•Feb. 22, 2008: The Royals absolutely, definitely and undoubtedly will win the American League Central in 2008. These guys all have the ability — this isn’t just dream talk here.

And you know what? Maybe all of them will do it. You want to talk about why the Royals will win? Maybe all of them will do it. Wouldn’t that be fun?

•Feb. 17, 2007: A miracle season would be welcome, of course — hey, it’s baseball and the Royals could win the American League Central, I can’t go a year without saying that — but the good news is that this time around the Royals are not counting on miracles. They are trying, instead, to change the entire landscape of Kansas City baseball. It’s a big job. It looks as if they’re on the right track.

•April 3, 2006: It’s April, and we should dream. We can complain in July. And August.

•March 16, 2005: Could. Might. Possibly. These are the words that get a sports fan’s heart pumping. There are possibilities.

•Feb. 27, 2004: If you figure that a baseball team in a certain city has not made the playoffs in 18 years, and the football team next door has not made the Super Bowl in 34 years, and the NBA team left 18 years ago, and the average temperature in July is 90 only it feels like 121, and the average person in this city gets bitten by 293,382 mosquitoes each summer, well, I’m telling you, the odds are real, real good that the baseball team will win this year.

•Feb. 27, 2003: Nobody wants to say anything nice about the Royals right now. It isn’t chic. It isn’t cool. People will laugh. But it’s February. And every February, no matter what, I believe the Royals will win.

•Jan. 27, 2002: It’s the Royals’ turn now. They’ve got young pitching. This is the year when it comes together. The Royals are going to win the American League Central.

No, I don’t expect you to come along this time. I don’t expect you to fall for this again. It’s crazy. It’s absurd. It goes against all logic. But January is not for logic.

•Feb. 25, 2001: We’re looking for believers. True Blue Believers. Because this is the year. This is the year the Royals take Kansas City on that magical pennant-race ride. This is the year of three-run home runs and ninth-inning strikeouts and Kauffman Stadium jam-packed in September, most of the people wearing old Royals T-shirts that were buried in the bottom of a drawer somewhere. This is the year. Can you feel it?

•April 2, 2000: The Royals could win the World Series this year. There you go. I said it. And I’m not joking. I’m not being sarcastic. The Royals could win it all. It’s possible. There you go. There’s nothing wrong with believing it. Sure, it will take a few breaks. It definitely will take some breaks.

But then, maybe the Royals are owed a few breaks.