As I was replaying today's disastrous 9th inning in my head, I thought about this Royals team.  This team is truly unique in the long line of Royals teams in the last decade.  This team has coupled incompetence with glimpses of brilliance.  There have been highs such as the season-opening sweep in Detroit and a silencing of Cardinal nation with a 3-game sweep under the arch in St. Louis.  On this trip down memory lane, I will identify the 5 best and the 5 worst moments of the Royals season at its midpoint break.

The good times:

5.  Home opener at the K (4/8/08)

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Alex Rodriguez struck out 4 times (sombrero) as Brian Bannister got the start and the win, although it was probably one of his most mediocre starts of the season.  The Royals won 5-2 and defeated the Yankees one year after dispatching the Red Sox at the 2007 home opener.  The Royals were playing well at this moment and went on to win the first series of the year at the K against the Yankees.

4.  Game 2 in St. Louis (6/18/08)

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In the 8th inning, the dormant Royals offense erupted against the supposedly good Cardinals bullpen.  Trailing 2-1 in the 8th inning, the Royals faced off against set-up man Kyle McClellan.  David DeJesus and Alex Gordon each connected on solo shots that gave the Royals a 3-2 lead and eventual win.  The Royals won the series that fateful Wednesday night, but the brooms were brought out of the clubhouse to get that Cardinal trash off the field on Thursday afternoon.

3.  Miguel Olivo ties the game against Baltimore (6/30/08)

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In a game the Royals traditionally would lose for many reasons (it was against the Orioles, we gave up 5 runs, were down 5-1, etc.), the Orioles brought in closer George Sherrill, a lefty, a fact that is useful for one Miguel Olivo.  After retiring the first two Royals hitters in the top of the 9th in pedestrian fashion, Sherill dazzled Olivo with two breaking balls for strikes 1 and 2.  Strike 3 was to be another breaking ball, but Olivo redirected it into the LF seats, tying the game at 5.  The Royals would go on to win this game in the 11th, half-way exorcising the demons that haunt the Royals at Camden Yards (perhaps it has something to do with Babe Ruth's parents owning a saloon that apparently was just behind where 2nd base is today).

2.  DeJesus walks it off (712/08)

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Just when we were feeling confident in Gil Meche on a comfortable Saturday night in July, he allowed 4 runs in the 6th inning to the hapless Mariners, spoiling an early 3-run Royal lead.  The Mariner bullpen mowed the Royals down for 2 and 2/3 innings.  On the night of Mark Grudzielanek's 2000th hit, the Royals would not go home empty handed.  With 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth, something happened.  Billy Butler pinch-hit for Esteban German (not Ross Gload the AB before).  Butler promptly took a 4-pitch walk and was taken out of the game in favor of Gathright on the bases.  He would not be there long.  On the first pitch of his at bat against Brandon Morrow, DeJesus launched a no-doubt home run into the Royals bullpen, a walk-off shot propelling the Royals to a 5-4 victory.  Thrilling.

What could top this?

1.  Royals comeback against Giants (6/22/08)

via kansascity.royals.mlb.com

In what was one of the worst umpired games in history, the Royals appeared to be headed to a quick defeat against the San Francisco Giants.  Starter Kyle Davies lasted an inning and a third, allowing 5 runs, all earned.  After 4 and a half, the Royals trailed 10-3.  The Giants had Tim Lincecum on the mound.  All appeared lost, and to this point in the season, a comeback seemed outside the realm of possibilities, especially one of this magnitude.  But it happened.  The Royals did what you have to do when a team is down 7 runs.  They nickel and dimed the Giants starter and a parade of relievers.  The Royals scored 2 in the bottom of the 5th, knocking Lincecum out of the game.  They then posted a 5-spot in the 6th to tie the game.  At the same time, the Royals stumbled upon the first pitcher in the game to be able to keep runs off the board.  Tied at 10, Ron Mahay entered in the top of the 7th.  He faced 7, surrendering only a walk.  In the bottom of the 7th, the Royals scored the go-ahead run.  SF pitcher Alex Hinshaw and manager Bruce Bochy were ejected in the 7th as the wheels fell off for the Giants.  The Royals won 11-10, and everyone left the park that day with a hat and a new idea of what this team actually COULD do when facing adversity.

Honorable mention moments: Bannister's first start and the series sweep in Detroit to open the season; John Buck's extra-inning homer in Tampa to avoid the sweep (sending the Rays on a current 7 game losing streak and out of first place); Mike Aviles tie-breaking homer in game 1 of the series in St. Louis; Mark Grudzielanek's 2000th hit.

