Since the baseball season is approaching, I've been watching the MLB network's ongoing program that airs every evening, 30 Clubs in 30 Days. Last night the program featured the Kansas City Royals, a team that hasn't had a winning since 2003.
People who know me know that I'm a Cubs fan. I've been a fan of the baby bears for a long time. As as native of Iowa, a place where there are many Cubs fans because of the reach of WGN via cable and the AAA affiliate of the Cubs is in Des Moines, it was natural for me to root for the Cubs. One of my favorite professional baseball players of all time is Andre Dawson. I loved listening to Harry Caray. Ryne Sandberg was one of the best second basemen ever.
But before I started cheering for the Cubs, I also followed the Royals, the American League yang to complement the National League yin. The first MLB game I ever saw was when I was very young, and the Royals played the Yankees in what is now called Kauffman Stadium. My parents and I visited my oldest brother, who lived in Blue Springs at the time, sometime in the 70s. I can't remember what year exactly.
The Royals teams of the 70s and 80s were solid with a host of great players: Hal McRae, Amos Otis, Al Cowens, Frank White, Willie Wilson, U. L. Washington, Paul Splittorrf, Mark Gubicza, Dan Quisenberry, Darrell Porter, Bret Saberhagen, and of course George Brett, the Hall of Fame third basemen who flirted with hitting .400 in 1980 but ended up with an average of .390.
What the commentators on last night's program talked a lot about is the organization's very deep farm system and how the future looks bright for the Royals.
I sure hope so because I'd like to see the Royals get out the wilderness, and from the look of it, there are some serious athletes who will be major-league-ready by 2012.
I'd sure like to see them beat the White Sox head-to-head this season. But if they don't, there's always the Minnesota Twins, another team I like because they play fundamentally sound baseball and seem to be able to do more with less than other clubs. It's what's called "the Twins Way."
I'd like to see the Royals find their way out of loserdom.
3 comments:
Something for people who like baseball and personality quizzes.
It's one thing for Dusty Baker to gnaw on a toothpick from his perch in the dugout, but U.L. Washington used to play the game with a splinter-waiting-to-happen in his mouth....
Thanks Fern.
U.L. was a very smooth character, Seddy.
Post a Comment