It has been a lifetime since the Kansas City Royals were in the Baseball Playoffs. If you know me at all then you know that I am about as steadfast of a Royals fan as you are going to find. Slowly the memories of 1985 the year we won it all faded after each futile and disappointing season. The young fan in the picture taken in 1985 would now be 30 years old.
As this year went on I was torn between the frustration of rooting for a team who was 8 games out of first place and going nowhere, to a team that saved its season by winning 10 games in a row, only to fall back to the same 8 games behind barely a month later.
I decided to go all in with this team. It might not have looked like it on paper at first, but I sensed something different. These were not the same old Royals. The past month and a half have been a up and down joy ride as I followed the Boys in Blue. One minute it looked like they were going to fall short again. The next day low and behold they revived the season with exciting baseball to clinch a Wild Card spot. Then we come from behind defeating the Oakland A’s in a epic game to win the teams first playoff game in 29 years. The prize was a trip to California to play the dangerous Angels of Los Angeles. Three games later they had swept aside the Los Angeles Angels.
Waiting for the Royals are the Baltimore Orioles, featuring George Contanaza’s favorite manager – Buck Showalter. Baltimore is another once dominant team waiting to regain some past glory. Baltimore last won the World Series in 1983 – actually two years before the Royals did in 1985. But they have been to the playoffs several times since our guys have. In fact before the Royals appearance in 2014 they held the dubious honor of being the sport franchise who had gone the longest between playoff appearances.
I have had the good fortune to attend both playoff games so far this year. As I walked into the “K” on September 30, my mind went back to 1985. What great memories. As they resurfaced, I remembered the late Dick Howser who managed that team. The teams beloved owner Mr. K. Dan Quisenberry, “the Quiz our relief ace,” and Buck O’Neil who sat behind home plate in a Royal blue leisure suit at every game. I liked to think that those men were our “Angels in the Outfield.” Of course I remembered the players, George Brett, Willie WIlson, Frank White, and all those great pitchers.
When I left the stadium in late October 1985 following the historic and controversial 6th game of the World Series. I remember making a promise to myself that anytime the Royals were in the Playoffs, I would do everything I could to be there. Well I kept that promise to myself, but little did I know that it would be 29 years before I could do it.
Well that’s enough from me. It’s your turn.
Comment below on your memory of the Royals in the World Series.
Dave Coleman
Dave Coleman works in the library's Red Carpet Services helping seniors get the materials they want at the library and at senior living complexes. Dave is also an avid sports fan.
I was only 8 years old when the Royals won the World Series in 1985, and
since I was living in Indiana at the time I had no real investment in
whether or not they won. I do remember that I was rooting for them at
the time because they were playing the Cardinals, and being a huge Cubs
fan I certainly didn’t want the Cardinals to win the World Series. Of
course, I remember the Game 6 heroics, but I also remember the Game 7
blowout, and how happy I was that the Royals had finished the deal.
I remember that series! I was in college at the time, at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO. It’s a small college and attracts a lot of Missourians, so about half of the students were rooting for the Royals, and the other half were Cardinals fans.
And everyone was riveted to the TV, watching the seventh game. For us Royals fans, it was a fine game. For the Cards fans, not so much 🙂
Nice post!