Readers share thoughts on Royals manager, Star’s World Series coverage, Eddie Volquez
Royals’ manager
Last year during the World Series, Brian Costa, sportswriter (purportedly) for The Wall Street Journal, declared Kansas City Royals’ manager Ned Yost a “dunce.”
Two straight years to the Series hardly fits that unflattering description.
Who’s the dunce now, Mr. Costa? Let’s go Royals, clapclap clapclapclap.
Jeff Allen
Kansas City
Going with heart
New York Mets fans should quit beating up on Mets manager Terry Collins for going with his heart and keeping Matt Harvey in the ninth (11-2, BB8, “No cloud 9 for Mets starter Matt Harvey”).
He shut us out for eight innings. He earned it.
It was his. Nobody with a beating heart could deny him. As loyal Kansas City Royals fans, hey, we know about heart.
It was meant to be.
Bev Bohn
Overland Park
Kudos to The Star
While our beloved Boys In Blue are enjoying their well-deserved praise, I believe we need to add The Kansas City Star to those receiving accolades. The coverage of the race, from the play-offs to Game 5, has been absolutely stunning. I can only imagine how many all-nighters were pulled to get the information to us the very next day — especially because the Royals are fond of waiting until the late innings (and even extra innings) to accomplish the win.
Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian were certainly MVP’s — and were ably supported by a great team ... just like the Royals!
We have saved every section and thank the entire sports staff for making it easy and fun to follow the Royals’ wild ride to the World Series championship. Thanks to each and every one of you.
Judy Sherry
Kansas City
Children’s game
As a stubby fat kid, I grew up hating sports and anything related.
My parents forced me to play baseball because they wanted me to be active.
I found out later that they hated the sport, and we were all miserable.
But as the Kansas City Royals grew in spirit, so did I. It seems silly when you think about it: Standing around for hours looking for a little white ball and running in a big square. Memorizing players and stats, for what?
These last two years have taught me that it’s not about the game. It never was and never will be. It’s about never giving up, even when things seem hopeless. It’s about doing something that has never been done before.
It’s about having your teammates’ back — having your entire team’s back. It’s about how we treat ourselves when we win and lose. It’s about how we treat others, even our biggest rivals. It’s about the city, Kansas City.
At age 35, I’m proud to say that I am a Kansas City Royals fan and a new fan of “the child’s game.”
Tim Phelps
Overland Park
Best in baseball
I have been lucky to live in two great baseball towns. My most vivid memory of Boston baseball is watching Jon Lester pitch a no-hitter against the Royals in 2008. Walking out of Fenway, no one said a word to me about my Kansas City Royals shirt.
When I moved home to Kansas City, I bought Royals season tickets, which was stupid because at the time you could barely give tickets away. Over the past three years, I've had a front-row seat for the Royals' renaissance.
Last year, it almost came full-circle when I watched the Royals destroy Lester in the most memorable Wild Card game in human history.
In the last 40 seasons, the Royals and the Red Sox have won exactly the same number of American League pennants and made the same number of World Series appearances. In that time, the Sox have won three, and the Royals have won two.
Over the last 10 seasons, with the gap between the Sox and the Royals cumulative payrolls, ($1,201,915,382 and $728,591,164, respectively) you could pay all of the Royals for four years.
They're both great teams and they're both great cities. But today, finally, Kansas City and the Royals are the best in baseball.
Melissa Roberts
Overland Park
Vivid journalism
Thanks to The Kansas City Star for its terrific coverage of the Kansas City Royals’ post-season. The special inserts with the great photos, bios and articles were a real gift to your readers, not to mention the beautifully written Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian columns.
So thanks again for enhancing our exciting and memorable Royals experience.
Peggy Smith
Olathe
Baseball teachers
Eddie Volquez did it Sunday night for his father, who died on Tuesday (11-2, BB4, “Volquez expected to start today”). On Sunday night, I drank beer and touched the lucky towel with my friends and supported my team and my city and my dad, who died eight years ago.
Baseball is a sport of nostalgia, and a necessary reflection of the past. I get that it's a slow game and boring to some.
But on Sunday night, it was about angels in the outfield, about Eddie's dad, and my dad, and your dad and everybody who taught us to love this crazy game. I treasure the time spent over the past few months making new friends and solidifying old friendships over this crazy sport, and I'm happy that the Royals won the World Series.
I'm happy that it's not a memory that we only have of our childhoods, or of before we were born, but that this year we won the whole thing. And come today, when that parade marches blocks from my house, I'm gonna be right there with them.
We got 'em.
Dennis Conrow
Kansas City
This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Readers share thoughts on Royals manager, Star’s World Series coverage, Eddie Volquez."