Kansas City Royals – World Champions in 2015, but it had been decades since our last championship and now as the defending champions we are forced to live day by day with the reality that a baseball season is indeed a marathon and in no way a sprint.
A note for sanity’s sake is that baseball is a game where failure dominates and success is fleeting. A batter who can consistently get a hit three times out of ten is a star and will reap giant rewards. A pitcher who can be successful 60% of the time is also a hot commodity. Baseball is filled with failure and those who can deal with it become champions.
So now our Royal’s embark on the year after winning the World Series and after playing in the Fall Classic in successive years.
Are we now a dynasty? Many, including Las Vegas picked us to win again, but our season hasn’t gone that well. At times our boys seemed invincible, but we also lost 8 straight at one point and sit as this is written 5 games behind the Indians.
How can we explain our supposed best pitcher giving up 9 runs in the first inning?
Some World Champions!
What are we supposed to believe?
Well the answer is pretty easy. The answer is this is baseball and you learn a lot of bad has to be accepted along with the good even for champions!
Winning in baseball at the major league level not only takes talent, it also requires lots of good luck.
Last year the Royal’s seemed special and they were. They came from behind in 8 of 11 playoff victories and they had player after player “step up” when needed. It was magical. Our guys were good, but also very lucky.
This year the Royal’s are good, but so far not special. They sit in good position to make the playoffs again. Time will tell.
I too get upset when pitchers walk batters or players strike out with the winning run on third base, but we need to keep the faith. They don’t give rings for winning the division, so overtaking the Indians isn’t job one. That job is to get into the playoffs.
The Royals have the best record in baseball at home this year, but Monday night the crowd numbered just over 31,000 and they were playing the St. Louis Cardinals. That was embarrassing. Hopefully the crowd was better last night.
Some say baseball is boring, but not if you live and die with every play in every game. A two run home run in the top of the first like Monday can make your hot dog go sour in your tummy, but 2 runs in the bottom and 4 in the second and life is suddenly like a bowl of cherries.
Baseball is special and some of the time so is our team. Go Royals!
