So, it is my birthday.
Last year on my birthday, I was at Rosenblatt to watch Scott Elarton give up 3 2-run homers in the first inning, and a solo shot in the 2nd. I don’t think I need to say this, but the O-Royals went on to lose that one. Pretty miserable present, right? But that was also the day that Kansas City exploded for 17 runs and Billy Butler had 6 RBI in the first two innings.
I have always had the thought in my head that Kansas City loses on my birthday, but I’m never actually around to watch the games because my family is really big into fireworks so maybe they’ve won more July 3 games than I’ve perceived. Maybe I just remember the losses more, but the wins are actually there. RetroSheet to the rescue*!!
*What in the hell did sportswriters do without RetroSheet, Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs, etc.? Seriously. I can’t go an hour without rushing to one or more of these sites to chase down verification on some thought or statistical inquiry. I know a lot of people don’t use these amazing resources, because I still hear incredibly unfounded complaints, inane comparisons, and flatout falsehoods about every team and player under the sun.
As I started to go through the boxes from my birthdays each year, I wondered to myself where I got the idea that the team always lost on my birthday. They were right around .500 for a few years, but then went on an incredible stretch from 1995 to 2002 (inclusive) where they lost every birthday game, then won in ’03, then lost three straight years. That brings us back to last year’s tea party, which sounded like an awesome game but I was too busy watching Omaha get slaughtered. Yikes.
Overall, the Royals are 6-13 on July 3 in my life, with one off day. (Yes, I’m only 20. I don’t want to hear it.)
Some random highlights:
1988 and 1990: Bo Jackson homered
1995: Household favorite Matt Stairs homered to contribute to Boston’s win
1997: Royals did not play, which was probably for the better
1999: Mike Sweeney and Jermaine Dye both homered, but KC lost anyway
2005: Game called after 5 innings due to rain
2006: My brother Ryan was there, and called me after a few beers to tell how KC was beating up on Johan Santana. Royals lost 6-5.
So basically, uh…The Royals hate me. The end.
Labels: fun stats, random, Royals
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4 comments
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July 3, 2008 at 1:06 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
The Royals are undefeated on my birthday. They’re winless as well.January birthday FTL.
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July 3, 2008 at 2:27 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
On May 20 games since 2:02 AM on May 20 1985, the Royals are 6 and freaking 18. Two of those games went 12 innings; the Royals split them (one was last year, when Joel Peralta hit a double in the 12th).
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July 3, 2008 at 12:26 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
8-14 for my birthday.Similarly crappy…what’s it say when you can pick any day in your team’s history, look at their record, and assume it’s going to be losing…Debbie Downer moment of the day…
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July 3, 2008 at 8:06 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Happy birthday!Mine’s off-season as well unless you count spring training. Which reminds me of one of my best birthdays. I was 17 & my parents and I went to Florida for spring training. We went to about 10 games that week, including 2 games in 2 parks on my birthday!