Whatever superstitions Kansas City Royals fans are clinging to, they may be working.
As the Royals head into a World Series-determining matchup with the Baltimore Orioles, starting Friday night, we’ve been discovering more and more about local game-day rituals when it comes to the Royals.
When we asked, “What are the craziest things you’ve done to help the Royals win?” fans shot back a slew of answers, ranging from what they wear to what they eat and when they sleep.
But the craziest response had nothing to do with these common superstition themes.
Andy Berry’s superstition has everything to do with dirt — 1985 World Series dirt, that is.
Berry, of Kansas City, Mo., managed to walk on the field after the Royals won that series and got his hands on some of the field dirt. Twenty-nine years later, Berry brought that dirt to the Royals’ wild-card game.
“Before the game began, I leaned over the rail and sprinkled some of this 1985 world series dirt on the field. Of course we ended up winning,” Berry wrote us via Tell KC, our online source network.
He then gave some of the dirt to his sister, who sprinkled the dirt onto the field during a game in Kansas City, Mo., last week against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. And the Royals won that night.
The Royals beat the Angels 8-3 Oct. 5 in Kansas City, giving the Royals the 3-0 series win.
Berry can’t make it to Baltimore, but if anyone is willing to take his dirt to one of the Maryland games, he says he’d be thrilled to keep up this ritual to help the Royals win. (Email social@kcur.org if you’re interested.)
Not all Kansas Citians could make it to the recent Royals games, however. People like MitsiNessa had to send the Royals good vibes from home.
“Yep! 4 nights of hotdogs and nachos = 4 wins for the Boys in Blue!,” @mitsinessa tweets us about what she fed her children during the American League Division Series.
On Facebook, Christina Zelinski tells us she’s been wearing some shade of blue since the Royals made it to the playoffs in late September.
But Chris Dolt took the clothing superstition to the next level.
“Since clinching the WC, I must wear the same shirt (unwashed), shoes, hoodie (unwashed), and hat on game day,” @dolt287 tweets us.
Gerald Becker, of Mission, Kan., who also responded through Tell KC, says every time he wears his 10-year-old DavidDeJesus T-shirt to a Royals game, the team wins. (DeJesus is a former Royals outfielder.)
Earlier this week, Becker wrote us: “I turned on the TV just in time to see Alex Gordon clear the bases in the first inning, so I gave the shirt a rest — don't want to wear out the mojo.”
Many others claimed going to sleep before the games ended — or not watching the games at all — helped the Royals clinch their recent wins.
This week's Tell KCUR question follows an April query in which our listeners and readers ended up predicting a playoffs-bound Royals season.
RELATED: Royals Fans Are Cautiously Optimistic About 2014 Season
We still want to hear about your Royals rituals. Share them with us online at this Tell KC form.
Tell KCUR is part of an initiative to engage the community and shine a light on your experiences and opinions. We’ll ask a new question every week and then share your feedback on the air and online. Everyone has knowledge and insight to share. Be a source for KCUR and let us know more about your expertise.
