It was the screams and shouts of a fan base that has suffered for nearly 3 decades.
The Kansas City Royals are in the fall classic. And I couldn't be happier.
I have relatives on my wife's side of the family who are big Royals fans. I can relate to what they've gone through as Royals fans (I'm a Maple Leafs fan, remember?). 29 years is a long time to wait for a playoff berth, let alone a chance for a championship.
The Royals are a team I can get behind, largely because my NL allegiance has shifted to the Pirates over the past handful of seasons. I've watched how the Pirates have built from within, and coached a lot of veteran pitchers who you could say were on the "scrap heap" into some brilliant pitching performances. The Royals remind me of the Pirates, only with a slightly higher payroll.
Having a guy with the nickname Country Breakfast only helps to enhance my joy.
Seeing how teams like the Royals can make it to the final dance gives me hope that other "small market" teams can shrink their payrolls and build winning ball clubs. Kind of like Pittsburgh. Oakland. Minnesota was part of that group for a while, until the past couple of seasons.
It doesn't matter who the Royals face in the Series. They have my backing 100%. Maybe even 110%, if that's possible. I'd also love to see a repeat of the 1985 Series match up. Why? Because I'd love to see the Cardinals go down in flames to the Royals (and no, that's not a prediction).
Hey, the Royals even made a card I've had for 11 years relevant again!!
Who knows? I might even switch allegiances if the Royals pull off a World Series win.
Everybody loves a winner, right?
Go Royals!!
thanks for reading, Robert
I've always rooted for them because they're the American League Dodgers (and because they always played the Yankees when I was a kid).
ReplyDeleteIt has been fun watching them. Reminds me of the run the Rockies went on a handful of years a go. Hopefully they have a better finish.
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