The bad times:

However, as Royals fans can agree upon, all is not well for our boys in blue.  They are 10 games under .500 at the break.  Here are the 5 worst moments for the Royals in 2008 so far.

5.  The Pickle (7/13/08)

Admittedly, this one still stings.  The Royals had taken the first 2 from the terrible Mariners.  The game had been tied, and the Royals appeared to have some momentum as Joakim Soria entered the game in the top of the 9th.  Soria would not be the culprit in this loss however.  Inducing a weak-pop to CF, Mike Aviles could not make the over the shoulder catch, scored a double.  The runner was bunted to 3rd.  With 1 out, Soria got what he needed.  A grounder to the pitcher turned into a pickle as Adrian Beltre broke for home.  It would not last long however, as John Buck's throw sailed over Alex Gordon.  Alas, our hero Mike Aviles bare-handed the ball out of nowhere.  Still with a chance to throw home to get Beltre, he throws to home SECOND?  Run scores.  Batter/runner safe at second.  Royals lose 4-3.

4.  Mike Aviles loses the game (7/1/08)

via kansascity.royals.mlb.com

Luke Hochevar had to have been thinking that Mike Aviles hated him after this outing.  Though Luke did not pitch particularly well, Mike Aviles botched a couple plays defensively by throwing to the wrong base.  On one play, he cut off a ball coming from Jose Guillen in left to get the runner at home.  The runner would have been out, but Mike threw to 2nd instead.  Run scores, and the other runner is safe.  He would also attempt to throw behind a runner with 2 outs on a grounder to short, instead of taking the sure out at 1st.  Bone-headed? Absolutely.  But it was even worse for Aviles, as he went 0 for 5 and grounded into TWO double plays.  He left 8 men on in the game.  It's hard to single-handedly lose a game, but Mike Aviles did.  But perhaps the greatest tragedy here is that it prompted Trey Hillman to put Tony Pena Jr. back in the lineup the following night.

3.  12-Game Losing Streak (5/19-30/08)

via kansascity.royals.mlb.com

We've been through enough of these.  Two events during this streak will be profiled in the next two entries.  As I've written too much already, I won't spoil you all with too many details of this streak.  It just sucked.

2.  Jose Guillen apparently does not like babies (5/28/08)

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In the midst of what would be a 12-game losing the streak, the Royals had a 5-run lead against the Twins after 9 straight losses.  In the 9th inning, Ramon Ramirez was allowing single after single to the Twins, bringing the game within 3 runs.  Trey Hillman called upon Joel Peralta with 2 runners on and 2 outs.  Ron Gardenhire countered by pinch-hitting Royal killer Craig Monroe.  Peralta attempted to throw a high and inside fastball past the power-hitting Monroe, and Monroe planted it in the LF seats for a 3-run bomb, tying the game at 8.  We lost 9-8 in the 10th.  But perhaps the most interesting thing about this game was what happened next.  Jose Guillen was asked too many questions apparently.  He responded with a 4-minute-long tirade in which he dropped the F-bomb three billion times, called his teammates babies, defended his manager, and vowed to improve the team.  THIS was the Jose Guillen we had heard and dreamed about.  While offensive in nature, Jose's rant held a lot of truth.  The Royals were/are full of babies, and soon the streak would end and the Royals would destroy the NL (again).

1.  Jon Lester no-hits the Royals (5/19/08)

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Jon Lester turned into baseball's feel-good story of the year with this no-hitter.  It was only the second no-hitter thrown against the Royals in the franchise's history, the only other thrown by Nolan Ryan.  Lester had been a good pitcher, but he never flashed dominance like this before this Monday night.  The Royals looked foolish all night, and not just in the batter's box.  The Royals dropped foul balls and infield pop-ups on defense also.  This no-hitter illuminated the Royals' offensive woes.  The team swings too early and often, and the sad thing about the no-hitter is that it apparently did not teach our Royals anything.  They would lose their next eleven games as well, rarely showing any offensive signs of life.  I never want to see this happen again to our team, because it brings out all the national negativity about the Royals.  (it's JUST the Royals so it should be half a no-hitter, etc....screw you ESPN and others that don't watch or highlight our teams successes as well as our failures)

Honorable mention bad moments:  Soria's first blown save of the year in the 11-10 bizarro game at Yankee Stadium; Billy Butler bunting and bad umpiring; every time TPJ got in the batter's box.

This year truly has been a roller-coaster so far, perhaps moreso than other recent seasons.  But we must continue to watch and hope that things get better.  Never give up, because this season has shown, as every season does, that crazy things CAN and DO happen.