the second half 0-4, being swept in Boston and losing the opener to Chicago. I thought they were done. Put a fork in them. I'd seen this movie before.
But then, suddenly, this team refused to be denied. The Royals rattled off 24 wins in 29 games and finished their last 64 games with a .640 win percentage.
The Royals snapped the 29-year playoff drought. They stole the heart of the nation. Times have changed.
It is a time when Jarrod Dyson steals second and third and scores on a wild pitch. It's a time when Lorenzo Cain draws comparisons to Willie Mays. It's a time when Mike Moustakas goes berserk against playoff pitching.
On drives home from Kauffman stadium, listening to Royals postgame coverage, I dreamed of Eric Hosmer and Moustakas hitting long-bombs in the playoffs. I dreamed of diving catches and a closer slamming the door in front of a sea of blue.
Possibility has become reality. The Royals are 8-0 in the postseason. This fairytale run resumes on Tuesday.
Kansas City and baseball,
Baseball and Kansas City. It's
a match made in heaven. I'm
just here to enjoy the ride.
I've been here to enjoy this
ride. And it's here... finally.
— Edited by Miranda Davis
LAURA MORIARTY
7:30 p.m. Oct. 23, 2014 Lied Center Free admission Open to the public
For more information: commonbook.ku.edu
Associate professor and best-selling author Laura Moriarty will describe her experiences writing "The Center of Everything"and take questions from the audience.A book signing will follow with refreshments.
KU FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE The University of Kansas
SAN FRANCISCO — The popular song "Royals" by New Zealand artist Lorde is getting caught up in the fervor over the upcoming World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals.
ning track every hour from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the first day of the series.
Two San Francisco radio stations say they won't play the song during the duration of the World Series. A Kansas City, Mo., station responded with plans to play the Grammy-win-
"A few angry San Franciscans who don't have a song called 'Giants' won't rain on our parade," Tony Lorino, program director of KZPT in Kansas City, said in a statement on the station's website.
San Francisco stations KFOG and KOIT announced the bans last week as the Giants clinched the pennant and headed to the series. KOIT program director Brian Figula said in a statement that listeners called for the ban. KOIT is a sister station
San Francisco radio stations ban hit song 'Royals'
"We're all about the Giants here," he said, adding that the ban was completely tongue-in-cheek.
of KZPT in Kansas City.
Jim Richards, KFOG's program director, said the station didn't want to play a song that repeatedly says "Royals" while rooting for the hometown team.
Lorde has told VH1 that a photo of Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett signing autographs helped inspire her song when she saw the word "Royals" on his uniform.
Associated Press
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