Fan auctions off his loyalty

by ohtobe21likehuston on May 4, 2006 5:01 PM PDT

As a person who has lived near the KC area and hung out with several of their fans... I find this completelely humorous yet very sad at the same time. I apologize if this may have been posted elsewhere.

"Chad Carroll auctioned off 25 years of loyalty to the Royals for only $278.47" which seems like a "roll back" price equivalent to what their owner, David Glass, spends on his entire roster.

Read story...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/05/03/bc.bba.royals.allegiance.ap/index.html

I heard about this yesterday when I was eating lunch with a friend of mine, Sean, who is an avid Royals fan and he was actually laughing about this story. He has always lived and died with the Royals and carried the same hope each year that any Yankees or A's fan would, however, I saw this article and thought this might represent most Royals fan who have been reduced to rubble. While at the games over the weekend fans were blaming the problems of the team on all sorts of reasons... Zack Greinke for leaving ST and starting them off in such a hole was the most popular sentiment. Surely no one would realistically consider this "roster full of rejects" one that had a chance... but ONCE AGAIN... ownership was able to get fans excited about this season and since I live here I can attest that most of them may have "bought in" for one last time.

This is a story that any sports fan should read because it focuses on the true passion that most of us have EVEN when a horrible owner, such as Glass, continues to run a once-reputable (and very proud) franchise into oblivion. Glass is the cheapest man in baseball and seems to be content in holding onto his GM Allard Baird, although the team has regressed to MAYBE it's lowest point ever this year. 0-12 on the road to start a season and looking tonight to tie a dubious record that only two other teams have... ACCOMPLISHED? At what point should MLB intervene and make the David Glass-types put the free Yankees advertising dollars they were given into creating a competitive roster for their fan base who probably cares the most?

How blessed are A's fans! Even when things were going horribly last May, I doubt that any of you ever considered jumping ship. I remember the tough stretch in the 90's after LaRussa left and we started to rebuild the team. To me it was very exciting because we were seeing actual improvement each year and those years have become some of my FAVORITE memories of all. The Indians kind of remind me of those days and their fans should have plenty of excitement for the next 5 years. Hey... I'm 100% thrilled to have a team that understands their limitations yet REFUSES to feel sorry for themselves or their situation. Fail to PLAN. Plan to FAIL. Thank goodness the A's do have a plan.

Sports as a whole has become so much about money that it's very disturbing and you grow to hate teams like the Yankees that keep "outspending" the rest of the league. Then you see Boston have the gumption to actually bitch about how out of control the Yankees are because they got A-Rod. These fans have no idea how difficult and amazing the A's have been over a good portion of the last decade. Therefore, I think it's also important to pay attention to the other end of the spectrum too because all fans deserve a team that has a chance to contend in APRIL alone.

Enough about that... here's to our "Little A's That Could" and the hope that they remain in the same place.... with the best fan base.

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Excellent diary, even though this was in the DLD.

I'm giving it a rec.

In defense of the Einar Diaz trade, his stats are very good. He has an excellent vowel/consonant ratio.

by McFood on May 4, 2006 5:09 PM PDT reply actions

Quite eerie

I wrote this independent of the DLD yet I just read "The Little Engine That Could" comment that was posted by someone there as well.

I didn't even mention in the post that I CAN'T STAND the Royals but it's gotten so bad that it's becoming hard to hate them.

"If you're surprised by getting the job done, that means you didn't expect it out of yourself." -Huston Street

by ohtobe21likehuston on May 4, 2006 5:43 PM PDT up reply actions

the Moneyball approach to a fan base

Ironically (or not, given your perspective), Wolff is on the cutting edge of the Moneyball approach to a fan base: where Beane seeks out bargain/undervalued players to maximize the performance/salary ratio, Wolff (and other likeminded owners) is, with his condo-complex-with-reduced-seating-stadium and no-freebies-via-accessible-radio-broadcasts, seeking out the most "expensive" fans to maximize the income/fan ratio.

And ditto McFood's comment.

Shut, shut, shut your cold, mean mouth! - Poppy @('.')@

by monkeyball on May 4, 2006 5:28 PM PDT reply actions

poor guy

i'm a warriors fan, i don't know how i manage. being a warriors fan only makes the winter seem longer. and this year i was actually feeling optimistic about them, and it lasted for about a month into the season. if u're a fan, u just never learn. thank goodness for Billy Beane.

"Apparently there's a rule that you have to be old enough to drive yourself to the induction ceremony. So obviously that's not gonna work."

by F171615 on May 4, 2006 6:23 PM PDT reply actions

Mr. Carroll is brilliant

Saves himself heartache AND he makes a couple bucks.

Why yes. I am a ray of warm and fuzzy sunshine.

by grover on May 4, 2006 10:33 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah, that is kind of sad.

But you can't link to this without linking to the crew at The Royals Review who exemplify what it is like to hold optimism and resignation in the same heart at the same time! Pretty tough, and a high bar to set for when we consider our own feelings about our own team.

Ron Washington: Thinking outside of the three-sided box since 1977

by tankerraid on May 5, 2006 7:39 AM PDT reply actions

Saddest teams aren't the poorest ones

...but the rich ones that can't get their act together. Not that I have anything particularly against them, but can you imagine rooting for the O's?

LEMURCONKERS!

by GreenNGoldSooner on May 5, 2006 9:15 AM PDT reply actions

What A Joke

Sorry but a real fan sticks by their team no matter what. When the A's sucked in the late 70's this fan didn't bail on them.

by RudiFan on May 5, 2006 1:44 PM PDT reply actions

I hear ya

but the A's won 3 titles in the 70's so I doubt that you were really staring at these kind of tough years. At any rate... I agree with it being pathetic to give up on a team but they may be the absolute WORST sports franchise overall and the entire organization shows no promise at any level (unless you include AA). The owner is a Walmart guy trying to run a team with a Walmart approach. Enough said. The GM is supposed to be a great scout yet hasn't found any talent in the years he's been there. Something is wrong with this picture.

The fans are FINALLY going to stop going attending games because the organization itself is a total piece of crap. This is a unique situation where most of their fans that go to games are not living/dying on winning/losing. They obviously want to win but many see the ballpark as a place to take their family for a positive experience that has slowly eroded into a nightmare.

"If you're surprised by getting the job done, that means you didn't expect it out of yourself." -Huston Street

by ohtobe21likehuston on May 5, 2006 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions