The season is over. Get on with it and fire him and every involved with this season.

I am officially a Kansas City Royals fan.

I have been MLB homeless since I walked away from an abusive relationship with the ownership of the Oakland A’s in 2022, after 35 years of fandom.

I’ve lived in KC since 2015 and with the Royals moving into the city I’m going to go all in with my first local sports team fandom. Hey hey hey!

First jersey recommendation?

Who do we hate?

What do I need to NOT do at games?

What do I need to know?

(Oh and it’s still fuck the Chiefs)

Mine is Terrance Gore

I got into the Royals around 2021 when I was in my last year of college. I never really followed sports before but somehow the Royals really appealed to me. That summer I went to my first game at The K (also my first pro sporting event, went on my 22nd birthday) and despite the Royals losing to the Tigers, I quickly became obsessed with the team. During that phase, which I call the "hyperobsession" phase, I collected bobbleheads, baseball cards, anything else Royals-related I could get my hands on. My bedroom essentially turned into a shrine for the team. I wrote a couple stories for a long-gone Royals blog.

The negativity and pessimism quickly got to me, though. Especially since I live deep in cardinals territory, where everyone is hyperobsessed with the cardinals. (I often got heckled and joked at for my Royals gear, and witnessed one or two very heated exchanges about the 1985 World Series between another Royals fan who I befriended and cardinals fans.) The irrelevance in baseball as a whole — the team only being mentioned when they got blown out like tonight or as the butt of a joke — exacerbated my negativity. I went to Opening Day 2023 but that was it for me, I "gave up" on the Royals and slowly somehow found ways to distract myself with other things.

Then last year I made a huge mistake and got back into the Royals by going to a game on my birthday. I subsequently tried to reconnect with the fans I made during my first round in the Royals fandom (although many won't speak to me anymore because of my pessimism) and have even brought out many of the bobbleheads, cards and other memorabilia that I threw into storage after my 2023 hiatus from following the team.

However, I've still been very labile regarding how I feel about the Royals since... when they're doing good (like earlier this week) I'm good, but when they're bad (last night and especially tonight) it just tanks my entire mental health. I know that sounds weird to say, but somehow I do care about this team that much for some reason. I have friends (primarily from college) who work for the Royals. They were my first true favorite sports team. Bobby Witt Jr is probably the first athlete I truly admired, even though he's younger than me (by a year) and there were other Royals players I liked. (My first being Danny Duffy because of his openness with his own mental struggles.) There's even a couple minor connections between the Royals and some of my other interests. And even though I'm not from there, I love the connection to Kansas City (and I've always favored baseball over other sports).

I find myself talking a lot about the Royals in my therapy sessions, and I often feel ashamed for being upset/depressed over something so insignificant or trivial. I even have more pressing things that should be prioritized but in my mind take a backseat. Distractions sometimes work, other times not so much. Therapy isn't always a huge help. I try to detach from this team but somehow haven't had much luck. All that even despite my pessimism and bleak outlook for the team.

All this long-winded back story to ask: How do die-hard Royals fans (or fans of other bad teams) do it without suffering mental meltdowns night after night? And how do you manage to find the silver lining or things to look forward to when everything seems so bleak? The team is on track for a 100+ loss season and possibly finish last in MLB. The Royals future in Kansas City looks so bleak as they enter yet another era of irrelevance, mediocrity and sub-.400 seasons despite having some very talented players that would be stars on other teams. With the Royals being not just irrelevant but actively disliked in their own city, sometimes it feels as if this could be the final era of professional baseball (MLB) in KC. On the field, all of our ALC rivals have more top prospects in their pipeline than the Royals so it appears the Royals likely won't even have a shot at competing anytime in the next decade or so. The owner doesn't seem interested in turning any of it around, he seems content with the way things are going.

Yet somehow die-hard fans will continue to proudly wear their Royals gear, go to games and cheer on the Boys in Blue, and support the team no matter what. Those individuals find the silver lining in nearly every situation, even the darkest moments like being absolutely crushed 22-1 by the ChiSux (my most hated sports team btw, I hate them even more than the cardinals and Yankees somehow) and the lack of anything pleasant to look forward to. I've always admired the fans who can make lemonade out of a lemon, and have always wondered how they do it. How do you stay sane when this team is so bad and there's nothing to look forward to, no hope on the horizon?

TL/DR: How to stay sane and positive/optimistic when this team is beyond awful and there's nothing to look forward to?

Looking for pointers from past participants or other derby experts. I don’t want to embarrass myself out there!

I immediately thought that I will start seeing #14 jerseys with "Lumber Jac" on the back by October. It's hard to beat 'Pasquatch', but it's number one with a bullet for me. What Royals nicknames make the Top 5 for you?

Ok, the title is admittedly a little clickbait-y. I started following baseball just this year, and picked the Royals for arbitrary reasons (proximity to where I live, and my wife is a Chiefs fan). As you all know, the season has been... rocky. Through it all, though, I've really come to like these scrappy underdogs, and there have been a few flashes of greatness amidst the chaos, enough to make me feel like they could pull it together in the next year or two.

However, scrolling through this sub and other fan pages, there seems to be a lot of pessimism for the future, with people saying that Bobby Witt Jr. will be traded away, that the team is headed for irrelevance, some saying that the franchise is destined to move out of Kansas City. Are these just doomsayers blowing off steam, or have I jumped onto a sinking ship? I would really hate to be a bandwagoner and just switch to the Cardinals, but I also don't want to get too attached if the team is really doomed to just vanish in a few years.

