A fair-weather fan’s take on KC Royals

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November 2, 2015 - 12:00 AM

“If the closers are so good, why don’t they pitch more of the game?” I asked my husband.
No response.
“Or why don’t they use a different closing pitcher every inning of the game. Surely there are enough young men who could fill the spots.”
This is when a little knowledge can be dangerous. Saturday night, Brian definitely wanted to mute my running commentary.
These are my takeaways from watching the Royals these last few weeks.
• They don’t hold grudges. When the Mets’ pitcher Noah Syndergaard started off Game 3 with a zinger that almost hit Alcides Escobar’s head, word spread some kind of retribution would await. “We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve, too,” Ned Yost, Royals manager, threatened. I don’t know what he had in mind, but by the next day saner minds prevailed and the Royals stayed the course of simply playing their style of ball. Revenge, in any venue, is a lousy motivator.
• They are generous. Saturday night, outfielder Alex Rios seemed to think his catch ended the inning and missed an opportunity to throw out a runner coming in at home plate. Everyone could relate. They moved on.
• They keep their composure. It annoys me to see fans waving handkerchiefs behind the batter’s box in an effort to distract the pitcher. As if. Fans should model the respect the players show for each other.
• They are a team. It must be difficult playing away from home, especially when the stakes are so high. That’s when they pull together, knowing their support of each other is all the more critical.
At this writing, I don’t know if the Royals pulled it off Sunday night to win the World Series.
Win or lose, they’ve been the very model of sportsmanship.

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