Yes, I’m a Kansas City resident. No, I’m not a Kansas City Royals fan.
But don’t think I’m a frontrunner or anything like that. I’m from a displaced Chicago family, so my loyalties are back in the upper Midwest. That being said, there’s little of interest to me these days at Kauffman Stadium.
But maybe Big Bad Ike could change that. The first two games of the upcoming Cubs-Astros series have been postponed as Hurricane Ike bears down on the Texas coast. Smart move, but the two teams — one a true contender and the other trying desperately to be considered one — are put in a bit of a pickle by having two games scratched. With each having a day off Monday, it’s possible a second game could be squeezed in, or maybe even a Monday doubleheader to cover the whole series.
But that’s all contingent on Houston not being soaked in post-hurricane rain on those days. So the idea of moving the series, or at least a couple of the games, to a neutral site should be a legitimate topic of conversation.
Enter Kansas City, a pretty darn good halfway point between Houston and Chicago. And trust me when I say KC could use the action.
Kauffman Stadium is in the middle of a renovation project that’s set to be done for Opening Day 2009. The result as 2008 winds down to a non-competitive close is that half of the upper deck and the two sections of outfield seating are currently closed. Not that it really matters, considering the club ranks last in attendance among American League teams with an average of just over 19,000 per game.
In fact, the situation is so bad that the Royals are promoting “Retro Pricing” for the upcoming series against Seattle next week. Fans can get into the park for just $3 a ticket. (That actually may be a bit steep to watch the Royals and Mariners clash futile heads.)
But I’ll be honest. My real gripe with this is interleague play. Because of the retarded structure of interleague play, the Cubs haven’t come to Kansas City since 2000. How long ago was that? Ismael Valdez was the Chicago starter for the last game of the series. The Cubs and Royals played in Chicago the following summer, but they haven’t met since. The last time the NL Central and AL Central were matched up in interleague play, the Royals were the scheduling casuality as a result of the Cubs and White Sox having to play their annual home-and-home series.
Based on how the schedules have flowed the last couple of years, the two Central divisions should meet in interleague play. I’ll be anxiously waiting to see when/where/if the Cubs and Royals will meet.
Until then, why not throw us Kansas Cubs fans a bone?
(But be nice, Ike.)
3 Comments
September 12, 2008 at 1:11 pm
The Royals need to make a decision to be good, or to be bottom dwellers. I am a KC native, now transplanted to South Florida. I would love to see the Royals contend, if for nothing else than the pride of my home town.
September 13, 2008 at 9:14 am
I should point out that many local fans said earlier this year that the Royals would be much better off in the NL after posting a 13-5 record in interleague play. Then again, ownership had its chance to move the Royals to the NL, but passed and allowed Milwaukee to make the move. That’s what Bud wanted anyway!
September 13, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Just an aside to your beloved Cubbies, our Phils are doing our part and taking apart the Brewers this weekend…but a really interesting development when Friday’s game was rained out. The Phils management wanted to play it on an off day for both teams on Monday, but that would have meant the Brewers would have played too many consecutive days according to the union rules and had the final say in if that game would be played on Monday or as a doubleheader Sunday. After realizing they could not only still have their day off on Monday if they played two on Sunday…but also have Brett Myers pitch on three days rest…their decision was to make the teams play a DH Sunday afternoon-night. Even though the Phils’ players reportedly wanted the doubleheader also so they could have their precious day off on Monday…I hope we sweep all four and continue our march towards destiny…a match-up with Chicago in the playoffs!