Sorry if there's already a post like this, but I've seen a lot of people say how much they're going to miss Freddy, but I know nothing about him. So, I was hoping you guys could tell me about what makes him such a chill guy and a good player. As fan of a team who's lost some awesome players, I am sorry you guys lost him, and we'll do our best to take care of him for y'all🤍💙💛🤎

When Manny Machado came up with bases loaded, were any of you worried that we would do any damage? Personally, I knew exactly what happened was gonna happen. Did you feel like anything different may have happened?

What section and how much are you paying?

Top of the 6th and we’ve hit 11 pop flys so far 😬

Can we do that? (soon to be 34-49)

So it’s spelled Cag-li-a-none. But watching MLB Network highlights right now, everyone seems to be pronouncing it Cag-li-one, notably omitting the first “n” sound.

Are they pronouncing it wrong or is that just a westernized way to say that name? How do you guys pronounce it? I thought I remembered the first “n” being pronounced during the WBC

Do we anticipate any coaching changes during the season or are we looking at an offseason rebuild that should have been kicked off years ago when Dayton was fired?

Genuinely curious because it seems that Sherman is infinitely patient (or infinitely stubborn).

Genuinely confused why Rex hasn’t been calling games on Royals.tv. And why is Joel Goldberg not interviewing the player of the game with the Salvy splash. It’s unsettling and I miss it.

Please be reasonable.
I’m high on Eric Booth Jr.

On my journey to visit all 30 baseball stadiums i have visited my 6th last night in Kansas City, While i have appreciated the Charm of kansas city, I really enjoyed the gem that it kauffman stadium.

Of the 7 cities i have visited, Kauffman, Great American, City Field, Sun trust, Nats park, Camden, and My home park PNC. Kauffman may be the most photogenic, and best place to watch a game. every modern stadium(post Dodgers stadium)has good sightlines, but kauffman's symmetry and "modern" design was cooler than Camden's or PNC faux jewel box ornateness. While it was dated, that only adds to the charm. When people talk about PNC the comment is always on the Pittsburgh Skyline, but last night once the rain rolled away seeing the sky and weather, the beauty of a Missouri Spring at dusk was honestly better. the game was fun the royals and white sox were both terrible but the season is early. the amount of replay was lacking and the announcer was either intentionally low key or the sound system is just bad. Concessions were expensive but elative to other stadiums they were kinda cheap so good job a guess. Fans were absolutely pleasant.

First the parking an ease of access was absolutely fantastic, idk why most teams dont opt for suburban stadiums. as a suburban fan getting to PNC park if it was in Monroeville or Carnegie, or Jefferson township(if ever they finish the southern beltway), it would absolutely be easier. While it was easier to get to City field from Groton Ct, the Metro North/7 train does not exist in most cities.

The rain delay was annoying an better communication would have been appreciated prior, but i was in a good mood.

Granted the last time i saw a pirates game at PNC park was 23Aug21, where i was blessed to watch the 61 win Pirates blow a 2 run lead to the 52 Diamond backs, and i cannot tell the last time i saw a game on Sunday prior to yesterday. It was my expectation to listen to God bless America during the seventh inning. When did KC stop this? does Pittsburgh still do this? I get the controversy over kate smith(i learned this last night), but pittsburgh never played her recording, that a scummy thing scummy people from Philly do or apparently did. Pittsburgh always had the singer of the national anthem sing God bless America. KC, why not have the ladyboy scout sing God bless America. what cities still do this if any? why did they stop. I know the hunts are politically conservative, i know MO, and KS are politically conservative, and i assume Christian. What is religious/personal background of the Royals Ownership, and what was the Royals fan reaction to no longer playing God bless America. personally i think its depressing that we cant have that song be played. Its a non sectarian song its not against any Abrahamic religion yet we cant have it in our country? smh...

Its a shame the royals want to move out of Kauffman. its a beautiful stadium. If i was the city of KC i would offer up all the realestate of the truman sports complex to the Royals, let them develop it and make the profits, like the Braves did at the battery. Additionally, i would reissue a vote on the tax and use the tax to build some public transit/subway/trolley/Busway from downtown to the new entertainment/residential neighborhood the royals new neighborhood. I get that its old and needs refurbished and concrete will crack, however Fenway and Wrigley are also maid of concrete, yet no-one is advocating to tear them down. if we are to preserve our history and the culture of the sport i dont get the desire to build a new stadium down town. Especially when you factor in the cost to demolish the K, which from what ive read, no one is.

overall decent night, Missouri has been a beautiful state for a road trip. would recommend.

Im a sox fan watching the royals broadcast for the first time, is the name of the channel you guys play on just Royals TV?

Also, how do you guys like it? We have CHSN for the Sox but its overpriced to hell and honestly not as good or available as NBCSN, which was our network for as long as I can remember beforehand. Marquee is the cubs network and that is also pretty expensive.

MLB has been so weird with network rights the past few years, it’s interesting peeking into other team’s new setup.

Most teams will usually give the new network its own branding or name too.

I will say I love your announcers so far, started watching the game on the Guardians broadcast and had to turn that off quick.

My buddy and I were having this conversation. He insists that it’s Gordon but I feel like the stats do not back this up whatsoever. Who do you guys think is the most overrated royal?

Pretty random, but since last summer I’ve been on the hunt for a Yastrzemski jersey from his time with the Royals. He was one of my favorite players on the Giants, and I was pumped when we acquired him at the deadline.

The only jersey I’ve ever seen online is the basic white custom jersey from Fanatics, which I have no interest in. I’ve seen some people get them from the $50 blind bag they sell at the stadium and I was wondering if anyone has one in a size XL that they would be willing to sell that are similar to the two pictures I provided in the post (these are my favorite variations)

Thanks!

He threw 97-99 in college. Could he do any worse than the current bullpen? I get the potential injury risk but, now that he's hitting, why not let the kid have some fun?

Easy to focus on what's gone wrong but what's a move or decision that actually worked out better than expected?