My long post on the game, which was the culmination of my being a Royals fan.
I won't go back through the history, but I've been a Royals fan since birth. I wanted #1 on my T-Ball team for Kurt Stillwell, and remember my Dad being super mad when they traded David Cone for Ed Hearn in '87. I was at the '85 parade, Brett's last game, the HOF induction, and many opening days and lazy Sunday games in August growing up. My Dad wasn't a college sports fan until I went to K-State, so while I casually followed ku and K-State growing up, our house was a Royals house.
My tailgate ended up being like a a mini reunion of friends and Royals fans. My buddy Phil (stud KSU fan also) with whom I would talk baseball everyday in 11th grade physics came by. My Uncle who was a beer vendor in the 80s and 90s stopped in for a dog and a beer. The first guy I met in 7th grade band, who ended up being my computer tech partner in 10th grade (we made a "why the Royals will win the 99 world series" power point. Songs included "jump" and "right now") came and chatted about how weird this was. Cousins, work friends, softball buds, Wackycat08, youth group friends, my sophomore year roommate, all game by to celebrate and say "good luck." Probably 20 people were there and 20 more sent me texts saying they wished they were. Slimz* and J-Dub** and I played catch with a baseball and acted like kids. I brought all my bobbleheads and set them up on a table. It was really fun, and amazing.
As we packed up to head in, I grabbed 1 last beer, but it was not for me. I had to make a stop, and make a toast. There was a line to get into the Diamond Club gate, but the fans saw what we were doing and cleared out.
We toasted Justin's memory, and Mrs. CF3 and I headed for our seats in 252.
Only 1 game I've been to can compare with the anticipation and atmosphere and build up of that one, the 2008 84-75 win over ku in the OOD. The stadium was blue and so excited. Old men said "this is like '85", young men said "I've never seen anything like this." I've been to opening days and games vs the Cardinals and Yankees and stuff where there are big crowds, but not like this. People stayed in their seat for every pitch. It didn't have that opening day frat party atmosphere, more of a frenzied, nervous, tense, excited, celebratory release of emotions built up for 29 years. We hung on every pitch, and the crowd was remarkably resilient each time we were down. You guys know what happened with the game itself***, I won't rehash the details, and yes, that wave of emotion and to feel it collectively, was unbelievable.
To share the experience with Mrs. CF3, was great. She loves the Royals. I wore the Royals shirt and hat I was wearing the night we met. The night I met her Dad, was after a Royals game in '03. After our wedding, leaving the reception, she said "Did the Royals win tonight?" as they were in the midst of a 20+ game losing streak. The moment I'll remember more than the end, was when Hosmer scored to tie in the 12th and I looked at her and tears were in her eyes. "I can't believe this is real" she said with a smile that I'll never forget. When I got down and sad at 7-3, she stayed positive and started "Let's go Royals" chants with the crowd around us.
When Salvy got the hit, it rained from Rivals sports bar above our heads. A shower of beer, water, and joy. We hugged strangers. We jumped up and down, and raised our hands in celebration. I looked up, and there was that rascal WC08 on top of Rivals, goofy ass grin, just partying his ass off. We stayed in our seats for a while soaking it all in. Walking out, looking at the faces of the fans, it was like looking at an entire city freed from a generation of baseball oppression. The sports version of the end of Shawshank redemption. We crawled through the crap, and were cleaned by the rain on the other side. I imagine its similar to the early 90s KSU football fans experience. The Royals, for one day, were kings of baseball. The Freaking Royals. We sang and danced and laughed. Royals fans are good people, and they deserve good things, even if just for 1 day.
Its just a game, but it meant a lot to this city, and to me, and to all of us Royals fans. I'm glad we got to experience it.
*J-Dub came to the tailgate with me, with no ticket. At 4:30 he walked up to the box office and they had 1 ticket left. 4th row, Diamond Club.
That dude was in the Diamond Club.
**I've only IRL known Slimz a while. We watched the following Royals games together this year: Last game before the ASG, Sunday afternoon against the Tigers, big home win. The Gordon walkoff, the Friday game in Chicago, and the tailgate for yesterday. We're a good luck duo.
***So happy for Billy to get those hits. Loved Finnegan, Dyson, Esky, Hos, Lorenzo, Willingham, Davis, Holland, Colon, Aoki and the rest. Such a great TEAM effort with so many contributing.
