A lot has happened in the Kansas City sports world since I last wrote here. Took a couple of weeks off to coincide with the holidays and my boys’ winter breaks, and during that time, all hell broke loose.
Of course, I’m talking about the Chiefs moving to Kansas.
And then there was a lot of talking about the Royals joining them.
It’s interesting—I became a bit upset about the Chiefs plans to move across the state line, but I felt a void in my stomach when it looked like the Royals might be joining them.
Some family members felt differently. Turns out I’m the biggest baseball fan in group. Current season-ticket holders to the Chiefs have informed they won’t continue once the move is completed.
My oldest son, who just experienced his first Chiefs losing season, wept when I told him the news. He later asked me, “Who’re we going to root for* when the Chiefs move?”
It was sad.
*Tampa Bay, of course.
Again, though…I cared, but not all that much. I don’t attend many Chiefs games. Never have. I think I went to my first Chiefs game when I was a senior in high school. I remember seeing them defeat the Michael Vick-era Jets. A few years ago, they escaped the Jaguars in a cold-weather game. Those are the only three Chiefs games I remember attending.
The Royals, on the other hand—I try to go to at least two games every year. Doesn’t always work but that’s the goal.
I remember going to Royals games when my family first moved to Blue Springs, then at least one game every season with my father. Games against the Yankees, against the Red Sox, the Angels (Anthony Rendon almost hit a home run!), the Cardinals, one memorably cold game against the Tigers the day before Easter, one random interleague game against the Cubs, games against the White Sox, the Indians.
The first game I attended with my son was against the Blue Jays—Troy Tulowitzki hit the first home run the little guy witnessed in person.
As I’ve previously written, my youngest son’s first game was Aroldis Chapman’s last as a Royal—a wild 4-3 win in extras against the Guardians in which Chapman allowed a runner to steal home. First and only time I’ve seen that first-hand. My wife and I tried to get the boys to leave before it finished but my sons wouldn’t have it. We found some random seats in time for the bottom of the 10th, and jumped out of them when Freddy Fermin hit his walk-off double that scored Kyle Isbel and Nicky Lopez.
Time moves fast in baseball. And in life.
Tulo retired in 2019, Chapman’s long gone from Kansas City, Fermin’s a Padre, Lopez is a Cub, maybe. Only Isbel remains, and who knows for how long.
My father has passed, my sons are 10 and 6. Life moves fast, too, it turns out.
Now the Chiefs are moving.
But thankfully the Royals remain.
I don’t care if they move out of Kaufman. Don’t get me wrong—I love that stadium. For as big of a baseball fan that I am, I have only been to three stadiums: Busch II, Busch III, and The K. It will be an emotional day when the Royals bid farewell to Kauffman, but if it’s to say hello to another field here in Kansas City, Missouri, then not all will be lost.
I hope that’s what John Sherman decides. He’s said before that he’s the steward of this franchise. That’s the right way to look at it—the franchise belongs to the people. He may own it but it’s nothing without us fans.
The Chiefs will be fine moving to Kansas. Football is the king of American sports, and even if the new stadium is full of mostly corporate fans, what matters is that it’s full. And it will be full. The Chiefs will survive.
The Royals need their fans more than the Chiefs do. The Royals may not survive a move. I mean, it’s highly unlikely they would move and falter, but baseball is no longer the dominant sport in the country, hasn’t been for years. Decades, even.
Baseball depends on its fans.
It doesn’t sound like the team is moving to Kansas anymore, Toto, which is great. I don’t care if that’s because Kansas doesn’t want them now that it’s landed the Chiefs, or if the Royals are seeing an opportunity here in Missouri to be the Talk of the Town. I’m glad that it looks like they’ll be staying here in Kansas City, Missouri.
Now they need to seize this opportunity.
Take advantage of the Chiefs leaving.
Take advantage of being the biggest professional team remaining on this side of Missouri. With the Cardinals down and rebuilding across the state, the Royals could even take over some of those rural counties that historically root for St. Louis.
The Chiefs have gifted the Royals a golden opportunity, and now the Royals must capitalize on it.
