BASEBALL RAY.......... er, JAC........

I love Rock and Roll, put another dime in the juke box, baby.....

I love SPORTS, print s'more newspapers, gimme more talk shows, "Yes Spectrum, I want all  47 Sport's Channels."

Well, kinda.

I love Kansas City... the one that's in Missouri... Oh, I like the one in Kansas too... but they can have their poopy University.  JK, kinda, Schwabby.

Victor, tell me about Kansas City.  Holy crap, did you really just ask that?

Well.....  Hopewell Tradition (various Indian tribes)...  Spanish influence..  The French traded furs under Spanish license...  Lewis and Clark road-tripped after the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.. "Hmm, nice place, the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers."

(SIDE NOTE, sorry, kinda)..  I have great love ALSO for my City, er, our City, Liberty, Missouri.  At one time, the Mighty Mo River had a big ole bend in it, thus, Liberty Landing - a great place to settle, trade, yada.  Then, them suckers (I ain't sure who) decided, "let's take this dayum bend outta the River, get there faster."  Get where? I dunno, West.  You tell em Horace, I ain't sure. SO......... they rerouted the River for a straighter path, ne'er ever to potentially have Lamar Hunt's Liberty Chiefs, or, Mr. K's Liberty Royals. Damnit darnit.

(KC continued) Incorporated in 1850...... Heap Big Civil War Battles (Biggest West of the Mississippi, The Battle of Westort)... The Pendergast era..  TJ Pendergast kinda ruled roost from 1925 to 1939, did a lotta good, but, like some, he had an allegiance of hardened criminals.  Does ring a bell, eh? Sorry, not sorry,

Victor, BORING, speed it up.  OK Alvin.   Jazz was basically born here.. hella fountains were built ("The City of Fountains") We've got more BBQ restaurants per capita than anywhere on the planet. "Hi, may I help you?"  

Some folks that either grew up here, strolled thru here, lived nearby, you mighta heard of:  Charlie Parker, Ginger Rogers, Ed Asner, Count Basie, Eminem, Walt friggin Disney, Harry S-for-nothing Truman, Charlie seeya-later Finley... Jackie Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs before the Majors.. you mighta heard of Ernie Banks, Satchel Paige and Buck O'Neil too.

Tidbits....... invented in KC:  the fire pole, the Bomp Pop, the bumper sticker, Wishbone salad dressing, Hallmark Cards.......... and, the first ever scoreboard to have instant replay (Arrowhead.. we had to prepare for all those Chief's haters that said "they get all the calls", sorry, not sorry)..

Thus, everything's up to date in Kansas City.

Victor, THE HELL?  BASEBALL RAY?  er, JAC?

Oh yeah.  The Legend of Paul Bunyan.  The next Mickey Mantle.  Better'n sliced bread?  We'll see... 

Jac Caglianone, a mountain of a man at 6'5" 250 lbs.  One year ago, the #6 overall choice in the MLB draft.. It's been said, power like The Babe, arm like that Ohtani guy.  Promoted yesterday to the Major League Roster of the Kansas City Royals.

He started the season in AA Ball... the ballpark couldn't hold him, tore it up, hit mammoth homers... promoted 11 days ago to AAA.. . 6 homers last week.

Fans.. National networks.. Sportswriters, everybody and their little brother had hollered, "RED ROVER RED ROVER, SEND CAGS RIGHT OVER."

One of my good buddies, I won't mention names (Tim Tipton).. is a heap big Cardinal fan, he's sucked down bottle after bottle of Rolaids, hollered out damn near ever time I see him "CHEATERS.. you ROYALS ARE CHEATERS".  something about a guy named Denkinger I think.  Anyways, Tip (oops) tells me (about our budding hero), "Two words, Clint Hurdle." To his point, Clint was listed as our (Royal's) savior, "The next Mickey Mantle" and, it didn't quite pan out.

To summaraize.  As the 38th biggest (I think it is) metropolis in these great United States, we, Kansas City, have always had a chip on our shoulder.  We hear "small markets can't compete".. "They're Missouri's AAA ball club."

Ironically, the Royals play tonight, (Cags's first game) in St. Louis against the Cardinals. 

Cags is our "Rah rah ree, kick 'em in the knee, Rah rah rass, kick 'em in the other knee!"...  Our "YEAH BABY!"..    He's our "Wishin' and hopin, and thinkin' and prayin'".. To date, our pitching has been phenominal, our hitting, not-so-much.  Offensive offense, so to speaky.

Two not aforementioned Kansas Citians......... George Brett and Tom Watson...  quoted, offered Cags advice this morning in our Kansas City Star, yodel-deedle ay-hee, that's what they are, "remember, it's just baseball.  Swing easier."

Of course I hope Jac's fast forward doesn't end up like Clint Hurdle... that said, The Mick, after his 13th season, signed a contract for $100,000, largest ever.  Then, he said "You don't ever have to gimme another raise." Ooops.  So five more years without a raise. For my own grins, I looked up Clint Hurdle's net worth.  $10 Million.

Me thinks Cags will exceed that, if he ain't already.

Tonight, like in 1985, 'LET'S GO ROYALS!". It was beautiful. I was there. RIGHT BEHIND HOME PLATE.. well, it was the very last (top) row in the stadium, but, I was there)..   

I'm off to slide down the fire pole, eat me a Bomb Pop, buy some fall off the bone ribs, buy a Get Well card from Hallmark, cross out the "Well" and change it to "Get Over It".. send it to my Tulsa buddy, oops... 

Then, watch FanDuel...... 6:45pm tonight. The I-70 battle.   May The West team Win!

Love, Victurd