Royally Blue

For as long as I can remember, I have been a Royals fan.  Born and raised in Kansas City, I was three years old when the Royals, under the leadership of Brett, Saberhagen, and the like, won the World Championship in 1985.  Even at the age of three, I remember those days and that time.  I remember getting so excited that George Brett had hit a homerun that I came running so fast to watch the celebration that I slipped on the floor, hit my head on a doorknob, and required stitches.  In my parents house there is still (I think) a team photo of that 1985 team taped to the back of the door of my bedroom. In the dead of winter I would pass the time on weekends playing baseball in the front room of my house, pretending I was Brett, or maybe Mike McFarlane, or perhaps Wally Joyner. I would collect Royals baseball cards, and would re-enact game scenarios using the cards.    I come by my Royals fandom authentically.The Royals are and have always been just as much a part of who I am as anything else.

But, as we know, it hasn't always been easy to be a Royals fan.  The history of the last 29 years of Royals baseball has been shared openly and freely over the years and throughout this postseason run.  These last few weeks I have had memories of those Royals teams of past years running through my mind.   Before the Royals were on TV regularly I would sit in my parents living room and listen to games over the stereo system, all the while living and dying through the words of Denny Matthews.  I remember the year where the Royals won like 4 (maybe more) walk-off games in a row, and the words of Ryan Lefebre, "What in the world is going on??"  I remember Bob (the Hammer) Hamelin.  I remember when we thought we were getting over the hump when we signed Benito Santiago and Jose Guillen after the 2003 season.  I remember pitchers like Scott Service and Runelyvs Hernandez. I remember Jeremy Affeldt and his blisters he would get on his fingers (guess he got that problem solved...) I remember going out to the seats by the bullpens on crazy hot summer days (before the renovations) and getting sprayed with a hose by the Royals pitchers. I remember going to games where it was so hot we, during every half inning would go get wads of wet paper towels to stick under our caps.

Do you remember these things?  What do you remember??

 In the summers in the late 90's and early 2000's I would go to the games with whoever I could convince to go with me.  I would usually wear the same get-up; a jersey, shorts, and my blue high school football socks.   One time, I was there with a friend and we were sitting in the far reaches of the upper deck, and we won the "Seat Upgrade" promotion. (we decided it was all because of the socks..) We moved to seats about 6 rows behind home plate, and got a great view of another loss.  But, for a high school kid, it was so cool being down there, next to the scouts....and to Buck O'Neil.

I was telling my wife (who is still become acquainted with the exasperating joy that is Royals baseball) as we sat in the same section on the third base line during Game 6 of the World Series about the Krispy Kreme promotions (12 hits = a dozen donuts) and how often we'd get more excited about the 12 hits than a possible win. I remember going straight from Kaufman to the nearest Krispy Kreme and sitting in crazy long drive through lines just to get my free donuts.

 This was my team...it was cheap, it was dysfunctional, it was bad....but it was mine.  Never was or has there been a day where I have ever thought about abandoning the Royals...because they never thought about abandoning us.  No matter what, the Royals would take the field on those hot Kansas City nights, and I would support them.

Though we would always say things like, "This is our year" or "just wait till next year...." I'm not so certain that we ever actually believed it. Sure it was fun to dream, but it is something else to actually believe that the dream could become real.

But this year...this summer was different.  Royals fans knew that this might be our best team in a generation.  We had good pitching, a solid lineup, we had tasted some success in 2013.  All the pieces were there.  We knew that there was also a sense of urgency...if for no other reason then it was James Shields' final year.  This was "THE YEAR"....it had to be.

And ohmygoodness it was.  The Royals, our Royals, led the Division not once, but TWICE, this season.  We clinched our first playoff spot since 1985. (with games to spare!)  I remember watching that clinching game against Chicago with my Dad and my (almost) 3 year old son. I remember thinking that night about how everything has come full circle. That was enough for me.  Had we not won another game, I, and I think most of us, would have been more than satisfied.  

But then...something strange happened: the Royals forgot how to lose.   These last few weeks have been something that I have never seen, experienced, or ever thought possible.  And it's not just about the baseball....not just about the wins....but it's about experiencing a renaissance for an entire generation of Kansas Citians.  Never in my life have I sensed and felt so much pride in who we are and where we come from.  People who were born in K.C and have moved away (like me) were proudly wearing their Royals gear no matter where their adopted home was. It didn't matter if it was NY, Chicago, LA, or OKC, Royals fans were loud, proud, and unashamed.  But then the city of Kansas City itself...oh. my. gosh.  Blue, Blue Everywhere. Flags, Banners, Shirts....and Pride.  Pride in not just our baseball team....but in our community...and maybe...just maybe...in ourselves.

I'm convinced that when Greg Holland got the 27th out of the ALCS that clenched the AL Pennant and sent this fanbase into hysterics this stopped being about baseball...and it became instead about community, unity, and the joy of watching hope turn into joy.   We didn't win the World Series...we came up 90 feet short.  But you know what? Who Cares?  We will remember this for as long as we live.  And if it's another 29 years until we get there again....we will relive all of those with a new generation.

Even as the temperatures drop and we put away our t-shirts and jerseys and replace them with ones declaring other allegiances in other sports, we will remember this October.  We will remember how we came together.  We will remember that belief is a powerful thing. And we will remember that we are forever Royals.

To the 2014 Kansas City Royals:  Thank you.