ROYALS WITH SPUNK!

My friends and I have a long standing joke about the Kansas City Royals. It's a bad nickname.  They were never that good, and so, they were referred to as the "Royale with Cheese" from Pulp Fiction. You know the scene.



Now, truth be told, the nickname isn't that funny at all... it just flows off the tongue and that's literally the only reason it stuck. Otherwise... it's pretty dumb.

But these days, Royals are no slouches. They've got spunk and so, like them or not, you need to stand tall as a baseball fan and tip you cap.  They're a terrific ball club. They are fun to watch and they're made up of youngsters and believers.  They manufacture runs.  You believe they cannot lose... and they don't. They swept another club of believers in the Baltimore Orioles and it looked like those O's were a bunch of 7 year old Tee-ballers.  It was amazing actually, because the Orioles showed up all season.

It was a surprise to me, because I know just how good Buck Showalter is when it comes to motivating a club.  But I noticed something happen to the Orioles when they entered the ALCS.  They appeared cocky. They appeared arrogant.  They didn't look hungry anymore and I have nothing to base that on other than 1 fan, me, looking at these guys take the field for 4 straight games.  They reminded me of a Yankee club that had made it to the post season almost every year in the 2000s and who suddenly forgot how to play.  But the Royals... they didn't look like that.  The Royals looked spry.  The Royals looked like they were honored to make it this far and just didn't want to screw it up.  And they didn't.

When I saw the Royals play, they appeared like there was an innocence surrounding them and I was taken by that. Names like Alex Gordon, Nori Aoki, Eric Hosmer, James Shields, Mike Moustakas. Outside of Kansas City, some of them aren't exactly household names. Yet, it's their make up that has taken the baseball nation by storm. It's an incredible story. I say quite honestly and sincerely... Good for them.

Now, I have no dog in this fight now that the Yankees are out. Although, I will tell you that for some reason, when the Yankees aren't in it, my oldest son gravitates toward the St. Louis Cardinals.  And so, because I am all about my kids, I'll side with my son in hopes that the Cardinals make the World Series.

For now though, hand it to the "Royals with Spunk", no longer the "Royale with Cheese".   They have what it takes and that's a great thing in this great game of baseball. You gotta love and respect that.

Congrats.




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