We went to the Hall of Fame at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday before the MLB game against the Oakland A's. It salutes the Royals who were playing back when I was paying attention. It's a very entertaining place to visit.
The fellow who sketched the history of baseball in Kansas City was one of those who kept asking questions. "What is Ernie Banks' most famous saying?" Stuff like that. He did ask, "Is there anyone here old enough to have gone to a game at Municipal Stadium?" Well, yeah. I mentioned Campy Campaneris and Catfish Hunter. During the game when an outfielder caught a fly ball, I turned to my sister and said, "Mike Hershberger."
I lived in KC from 1965 to 1970 and I went to three or four games before Charlie Finley moved the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland in 1967. Just before the team moved, it acquired some players who would go on to be greats. Catfish Hunter (my sister got his autograph at a shopping center shortly after he joined the team), Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Rick Monday. They were a perennial last-place ballclub and Charlie Finley was not a popular man in town. But we rooted for the team (you could call us "Athletic supporters") and watched or listened to the games. And when the team left, we continued the KC tradition of hating all things Oakland.
Ownerwise, Ewing Kauffman was about as far from Charles O. Finley as the town could get. The ball park is a beauty. I'd been to games there before but not in many years. And the reason I went this time was because I'd won two tickets from MoDOT.
So the Royals lost to Oakland on Sunday and I didn't know any of the players on either team. We did enjoy watching shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt make a couple of great catches. And the pitcher, Luke Hochevar, got back his control after the disastrous second inning. Even though the Royals have been an American League team for 40 years, I think of them as a "young franchise." But they seem tired.
The fellow who sketched the history of baseball in Kansas City was one of those who kept asking questions. "What is Ernie Banks' most famous saying?" Stuff like that. He did ask, "Is there anyone here old enough to have gone to a game at Municipal Stadium?" Well, yeah. I mentioned Campy Campaneris and Catfish Hunter. During the game when an outfielder caught a fly ball, I turned to my sister and said, "Mike Hershberger."
I lived in KC from 1965 to 1970 and I went to three or four games before Charlie Finley moved the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland in 1967. Just before the team moved, it acquired some players who would go on to be greats. Catfish Hunter (my sister got his autograph at a shopping center shortly after he joined the team), Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Rick Monday. They were a perennial last-place ballclub and Charlie Finley was not a popular man in town. But we rooted for the team (you could call us "Athletic supporters") and watched or listened to the games. And when the team left, we continued the KC tradition of hating all things Oakland.
Ownerwise, Ewing Kauffman was about as far from Charles O. Finley as the town could get. The ball park is a beauty. I'd been to games there before but not in many years. And the reason I went this time was because I'd won two tickets from MoDOT.
So the Royals lost to Oakland on Sunday and I didn't know any of the players on either team. We did enjoy watching shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt make a couple of great catches. And the pitcher, Luke Hochevar, got back his control after the disastrous second inning. Even though the Royals have been an American League team for 40 years, I think of them as a "young franchise." But they seem tired.
