And so another season hits the record books. 62-100 it is, the final tagline to an otherwise highly forgettable season. For most of April, May and June the team looked much much worse than 62 wins, for parts of July and August they looked a little better. September was up and down, culminating in a bizzare 3-game sweep of a highly disinterested Tigers team, despite the supposed importance of the Division Crown/Wild Card distinction.
I enjoyed greatly the Royals spoiling Kenny Rogers final appearance of the season. Hopefully no cameramen were hurt postgame. The singles-based offense was clicking today, as the Royals churned out 12 singles, 3 doubles and (gasp!) 7 walks en route to 10 runs. Of course, David DeJesus continued his descent into hackfestianism with a walkless day. Not that it means anything going forward, but a fairly random group of Royals players had a nice weekend in Detroit. We should all be so wise as to not question a felicity like that, however fleeting.
I hope you'll continue to visit Royals Review in the offseason. I'm working on a Season Recap piece for Tuesday as well as a Radio Affiliate Profile on California, Missouri. Like last off-season, there'll also be historical articles on past Royal greats (and "greats" like T-Long) and reactions and discussions regarding all the off-season moves. Dayton Moore's real work begins NOW, and I think we're all curious to see what happens. Finally, the T-Shirts are still in the works, although I cannot now say when they will be availible. Lets set the bar low and say by Opening Day 2007. ;)
How do I feel now? Weirdly tired and reflectful and even a little older. Tomorrow night will be strange. As summer ends, something new emerges to take its place, with all the attendant anxieties of autumn. I can handle fall, but winters are usually tough.
Nowhere to go but indoors,
Nor friends but empty chairs -
No, give me my in-tray,
My loaf-haired secretary,
My shall-I-keep-the-call-in-Sir:
What else can I answer,
When the lights come on at four
At the end of another year?
Give me your arm, old toad;
Help me down Cemetery Road.
-Philip Larkin, from "Toads Revisited"
Thanks to everyone for a fun (yes, it was at times, wasn't it) season. I've gone from Iowa to DC to Iowa again through these 162 and in the process been able to meet -- in some strange impersonal way -- a great group of fans. The site continues to grow and hopefully that growth will prove a mirror to the rising glory of the boys in blue.