All posts tagged: Kansas City Royals

For the Mets, Halloween is Extended by a Day

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You just knew it was going to happen.  The New York Mets keep the Kansas City Royals at bay for 8 innings.  It looks like the World Series is headed to KC for a Game 6, with the two New York flamethrowers ready and waiting. But then, stuff happens. How Royals. The Mets – who lost on Halloween night when Daniel Murphy, their NLCS hero who didn’t hit a thing in the World Series, booted an easy ground ball – saw the goblins and gremlins of Halloween return for a November 1st appearance. Lorenzo Cain walked to lead off the 9th against Harvey, and four innings later the Royals are dancing in the middle of Citi Field.  Two things about this play.  First, I’m fine with Collins leaving Harvey in to pitch the 9th.  The Mets closer hadn’t exactly fooled the Royals this series.  I believe in trusting the heart of your ace.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  Second, Lorenzo Cain was the revelation of this postseason for me.  Is there anything this man …

Live Blogging World Series Game 3

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Here we are – ready to watch World Series game #3. The Kansas City Royals are up 2-0, but these series don’t really get interesting until someone wins on the road.  Citi Field is excited. Let’s do this. 8:08 p.m. – First pitch – at Escobar’s head.  Typical New York reaction.  I think I could lip read Mike Moustakas after that pitch at the head, and he wasn’t saying “good job.”  Next batter up, Zobrist, provides the best answer to a knock-down pitch with a one-out double. 8:16 p.m. – Well, it took 15 pitches and 8 minutes for the Royals to score as only they can.  Check swing instead of a strikeout is key.  Ian Desmond, are you watching this? 8:21 p.m. – Yordano – what a great name!  I’m going to find every chance I can to use that name. 8:24 p.m. – The Mets obviously enjoy being home.  If Wright and Murphy get hot, we’ll have a series.  Wright homers and Mets go up 2-1.  But Yordano Ventura bounces back to get …

World Series Game 1 Random Thoughts (The Never-Ending Edition)

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Random thoughts while watching Game 1 of the 2015 World Series. Mets vs. Royals.  I know I’m a National League guy, but I’m rooting for the Royals this series.  (Sorry KC, I know that’s likely the kiss of death.)  I love the way this team plays.  Few strikeouts, great defense, not a lot of “stars” but a terrific team concept.  And a goofy manager who lets ’em play.  So let’s do this! Wow!  What a way to start a game.  First pitch inside-the-park home run to start the bottom of the first.  Alcides Escobar was motoring!  What fun. Have you noticed that the nature of commercials at the World Series has changed – and not for the better.  It use to be beer, beer, and more beer.  Now we get Viagra (yes, because everyone should have to explain ED to their 6 year old) and Opdivo drug commercials (the latter for your lung cancer).  Then there’s Eliquis.  Side effects?  Oh, only significant bleeding, spinal problems, stuff like that.  Really?!?  I know baseball’s demographic is older, …

My 2014 World Series Fantasy

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I know I’m now expected to cheer for the almost-hometown Orioles to make the World Series, as the Nationals have succumbed to the Giants.  The O’s have a good team this year, and I’d be happy to see them in the Series.  They deserve all the positive things that may come their way (although that Game 1 loss wasn’t a good start.) But…I keep having this recurring fantasy about the 2014 World Series. It goes back to my hatred of the St. Louis Cardinals after the 2012 NLDS, when we were one strike from winning and couldn’t put it away.  This year’s loss to the Giants hurt, but not like that, since 2012 was so gut wrenching coming as it did at home in Game 5. No, for my fantasy I’d like to see a replay of the 1985 World Series. You remember the “Show-Me Series” (or the “I-70 Series” depending on your preference): the only World Series between Missouri’s two baseball teams – the regal Cardinals and the expansion Royals.  In Game 6, with …

God, I Love the Wild Card

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Fact #1: I love the wild card games in Major League Baseball. Fact #2: I’m glad the Nationals are not playing in these “win or go home” games. Last night saw the Kansas City Royals win a thriller from the Oakland A’s at Kauffman Stadium in 12 innings.  The K is a wonderful place to see a ballgame.  Tonight, I’m sitting on the couch waiting to see who will survive the National League Wild Card game and face the Nats on Friday night in the NLDS.  The game is at PNC Park – one of the great places to watch a ballgame. If you look over to the right-hand column of my blog, you’ll see a link to the name Joe Posnanski.  Joe is among the best writers about baseball, and it just so happens that KC is his home.  His post on last night’s game had some of the funniest lines I’ve ever read from a sportswriter. The first concerns the description of the bizarre double-steal attempt that went bad.   Here’s Joe’s description: The …

Baseball Pilgrimages (Continued)

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It was a night when you wondered if Noah was nearby, putting the finishing touches on his ark. Lightening and thunder in rapid succession. Rain that lashed at the body if you were unfortunate enough to be outside. Howling winds. Waves lapping at the shore. And I was in Tampa, not to help rewrite the Republican national platform, but for something much more consequential: to catch a baseball game. In most cities it would have been a wasted opportunity. But the Tampa Bay Rays play in St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field, one of the few remaining domes still hosting major league baseball on a daily basis. And for this night, I was glad to have a roof over my head when Ray’s ace David Price threw that first pitch right on schedule. Tampa Bay was #14 on my journey to visit all 30 major league ballparks.  It promised to be a special night.  The Rays were on a hot streak, winning five games to close the gap with the first-place Yankees to four games. Their ace …

Great Day for a Ballgame

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Check one more off the list of MLB ballparks visited as I joined several friends and colleagues to take advantage of our work trip to Kansas City and catch the Royals at Kauffman Stadium on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  Barb, Dolores (pictured with DJB at left), Barb’s husband Rob, and Royce joined our hosts the Kempers for a great day at the ballpark.  Kauffman, built in 1973, is one of the earliest of the new modern baseball-only stadiums that helped turned Kansas City into a mecca for sports architects.  They just completed a major $250 million renovation before the start of this season.  The clean, modernist design has held up well and helped end the era of cookie-cutter multi-purpose stadiums. With two architects and the rest preservationists in our group, we spent a lot of time talking about the architecture.   But we primarily spent the day having a great deal of fun.  From the beginning, the Royals have come up with some great activities that make you smile.  It was Kids Day at the ballpark and kids …