My Sports Life is a Rock Song: "Say It Ain't So"

Time now for another installment of "My Sports Life is a Rock Song," and I'll just go ahead and say it: I don't mind Weezer at all. Sometimes I kinda dig 'em, even. I'm sure there are plenty of varying opinions on them, as is always the case with music, but the purpose of this feature is to (at least attempt to) mix the emotion associated with a track with a personal feeling regarding the sporting world. For tonight's purposes, this band and the selection fits a purpose. For reals. Jump on it.

Given the tendencies of my colleagues, I'm surprised that the recent tear of Royals wins hasn't already generated a post with sentiments similar to this one. Having defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 tonight, the current KC trend looks something like six wins in a row, 9-1 in the last 10, and a 13-3 record thus far in inter-league play this year. Of course, being 4-0 against St. Louis is pretty sweet, too. None of this, however, should be a hint, or a suggestion of any kind, that the Royals should've taken the opportunity (if it really ever existed) to switch leagues.

In many ways, I'm an old-fashioned guy. I like my baseball (with stirrups) American League-style, with the Brewers and the Royals in it, and plenty of designated hitting. Divisonal and post-season realignment don't really bother me anymore, and in fact, never did. I'm still a little unsure as to how I feel about the still-semi-new scheduling format, but it's not terrible by any means. Anyway, I've always considered the AL to be more competitive, and I don't think I'm in the minority, but I wouldn't take a KC league swap for anything, even if it meant more Royals victories. It just wouldn't hold the same meaning. I feel the same way about my sports equipment. I don't want better sneakers to improve my hoops game. I'll pass on the spendy driver to get more yardage out of the box, and I don't want a nicer stick just so I can improve my slap shot. I want to get better at all of those things with practice, and then get the fancy gadgets. The same goes for the Royals being a competitor in the AL Central.

If this club has things semi-righted, and will do as I think they might, I want them good where the competition is tough. The Central has faltered a bit this season in terms of best division in the game. Both the West and the East have three plus-.500 teams, while the Central only has two. And of course credit is due to the NL Central thus far as well. The point is that the Royals must continue to display the (of late) desirable balance of good pitching with decent bats, now that inter-league play is drawing to a close for the season. When St. Louis leaves town, KC travels to Baltimore, a club that's given them consistent troubles in recent years, then to Tampa Bay, and back home for a White Sox/Mariners home stand before the break. And it's time to translate this potentially competitive baseball playing to the league in which they play.

Ultimately, I'm grateful that they never really even considered a move, as that is not the way to improved baseball playing in my book. While entertaining the notion might be amusing or bizarre to some, I simply say it ain't so. The Royals are an American League club, that once inhabited the West, and for my money, will always inhabit the Central, barring any unforeseen future realignment. If I were a Red Sox fan, I'd probably relish in the opportunity to watch my team battle the Yankees, Jays, Os, and Rays on a consistent level, just as I enjoy matches against the Twinkies, Tribe, Sox of White, and Tigers.

I do believe that baseball is back, its wrinkles will be ironed out, its popularity continue to grow. I enjoy the game now more than any other time since childhood, and I look forward to 2010, when I plan on loading up my basement with AL Central Champs material. In the meantime, I wish for the boys in blue to keep playing hard, and of course, stay classy.