God, what a game…an 8-0 shutout in favor of the Boston Red Sox. I could talk about the game, but I won’t because it will just make Royals nation depressed, as the Royals are 19-42 and well…on pace for over 100 losses for the second straight season. So instead of dwelling on the negatives, let’s spin it in a more positive way, and look at why Red Sox fans piss of Kansas City Royals fans.
#1 Chris Sale
Chris Sale is a fucking beast. And I hate saying that, because I remember him being an absolute ass hole when he was pitching on the White Sox. But at the end of the day, Sale is one of the best three pitchers in the Major Leagues, period. Sale can strike people out. He limits walks. He limits hits. And he’s got a weird, lanky motion that makes it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball. Just take a look at this immaculate inning he rocked in the 8th inning against the Royals.
And that’s what pisses Royals fans off about the Red Sox. The Red Sox are beneficiaries of Sale. They didn’t do anything to develop him. All they did was trade Sale for Yoan Moncada and a bunch of crap, and suddenly, the Red Sox got one of the best three pitchers in the game, who absolutely mowed down the Royals. It shouldn’t be easy to get such a great starter in Sale, but for Boston and their ownership, getting a pitcher like Sale is not a problem in the slightest.
#2 Their young players work out
Rafael Devers is hitting .316 with an .887 OPS after homering and 2 for 5 in tonight’s game against the Royals. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi had three hits and raised his OPS to .787. And Michael Chavis contnues to be a strong rookie, as evidenced by his hit tonight and .822 OPS. Name a Red Sox younger player (outside of Jackie Bradley), and the chances are, they’re holding their own at the Major League level.
As for the Royals, the jury is still out. Yes, Hunter Dozier is mashing, but right now he is on the DL, and who knows if he’ll come back 100 percent. Mondesi is stealing bases like crazy, but his plate approach isn’t exactly characteristic of other franchise-caliber shortstops (walks too little; strikes out too much). And the others? Fuck it. It doesn’t matter at this point.
The Red Sox are a big market club in every sense of the word. They are trying to win a World Series each and every year. But they also draft well. And not just that, but they also develop their talent properly before they get to the Major League level.
Just judging some of the struggles of Nicky Lopez, the Royals pitching staff, etc., it make me wonder what the Royals would look like if they had even a fraction of the development team of the Boston Red Sox.
#3 The Stupid Curse
Ask the Red Sox one thing they remember from their youth, and chances are it revolves around Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth fucked over the franchise. Babe Ruth was traded for a broadway play. If it weren’t for Babe Ruth, the Red Sox would have just as many championships as the Yankees. When it comes to gnawing on Red Sox fans, Babe Ruth is a great place to start, since the “Curse of the Bambino” resonates with Red Sox fans of all ages and backgrounds (after all…they hadn’t won a World Series from 1918 until 2004).
But at the end of the day…it’s bullshit. Dan O’Shaughnessy, Boston Globe, bullshit. Did Ruth have an impact on the organization? No. He didn’t have an effect on at-bats. He didn’t have an effect on pitching. Rather, that was shitty judgment by the scouts and ownership, who couldn’t find a decent replacement to fill in Ruth’s role after he gave the two finger salute to one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious cities.
And yet as Royals fans we hear about the curse. It’s supposed to give us comfort, that the hometown Royals can win a World Series again in the near future after a returning to sender year this season in the shittiest possible way (the 2019 Royals are perhaps on pace for not only 100 losses, but perhaps setting a franchise record for losses).
But we don’t need to hear about the Babe. We don’t need to hear about the curse. The Red Sox have won four titles since 2004, their first title since 1918. We don’t need to hear about the curse anymore. That went away long ago…so suck it up and find something else, Red Sox fans, to bitch about.
Final Thoughts on the Royals
The Royals Reporter 