Fans of the Forgotten: Royals and Pirates
Baseball breaks your heart. It reaches deep into your chest, grabs a hold of your heart, lifts it up briefly in a fluttering moment of pure hope, then quickly rips it out. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. The suffering felt by fans of teams for which the postseason has left behind is something I can sympathize with. For anyone who doesn’t know, I’m a San Diego Padres fan. I put my frustrations, hopes, anger, joy, pain, and love into the form of word at Chicken Friars. Because I am a Padres fan, I can understand the fans of the the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Kansas City Royals.
Now, I would never be so callous and ignorant to compare my beloved Padres to these teams and these fan bases apples-to-apples. No, I understand the losses piled up in San Diego pale in comparison to those of the Steel City and the City of Fountains.* However, I believe San Diego’s lack of consistent success, their accumulation of losing seasons, and their inability to win a World Series gives me and all Padres fans the unique ability to be empathetic to those in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
*For those who are curious; No, I do not have a vast knowledge of city nicknames. I had to look up Kansas City’s nickname. Interestingly enough, the city was nicknamed the City of Fountains because – well – they have a lot of fountains. It goes deeper than that though. In 1904, Kansas City saw its first fountain built. Since then, the city has built more than 100 fountains. And that of course includes the fountains at the Royals’ home ball park, Kauffman Stadium.
Baseball in Pittsburgh is as storied as anywhere. For those who marvel at the Yankees history and their success, I direct you to the Pirates. The Pirates, as we know them today*, began play in 1891. In that time, they have won five World Series, nine pennants, and appeared in the postseason 14 times. They’ve played host to a plethora of great players you tend to read about in the history of baseball. Players like Ralph Kiner, Wille Stargell, Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski, and Honus Wagner have gracefully worn the Pirates colors.
*Between 1882 and 1890, Pittsburgh played as the Alleghenys in reference to the Allegheny River which is so prominently displayed as a backdrop to Pittsburgh’s current ball park. They were not very successful and compiled a 441-617 record.
Yet, Pittsburgh has become a laughing stock in the modern era. Their last play-off appearance was in 1992 when they lost the NLCS for the third straight year. It was a time when Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds shared the same clubhouse. It was a time when George H.W. Bush found himself losing the Presidential election to Bill Clinton. It was 20 years ago. So forgive the Pirates fans if they are a little bitter.
After all, their team did the unbearable last season. They gave the fans hope. The Pirates were in contention until late in the summer. They held onto first place late into July before collapsing. They had the natives as excited as they’ve been since 1992. Their story was featured in articles from ESPN to NPR. Their stadium was selling out. Then, someone popped the balloon. And by season’s end, the streets of Pittsburgh, once filled with beaming rays of hope, were littered with the memories and dreams differed for yet another year.
Then there are the Royals. The Kansas City Royals are another storied franchise. From 1976-1985, the Royals went to the postseason seven times. They won two AL Pennants and won one World Series. They were just short of being a dynasty. But since 1985, the Royals have been a doormat.
Kansas City’s play-off drought runs back to the Ronald Reagan era – the first term. The last time the Royals tasted play-off glory, the “Troubles” were still going strong in Northern Ireland, Coca-Cola was feeling the back-lash of “New Coke,” and Back to the Future was on its way to becoming the highest grossing film in 1985. Oh, and an entire generation of Royals fans was being born. Those fans have yet to see their team crack the postseason.
The Royals are a team, believe it or not, with more success than the Padres. The Royals made the postseason seven times since their inception in 1969. The Padres, also entering the league in 1969, have made the postseason just five times. However, a play-off drought of 26 years is something no average fan can handle. Only those with the fortitude to sit through agonizing season after agonizing season with the everlasting hope that “next season is our season,” can survive.
We will be starting a new season very soon, and with that new season comes the fluttering feeling among fans of belief. They wake up with that belief and follow it blindly into Spring Training. They brush off the negative press, the division predictions, and they dream of wins. These fans, these Pittsburgh and Kansas City heroes of hope, enter each and every season with the unyielding desire to see a successful team in their cities. They sit at work, locked in never-ending meetings, and day-dream about a magical run through the Division Series, a surprising upset in the League Championship Series, and a momentous celebration when their team wins the World Series.
Baseball breaks your heart. But it also puts it back together. If you stick with it, baseball will give you everything you’ve ever hoped for. It will take from you quite a bit. It will take your patience, your confidence, and sometimes even your spirit. But in return, baseball will give you something great. It will give you pride, joy beyond your wildest dreams, and a feeling irreplaceable by anything else in this world.
Baseball will give you championships and play-off runs no matter who you root for. All it asks in return is your undying support. And that is baseball in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.