Kansas City Royals Should Be Embraced By Baseball

There is no denying that the Kansas City Royals are a different team than what one sees in baseball these days. They are an exuberant collection of players, celebrating every play and making it obvious that they are enjoying simply playing the game of baseball. It flies in the face of the stoic, expressionless style that most other players have. After all, this is the same sport that had people criticizing Yasiel Puig for his excitement when he hits home runs. How will baseball react to a team of players playing with that same intensity and passion?

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If the returns thus far are any indication, the answer is “not well.” The Royals have gone from being the darlings of the 2014 postseason, a team that virtually everyone outside of San Francisco was rooting for, to the villains of the game. The Royals are the Bad Boys of Baseball, a cocky, arrogant team that the rest of the league wants to knock down. Those uniforms not only have a target on the backs because of their success last year, but because of the style in which they play the game. It is the antithesis of everything baseball has become.

Yet, the Kansas City Royals are exactly the type of team that baseball should be embracing right now. They are an exciting team in virtually every facet of the game, making spectacular catches, running the bases with aplomb, having a bullpen that is enough to make mere mortals break down sobbing and a power game that is the perfect compliment to their offensive style. This is the type of baseball team that fans would enjoy watching.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that, as baseball has become more vanilla and the brash personalities have been leaving, questions have arisen about the long term sustainability of the game. The youth of America want excitement, and three hours or more of watching people play baseball without any emotion is certainly not going to provide that. Yet, that is the direction that baseball has taken, for better or for worse.

While the long term health of Major League Baseball has been a hot topic in the United States, the popularity of the sport has certainly not dissipated elsewhere. In Latin America, baseball is still king. The crowds are on their feet constantly, with each game having an atmosphere that the more popular National Football League would be envious of.

Why is this? Because the players in these leagues play with their hearts on their sleeves. They care about the game, their teammates and their performances, and are not afraid to show it. Players like Yordano Ventura, Lorenzo Cain and the rest of the Kansas City Royals would fit perfectly in those leagues, instead of being an anomaly that they are currently.

If Major League Baseball is serious about bringing fans back to the game and drawin in the younger demographic, perhaps the change needs to begin with the mindset of the players. Instead of experimenting with pitch clocks and making a batter keep a foot in the batter’s box, maybe they should examine the “unwritten rules” of the game. Maybe, instead of having a collection of robotic individuals on the diamond, they should celebrate those players who show their passion. If the opposition does not like it? Well, play better and record those outs.

The Kansas City Royals may be exactly what baseball needs. Instead of fighting the Royals for daring to show passion and emotion on the field, they should be embracing what they see before them.

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