Optimism and the KC Royals

As I write this, the Kansas City Royals are leading the Chicago White Sox 3-1 in the top of the 7th inning. Their record is 1-2, and winning this game will move their winning percentage to .500.

After decades of futility, the optimism surrounding this year's team is at unprecedented levels. Or at least, it should be. The Royals seemed to go "all in" this year in the hopes of making the playoffs, that magical realm where only winners and big spenders are allowed to go. Certainly after the Royals won 86 games last season, their most wins since 1989, they deserve some measure of optimism, some respect, and some acknowledgment that they may not be the cellar dwellers that Kansas City fans have come to know.

The Royals were a feel-good story in baseball in the second half of the season last year, finishing with one of the best records after the All-Star break. However, their story was overshadowed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, also a poster child for pathetic baseball, who finally made the playoffs for the first time since 1992.

This has left the Royals with the second longest playoff drought in ALL MAJOR PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUES. They are currently sitting in year 28 of not playing a single game in October. They are 2 seasons away from tying the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals for the longest drought ever, which would be 30 seasons. Ouch.

As you can see, it is hard for me to express optimism in the face of almost 3 decades of crappy baseball. I was born in 1982 and do not have any memories of the Royals winning the 1985 World Series. Therefore, my memories are basically pathetic displays of athleticism that Joe Posnanski discusses so eloquently here.

However, this is a post about optimism, not pessimism (or realism, as I refer to it, at least regarding the Royals). And as Joe Posnanski points out in the link above, the Royals are no longer playing super crappy baseball (although they still can't hit). They also have 3 Gold Glove winners and are garnering some respect among national baseball writers, several of whom picked the Royals to finish first in the AL Central. I think that might be a stretch, but if the Tigers regress at all (and why shouldn't they? They did lose several core players from last year's team) and if the Indians stumble down the stretch, maybe the Royals can pull off a miracle and punch their ticket to the magical land of October baseball.

I am glad that baseball is back. Let's all try to enjoy the ride. #BeRoyalKC