Three ways to show your love for the Royals
There’s something mystical — and weird — about America’s pastime. It’s one of the few sports that inspires grown men to earnestly discuss “the baseball gods” on a live radio broadcast or openly admit to wearing the same pair of yellow pants to every home game in order to please said gods.
Even talking about luck and jinxes can be enough to incur the wrath of these fickle deities, so I will do nothing of the sort. Instead, here are a few ways to show your love for the Royals as they start their sprint toward October.
Eat at Empanada Madness.
If you follow fun-loving Royals catcher Salvador Perez on Instagram (if you don’t, you should), you’ve probably heard of Empanada Madness (906 Southwest Boulevard). It’s Salvy’s favorite spot to savor the flavors of his native Venezuela. The South American restaurant serves classic dishes such as hallacas (Venezuelan tamales), arepas (stuffed corn cakes) and fried plantains, as well as menu items named for Perez and fellow Venezuelans Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar.
Listen to Tech N9ne.
Lorenzo Cain might have given everyone in town 17-38 reasons to download Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen,” but Eric Hosmer is drawing attention to a local rap dignitary. This summer, Kauffman Stadium has blared Tech N9ne’s “Hood Go Crazy” every time Hoz comes to the plate, prompting thousands of Royals fans to put down their nacho helmets and sing along.
Get your hands on some baseball memorabilia.
If you want some old-timey baseball flair, West Bottoms antique shop Good Ju Ju (1420 West 13th Terrace) has got you covered. One booth is packed with turn-of-the-century photographs and gloves that do not look like they could safely stop one of Kelvin Herrera’s 100 mph fastballs. I also found metal “Straight Outta Kauffman” cutouts that will add a little swagger to any living-room wall, and engraved Royals and Chiefs necklaces made of flattened silver spoons.
Just down the street, grab a copy of The Night the World Turned Royal Blue at Restoration Emporium (1300 Liberty). The charming children’s book, by local author Jason Sivewright, details the Royals’ improbable transformation from hopeless losers to hometown heroes. I bought the book for my godson; if that kid doesn’t become a Royals fan, I’ll feel like a failure. The classy vintage store also has sleek Kauffman Stadium refrigerator magnets and a selection of locally made shirts.
Finally, River Market Antiques (115 West Fifth Street) is worth the drive downtown. I had to browse a bit but found some surprising treasures. My favorites: a 1980 World Series yearbook and a Royals team cookbook from 1969, the year the team was founded.
Thanks to the latter, I know Ewing Kauffman’s recipe for cashew-beef casserole and how to make (then minor leaguer) Paul Splittorff’s banana-nut bread. There’s also pitcher Tom Burgmeier’s Italian meatballs and sauce, though I’m not sure I’d trust a recipe from a man who claims that he’ll eat anything “that doesn’t bite me first.”
Then again, sometimes you’ve got to take one for the team.
