I was born with blue blood. Being a child of Kansas City in the 1970s and 1980s I got to cheer George Brett at third base, Frank White at second and Willie Wilson in center field. I got to root for the Royals when they were annually in the hunt for a division title. It was easy to be a fan of the boys in blue then. But in recent years it’s been admittedly harder. But I don’t have a choice. I was born a Royals fan and will die a Royals fan. But for you, the baseball fan from Biloxi or Bremerton or Boyd, you do have a choice. And here are 9 reasons you should choose the Royals.
9. $250 million in renovations to one of the most underappreciated stadiums in all of baseball.
Sure, you can go to Pittsburgh and watch a game with the buildings of downtown as your backdrop. Or go to Cleveland and feel like you are in the middle of it all. But baseball is an outdoor sport and it doesn’t get more outdoor than at Kauffman Stadium. With nothing in the outfield but blue sky, you can’t help but feel like you are outdoors, where you should be.
8. They aren’t perennial winners.
Counterintuitive, I know, but hear me out. I will concede that everyone loves a championship. I was the happiest kid in Texas when Daryl Motley’s catch in right sealed the deal for the Royals in 1985. But how much fun can it really be to root for a team that is always winning? Like the Yankees and their bloated payroll. If you don’t win a title, or at least make the playoffs in the last season of your historic stadium, you are disappointed. The constant pressure of ultimate success not only wears on players. It can take its toll on fans, too. You have the stress of living and dying with every pitch and worrying about what other teams are doing. Not as a Royals fan. We don’t expect much these days. Last year we were excited to not finish in last place since 2003. Would we like to win a title? Of course. Would we be happier if we sniffed the payoffs on a regular basis? Obviously. But, when we don’t my month after the season ends isn’t filled with time wondering what happened.
7. They could be the next Rays.
Don’t believe me? OK, I don’t know that I believe me either, but some people who get paid more than I do to think about baseball are at least entertaining the thought, including the guys at the MLB Network and MVN’s MLB Outsider. Many others think the idea is ludicrous, but I am choosing not to listen to them. It’s the off season, it’s a time for hope.
6. They are trying to turn things around.
The Royals recently inked Grienke to a multi-year deal, buying out his first two years of free agency. That’s a move that legitimate contenders make, not the Royals. The Royals, at least historically, have traded away their young players when it came time for a payday. Not anymore.
5. George Brett.
4. Alex Gordon, the next George Brett
Yes, being called the next George Brett will put a lot of pressure on a young player. And, no, Alex hasn’t necessarily lived up to the hype that was surrounding him after he went from Cornhusker to Royal. But you don’t get called the next George Brett if you don’t have some ability. Look at these numbers:
158 hits, 39 doubles, 29 home runs, 101 RBIs, .325 BA, and 1.015 OPS
That’s what he did in 2006, his one year in the minors. vHe was named Baseball America ’s Minor League Player of the Year that season. That was a year after he won the College Player of the Year. This guy has obviously got the talent, he just has to put it together. Many people think this could be the year. He’s a sleeper pick for many fantasy experts, pegging him to go anywhere from round 12 to 15. I’d take him sooner because I think we are in for a big, big year from George, Jr.
3. They are bringing back the powder blues
OK, they aren’t the uniforms from my youth, but you have to respect a team that will go with powder blue unis.
2. They are young.
Who doesn’t like to say that they have been rooting for the big star when they were just the guy with a lot of potential. With the Royals you have that chance. You have Alex Gordon and Zack Grienke who both appear to be getting ready to establish themselves. You have Joakim Soria coming in to close things out. He’s been so lights-out that he’s earned the nickname “The Mexicutioner”. Who can’t get behind that? If the nickname doesn’t do it for you then how about these stats, 42 saves in 45 chances. That’s more than Papelbon in Boston and Rivera in New York. He finished with a 1.60 ERA, giving up just 12 ER in 67.1 innings pitched. Of the elite AL closers, only Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera were tagged for less.
1. Zack Grienke is the next Bret Saberhagen.
So, I made that comparison up. But the point still stands. Grienke is ready to become a top-of-the-line arm. If you are a fantasy player, grab him in one of the middle rounds, stick him at the back of your rotation and watch him shine. His mental issues look like they are behind him and he got stronger as the year went on, posting a 2.18 ERA in September and lasting an average of 6 2/3 innings in his 5 starts.
I definitely enjoyed this article. Unique perspective about a forgotten team and a fun read.
The Royals aren’t forgotten. I agree with Jarrett’s assessment about them being the next Rays. Maybe not until about 2011 though.
Jays and Royals need to bring back the old school uniforms.
Would be more than happy to KC come back and be the perennial playoff team they were in 70’s and 80’s.
The old powder blue uniforms of the Blue Jays and Royals were definitely a thing of beauty.
The future looks bright for the Royals – provided they do something with the logjam of corner infielders. Moustakas, Hosmer, and Kila Ka’aihue will force Jacobs, Butler, and Gordon to work hard.
The pitching on the farm is improved as well. The likes of Daniel Cortes, Danny Duffy, Carlos Rosa, Mike Montgomery, Tim Melville, Danny Gutierrez and Blake Wood gives the Royals some promise. I’m not sure they are the next Rays or Brewers, but hell why not?
Like the Rays, if the Royals make some decent trades and provide the right mix of veterans in the line, they will be contenders in the AL.