By CHRIS RASMUSSEN
The last time the Royals and Cardinals were rivals, I was in high school.
Despite what you might hear or read in the next two weeks touting the series against the Cardinals as games between two rivals, the Cardinals and Royals are no such thing.
For this to be a rivalry, the teams would have to play meaningful games on a frequent basis. But KC and St. Louis are in different leagues, and the only time they play each other is in June, when the pennant races are still undefined. What separates makes the games against St. Louis any different from those against the Giants or the Diamondbacks? Nothing, save the possibility that more of my co-workers and relatives might pay attention to a Royals game this week and next.
The two teams haven't played a meaningful game in 23 years. Here's how long ago that was: 810 AM occasionally replays the broadcast of the game complete with commercials, one of which is for a state-of-the-art home computer -- the TRS-80.
We occasionally trade insults with St. Louis about the 1985 World Series, but Cardinals fans don't care anymore. They've won a World Series since then and while I would like to think Denkinger occasionally haunts them, they've moved on. Cardinals fans don't care about the Royals; they dislike the Cubs – a team that's a divisional foe for the Cardinals and a much more formidable one at that.
Are Cardinal fans obnoxious about their team's success? Yes – but I'm a Royals fan so I feel that every fan bragging about their team's success is obnoxious.
That isn't a rivalry -- it is a resentment toward someone completely out of my league who ignores me.
I had enough experience with that in high school, thanks.
Showing 1-16 of 16
I am a Cardinals fan and root for the Royals during the season, except during interleague play agains the Cards. I live in St. Louis and dislike this city. I don't mind Kansas City as the residents seem to be more down to earth. Overall, Missouri sucks.
@ Brock
"The cities have more in common than not, and they're basically united against the rest of Missouri, anyway."
I agree. Farmers suck.
@ Planet B
"I'm a Royals fan living in St. Louis, and don't believe for a second they don't still burn over Denkinger."
Ok, at some point this has to be discussed. The Cardinals had the rest of the inning -- remember, Orta was the lead off hitter -- as well as an ENTIRE seventh game to win. They melted down. They didn't act like champions.
Further, the Royals outplayed them in the first five games (if not for a Howser strategic decision to leave Quis in the pen in game 2 while Leibrandt was being pounded, they would have been up 3-2 in the series going into Game Six).
That said, it was 23 years ago.
@Big Flax: The White Sox?
I've lived most of my life on the eastern half of Missouri, and I never really considered the Royals a rival. I like Kaufman and I'll try to make it over there for a weekend series every once in a while, but like has been said: We don't see the Royals enough to be rivals.
As far as K.C. v. St. Louis, that's another non-starter. The cities have more in common than not, and they're basically united against the rest of Missouri, anyway.
Agreed Dejesus Christ, good name by the way.
St. Louis is one of the most violent, trashy cities in America. I have a friend from KC that went to MU, 8 of his friends have moved here from STL since they graduated. Doesn't say much for that city when they can't even retain their residents that bail for a safer, more modern urban community.
It's a rivarly not because of the World Series, not because the Royals don't play meaningful games, it's because the cities hate one another.
BigFlax, at least we were alive to see the Royals and the Cardinals win a world series. Just keep on drinking your Milwaukee brewed Old Style.
There is a rivalry because there is a rivalry between the cities themselves, i.e. St. Louis is full of assholes KC is cool.
I'll give you another team that has an advantage every year - the Cards, because they get to play the pathetic Cubbies 18 times a year! How fair is that?
Have Cub fans figured out their excuse for blowing a WS bid at the end of this year yet?
As a Cubs fan, it bothers me that the Cardinals get six games a year against the Royals because they're "rivals." Name another team with that kind of inherent advantage year in and year out.
I'm a Royals fan living in St. Louis, and don't believe for a second they don't still burn over Denkinger. I just talked to someone about it at a bar last night. It's not a rivalry in the sense of playing meaningful games, but it is in every other sense. And, guess what?, these games are meaningful because they count toward both our records. Let KC's mastery of the NL continue, I say!
Driving home last night and what do I hear on 610? Neal Jones firing up the homers with a segment on "The Call", specifically whether or not it won the series for the Royals. Yawn. Can we please talk about something timely and relevant, like when is OJ going to offer up a reward for the perpetrators of the beatdown on Javon Walker?
This series was never a rivalry. The two teams met in the World Series 23 years ago. Then after the owners and players tried their best to destroy their league, they created an artificial rivalry where none had previously existed. Chris is right, this series is about two things: 1) Resentment that a certain segment of Kansas Citians feel for the Cardinals for reasons I cannot understand; and 2) Mo' money for MLB.
So go ahead Royals fans, spend your hard-earned money to support our boys in blue against our "rivals" the Cardinals. When you drive across the state to do it, be sure not to rent with Enterprise. And ask for a Miller Lite at the game. That'll learn 'em.
DMV:
I differ somewhat with what you wrote -- KU and MU, unlike the Royals and Cardinals, compete in the same division in football and every college basketball game played b/t KU and MU has a great deal of significance for the conference title (they face each other almost every few years in the conf tournament) and/or regular season championship.
I'll always see this as a rivalry. Both cities are off of I-70, both are in the state of Missouri.
It's not like KU and MU aren't rivals in basketball despite KU's dominance over the past decade.
Now you're talking, Jo-bu (and nice Major League reference):
I actually think relish has the series lead but mustard has been taking artifical preservatives to gain a competitive edge.
it's too bad the Royals can't keep a team together long enough to build up the hate. Even the Astros have managed to make themselves un-likeable over the past 6 years.
Screw the Royals - Cardinals.... When is Relish going to weiner-slap that d-bag Mustard?
Spoken like a Royals fan, Chimpo.
They are the CARDINALS! You are like the buzzing of flies them!
like
dislike
