Kansas City celebrates present, past in baseball
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Kansas City is loving baseball again!
After only two winning seasons in the past 20 years, Kansas City Royals fans have had little to cheer for. There were no realistic shots at making the playoffs.
Until now…
The KC Royals are above .500 and challenging for the second wild card spot with about a month and half left in the season. They are playing excellent baseball on both sides of the field. They are a decent hitting team. Their defense is among the better teams in the American League.
Kansas City recently took 3 of 4 games from the perennially strong Boston Red Sox recently. 
This used to be old hat for the Royals.
After entering the AL in 1969 as an expansion team, Kansas City won its first division title eight years later. The Royals then won the division three consecutive seasons, facing the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, and losing each time.
In 1980, after winning its fifth division title in six seasons, the Royals swept the Yankees in three games to advance to their first World Series. Kansas City’s run to the title fell short as the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series 4 games to 2.
The Royals eventually won its first World Series in 1985, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the “I-70 Series” as it was called since you can take the interstate from one city to the next.
In their first 20 seasons, the Kansas City Royals had 13 winning seasons and two World Series appearances.
Since then, they have four winning seasons and 20 losing seasons.
Kansas City has had a long history in baseball.
The city played a major role in Negro Leagues of Baseball. During the days of segregation, African-Americans weren’t allowed to play baseball alongside white players.
Rube Foster helped found the Negro National League of baseball at the KC YMCA near 18th and Vine streets. The Negro League Baseball Museum is located near the old YMCA. It is a must-see when in Kansas City.
A lot of great players passed through the Negro Leagues. Of the Monarchs, three great players stand out – BuckO’Neil, Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson. It can be debated who among them was the greatest Monarch player. But, Robinson played possibly the greatest role in baseball history – he broke the color barrier on the diamond.
He was signed away from the Monarchs to join the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. Robinson became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. He spent 10 seasons with the Dodgers.
He paved the way for other great players – Larry Doby, Roy Campanella, Frank Robinson, Don Newcombe, and Paige among them. Robinson is the only player to have his number – 42 – retired by all professional baseball teams. 
Hank Aaron was the first African-American to hit the most home runs in a career. He eclipsed Babe Ruth’s mark of 714 in 1974. He finished with 755 home runs during his career. This mark has since been broken by Barry Bonds during the steroid-era of baseball. So, is it a legitimate record? That’s up to the baseball junkies to debate.
Once African-Americans started playing in the Major leagues, the Negro Leagues faded. The Monarchs stopped playing in 1950. So, Kansas City would be without baseball.
But, not for long.
The Philadelphia Athletics (A’s) moved from the City of brotherly Love after 54 seasons to Kansas City. Kansas City was home to a Major League Baseball team from 1955 until 1967, when owner Charlie Finley hit the road for greener pastures. The A’s moved to Oakland, where they still exist, playing Moneyball.
Again, KC was lost without baseball.
But…
Ewing Kauffman and his wife won the rights to an expansion team for the 1969 season. The Royals were born. Coincidently, the Royals’ top farm club was born that season in Omaha. The Omaha Royals moved to a new stadium in the suburbs three seasons ago and changed their name to the Storm Chasers. 
Kansas City’s resurgence can be traced to its farm system. The Royals have spent money to develop players in their minor league system. Thus, as the players improve, the farm teams improve. In the end, the Royals get better. Omaha has won its division championship two years in a row and is currently competing for the division.
Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City was renamed to honor its original owner, who died in 1991. The stadium was renovated a few years ago. It hosted the 2012 MLB All-Star Game.
As part of the renovation, a brand new Royals Hall of Fame opened.
It recognizes accomplishments during the past 45 years.
Visitors start the tour with a short film highlighting the history of baseball in the City of Fountains.
In the museum, you can see uniforms worn by players during key events. Jeremy Guthrie didn’t have a loss in his first 17 big league starts. His jersey sits in the team Hall of Fame.
Frank White’s eight Gold gloves sit in a display case.
Alex Gordon, former Nebraska baseball great, has two Golden gloves on display.
Possibly, the grandest display is the one recognizing No. 5’s 3,000 hits. George Brett, probably the greatest Royal ever to play, cracked 3,000 hits to join a select club in baseball history. The display ahs 3,000 baseballs set up in the shape of a “5,” with a bat in the middle.
Near the end of the tour is a replica of the World Series championship trophy from 1985.
Portraits of all the players, managers and executives in the team’s Hall of Fame line the wall. Of particular interest to me was the portrait of Paul Splittorf. Splittorf played his college baseball at little Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. Our youngest daughter went to college there. 
So, while taking in a ball game at the K, not only do you get to see some good baseball played by the home team again, you can take a walk through Kansas City’s baseball history.
Get some peanuts and cracker jacks, and get out to the ball game.
