Exhibit 18.21

On the Royals

A week back I was going to write something about the Royals' great start to the season, but I decided to wait until they'd cooled down a little and couldn't jinx them. They've since lost four in a row, and I've been appalled about having ruined their season by wishing for their failure.

(Yes, I have the power to manipulate the world with what I write about here [or, in this case, consider writing about while watching Coco Crisp leg out a triple]. No, I can't use this power for good, only to change the outcome of sporting events. Yes, it is a very specific power of no particular value).

It's gotten so bad that last night's game actually got 10-run ruled in the second inning. Or at least it did as far as Anders and I know.

Still, things are going well for the Royals. They're 18-15 and more or less tied for 1st place in the division despite the fact that they're without one of their best hitters and their All-Star closer, most of the lineup is still under performing, and that alien stretching out Sidney Ponson's skin got six starts. Sure, some guys are over performing and Ponson wasn't that bad, but the remarkable thing is that the Royals seem like they not only deserve their record but should maybe even be a few games better.

Why? I don't want to engage in any hyperbole here, so I'll let Sports Illustrated do it for me:


Yep.

For all of the other reasons the Royals seem like an actual professional baseball team for the first time in 15 years, none quite match what Greinke has done. I don't need to go over the numbers here, but if it helps give you some perspective, these are his worst three starts this season:

5 inning, 0 ER, 11k, win
7 inning, 2 ER, 8k, win
Complete game, 1 ER, 4 hit, loss

I don't know if he's Pedro Martinez, Bret Saberhagen, or circa 1994 little leaguer Matt McMurtry, but Greinke really is the best pitcher in baseball (as Posnanski's article details). And so this year's team is for real, or at least it is as long as Zack is out there every fifth day. Soria will be back. Gordon will provide a spark in July. Mike Jacobs will continue to infuriate America with his bleached hair. They won't win the division, probably, but for the first time since I was a kid playing T&C Surf Designs on the NES, they're contenders.

As long as I, Adam Peterson, don't somehow screw it up. I'm not ruling that out. We all remember what I did to Australia's cricket team against Zimbabwe in 1983, right? Right?