I’m not a Royals fan by any means; I’m a Cub fan. But they are a regional team, so I’ve always kept an eye on them. Under the late Ewing Kauffman, the Royals were perennial contenders, but under David Glass, not so much. Glass, the former Wal-Mart executive, chose to run the organization the way he ran the discount store chain. It might have been profitable for him as an owner, but certainly not for Royals fans. “Always the low price” works when you are buying laundry detergent and toothpaste.
It doesn’t really work that well in baseball. Unless you have a really sharp baseball mind locating enough young talent to stock a major league team, cheap can’t work in baseball. And it didn’t for most of the Glass era. Oh sure, young players emerged from the Royals system…only to have the likes of Johnny Damon, Kevin Appier, and Carlos Beltran sold off to teams like the New York Yankees, for fear of having to pay them what they are deserved.
And Royals fans suffered. And casual observers like me scoffed. Said that the Royals would never be good as long as David Glass owned the franchise.
Sure, under Dayton Moore, the farm system has exploded with talent. The former Omaha Royals AAA farm team have even won a couple of PCL league championships, but I’ve always been skeptical that it would ever translate to the major league level. Figured that the Royals would sell the talent off before they ever spent enough time in Kansas City to win.
Well, I was wrong. They stormed through September then went on a rampage in October. Made it to the World Series and nearly pulled the damn thing off. Royals fans are hurting now. I know the feeling. I felt it on January 2, 1984 after Nebraska’s two-point conversion in the Orange Bowl came up short. I really felt it on January 2, 1994 after Byron Bennett’s field goal sailed wide left in that same Orange Bowl stadium. It’s a sucker punch to the gut like nothing you’ve ever felt when the team you love comes so close to the pinnacle, only to fail in the final moment.
Will the Royals bounce back next year? I have no idea; I’m not sure how long Kansas City will keep this current pack of players around and whether they’ll pay them to stay around. It’s not my call and not my area of expertise.
But at some point, Royals fans will grow to appreciate this magical run – even if it came up short. Trust me, as a Cub fan who’s felt the pain of missing out on the World Series in 1984, 1989, and 2003…it’s better to lose the World Series than not make the World Series.
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