Hey guys, I'm still a mess today. Tears of joy keep welling up in my eyes and I have a feeling in my chest I couldn't describe if I tried, but I'm sure most of you understand.
I didn't have any great, exciting victory celebration like some of you. I had a simple, quiet one by myself at home. My wife tried to stay up with me to watch the end of the game, but coming off working back to back days of 16 hour shifts she just couldn't do it. So when Wade Davis finished off the Mets I gave a series of silent fist pumps, broke open a variety pack of Boulevard Beer, and settled in to let the emotions roll over.
I read and posted here with my fellow gE Royals fans celebrating at home. I browsed Twitter and Facebook reading posts from Royals fans everywhere. And most of all I just sat back and remembered. I remembered listening to Royals games with my grandpa and great-grandpa for so many summers as we did evening chores, rushing back anytime I had to leave the radio to ask if we scored. I remembered the strike year, one of the first times I realized how much importance money played in sports, and how afterwards my beloved Royals began the slow decline into ineptitude. I remembered the trips up to Kansas City that where such a rare treat because my dad had become so disenfranchised by professional sports, but where I actually got to see these names I heard on the radio playing the game in person.
I remembered the "greats" of the lean Royals years. Names like Hipolito Pichardo and Ken Harvey. I remembered all the epic draft busts of those years. I remembered my anger at having to trade away Damon, Beltran, and Dye, among others. I rembered seeing Gordon, Butler, and Hoch play for the Wranglers when I first moved to Wichita and thinking just maybe these guys where the answers. I remembered feeling that familiar "here we go again" anger and frustration at having to trade Greinke. I remembered how great a feeling last year's run was and the agony of loosing game seven with Gordon on third.
I have never had a team that I would consider myself a huge fan of win the ultimate championship until last night. This is a feeling I have never experienced before and is just indescribable. I want to hug everyone I see, I want burst out crying, and I can't get this stupid grin off my face.
