BRIAN FOLSOM: IN OVERTIME

by Brian

I have successfully returned from my "mini" vacation that I have been looking forward to for 12 years.

Actually, I have only been planning this weekend trip to Kansas City for four months, but when I walked into Kauffman Stadium where the Kansas City Royals play, I was haunted by that memorable World Series in 1985.

When I heard that the Cardinals and Royals were going to play each other over Labor Day weekend, in this the first season of interleague play, I didn't think that there would be much of a chance to get tickets. Surprisingly, there were several tickets remaining, and even though the seats were up pretty high, I was still very excited.

This was only my second trip to Kansas City, and I have actually been in Kauffman Stadium before, when I went with The Current in April. However, the atmosphere during a baseball game is completely different.

I must say, I was impressed with the stadium. Anyone who is a baseball fan should visit this park because it is beautiful. But anyone who is as big of a Cardinals fan as I am will agree that a visit there would not be possible without feelings of harsh and bitter resentment stemming from that World Series loss.

That World Series controversy has been discussed millions of times in the past 12 years, but I still think the Cards had that series won.

I remember the bad call in Game 6 like it was yesterday, and although I was only ten years old, it still hit me pretty hard. Before Game 7, I vowed that if the Cards didn't win, I would never sleep again. Game 6 was devastating, but the 11-0 loss in Game 7 made me despise umpire Don Denkinger even more.

In 1987, the Cardinals' only other World Series appearance since then, they were fairly beaten by the Twins. 1985 was their year until Denkinger and the Royals stood in the way.

I enjoyed the game this weekend without a doubt, even though the Cards lost 16-5. However, memories of the events that unfolded there 12 seasons ago flashed through my mind as I sat there and tried to ignore the 1985 World Series highlights which were displayed on the giant video screen in center field.

The baseball game itself was special, not to mention a lot of fun with plenty of action. The first 30,000 fans in the park were given commemorative mugs featuring the I-70 series. The weather was near perfect, and there was plenty of hitting. I had never been to a Cardinals game on the road, so it was weird to see fireworks exploding every time the Royals hit a home run, which was so often I lost count.

The Cardinals sprayed the ball around the field pretty well also. Although as my luck would have it, Mark McGwire was not in the starting lineup. I haven't had a chance to see him play yet, and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity, but he didn't play because of a leg injury.

I think that this series was good, not just for the Cards and Royals, but for all of baseball. This renewed a rivalry that started 12 years ago and could continue for many years if interleague play continues. It was obvious how intense this rivalry was when, in the fourth inning, Mark Petkovsek hit Johnny Damon and Damon charged the mound. I had not seen a brawl on the baseball field in a long time.

I really hope that these two teams play each other again next year. Only I wish that there would be two three-game series, one at Busch and the other in Kansas City. I would love to make it an annual trip. If this series was any indication, it would be well worth it.