I thought about posting this after that game in Chicago when we clinched our first post season appearance in 29 years. I was lucky enough to be at that game. My good friend, Dave Halpin, sent me a message about a month before saying he would be in town that week. He asked if I wanted to go to the Cubs/Cards game on Wednesday (which he was already going to) or get tickets to the Royals/Sox game on that Friday night. My response was simple, and resounding. ROYALS. Leading up to that game, we talked a few times and knowing that the Royals were flirting with a playoff run, I said to him that this would either be the biggest game in our lifetime, or mean absolutely nothing. That game ended up meaning more to me than I can ever write down on a page, but far from the biggest game of my lifetime. After we won, we hung out and waited. We cheers-ed the other Royals fans that stuck around and basked in the glory of our first playoff experience since I was 6 years old. I am not entirely sure why, and no one really said anything about it, but we didn’t just up and leave. We stayed glued to our spot, right next to the field down the first base line. Something was going to happen, we just didn’t know what. After a Budweiser minute, the remaining Royals fans next to the dugout started to erupt. We looked down the line and one by one, the entire team is filing out on to the field…On to the visiting team’s field. They take their time and each player files down the stands, high fiving every single nacho cheese soaked hand that they could grab. Their energy is palatable. They make it down to us and I am yelling…no, screaming at them. And they are screaming right back at me. That’s why I love this team- They are fans. They are fans of the game, they are fans of the history, they are fans of each other and they are fans of fans. They are fans of me. They take the time, whenever they can, and show how much they appreciate the love our city has shown them. Look, we all know how shitty it has been. We have sat through Jose Offerman, Neifi Perez, and Bob “the hammer” Hamelin. We have watched a complete All-Star outfield be swooped away from us. We have watched managers completely collapse just weeks in to the season, and we have started talking Chiefs training camp while the Royals weren’t even to the All-Star break. I get it. But through all of it, in the back of all of our minds and at the bottom of all of our hearts, we wanted a baseball team that could fight through all of that and we were willing to wait. We wanted a team that has some heart and most importantly, some fun. We got that, and so much more. As the team continued their mini parade down the line, their energy pushed towards us a like a sonic wave. Our section went nuts. One of my favorites, Mike Moustakas, made his way towards me and we made eye contact. Below is a paraphrase of the conversation that we had- Me: “Hello sir, you played an excellent baseball game this evening and I am very proud to be a Royals fan.” Mike Moustakas: “Thank you, sir. I have this bottle of Coors Lite in my hand, and I would like to share it with you as I can see by your epic mustache that you are a true fan of our team.” Me: “Indeed, I am a fan, and I would be honored to partake in some of your Coors Lite, perhaps you can just pour it in my mouth as my hands are very sweaty.” Mike Moustaks: “I would be happy to pour this Coors Lite in to your mouth. I will then spray you and the rest of your friends with the remainder of said Coors Lite then throw the empty bottle in the nearest recycling container.” Me: “This is an agreeable exchange.” Again, this is a paraphrase of the actual conversation, but I think after you watch the video you will agree that this is a pretty accurate interpretation. I knew I shouldn’t post the video after it happened because I had a feeling there would be so much more to add to the story. I never imagined how big it would get. This team has bridged a gap between home and away for me and so many others. Daily, I receive texts and messages from people about this team- some that know me from here in Chicago and have never seen me without a Royals hat, and some from friends and family from back home that I have known and loved since before I had to cover my receding hairline with a Royals hat. Sometimes we forget what a positive effect connecting with people can have on us without even knowing it. This team has connected an entire city, and as I sit here on the eve of what promises to be the most exciting sporting event in my lifetime, I am so proud, excited, nervous, sweaty, hungry, tired, mustachey for this city and this team. Go Royals. Take the crown.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 06:26:35 +0000
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