Submitted by NeilT
Astros 4
Royals 0
So we planned this trip months ago, thinking it would be fun to go someplace the Astros were playing. And it has been fun. The Stros traded for Kazmir yesterday, he shows up in Kansas City and 3 hit the Royals over 7 scoreless innings. Three singles. That’s all. And he threw only 12 pitches. Ok, maybe not that last part.
We got here midday, and went for barbecue at Joe’s Kansas City BBQ, formerly Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ. I’d read about it bunches of places, the NY Times, Zagats, some other places, and the consensus was that it is as good as barbecue gets in Kansas City. That’s too bad. I’ll not be back for Kansas City barbecue. Some sauced thinly sliced brisket from the flat, with very little flavor, and some overrubbed pork ribs with too much flavor. It’s very pedestrian stuff, this Kansas City barbecue.
We also had to stand in line. Outside. It was hot. Really really hot. And humid. “Just like home,” I thought. I don’t stand outside in midday Houston in July.
We went to the jazz museum, and ate an early dinner at American Restaurant (which is a gorgeous room, and it was very good, and there was a nice jazz duo with a good guitarist, and we kept lollygagging, and drank some wine, and had desert, and drank some coffee. And then drove out to Kauffman. Did you know there’s never any traffic in Kansas City? Did you know that Kauffman is forever the heck away from the city center?
This is where I have to admit my baseball credentials suck. We didn’t get to Kauffman until after the 4th inning. All the scoring was done. Tucker hit a home run I guess, and a double, Marisnick got a double and a single. RBI were widely spread: Altuve, Tucker, Castro, Gattis (who had two singles).
But frankly, I’m not the least unhappy we got there late. It’s a lovely stadium, kinda like Dodger stadium but smaller. The upper decks are a big curving horseshoe, set far back from the field. It looks like you need binoculars, but it makes a great picture. The field level seating is huge, and all open to the sun.
Maybe that’s why it was so hot. It was 91, and humid, and there was no breeze. there were at least 30,000 of us sharing our body heat. It was so hot. I don’t know how Kazmir did it. Kris got up and left in the 7th because she was nauseous. The woman in front of me had a grey tee shirt, and it was drenched. The guy behind me and to the left had sweat dripping off his arms. I would have bought a beer, but it was too hot to go get one.
Did you see the stupid plays? The Marisnick pick off at first? The Correa overthrow? Five degrees cooler, that stuff wouldn’t have happened. Kazmir must have been exhausted after 7.
When we were leaving I looked at a group waiting for the firework and said “I thought Houston was hot.” I had on my new Keuchel jersey, so they knew I was from Houston, and it got a laugh–people are nice here. The guy in front of me turned around and said “but Houston’s a dry heat.” Compared to Kansas City, it may be, but either way we’ve got air conditioning. Thank God He gave us air conditioning.
Kauffman was just hot. Really, really hot. I’m not sure God likes Kansas City.