Kansas City Royals: Don’t Stop Believin’
By Ryan DeSpain
Credit: Ryan DeSpain
The front office has a not-so-subtle message for all of the Kansas City Royals fans out there. Don’t stop believing.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the Royals have been holding a fan vote this season to decide what their new 6th inning “sing-a-long” song would be. For years, fans (myself included) have complained about Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places ditty that was played in the 6th inning of every home game.
The song had nothing to do with Kansas City and it had nothing to do with baseball. The song really had nothing to do with anything. Aside from Garth Brooks spending time with the Royals during Spring Training of 2004, there was seemingly no reason for such a long-term relationship.
Yet every home game, there he was. Garth on the jumbotron telling people to sing along with him about some sketchy friends of his. I never understood why.
Personally, I always thought it was the wrong first impression to give any first-time visiting fans. We’re not rednecks. And I would certainly argue that we’re not country.
So, for the first time in recent memory, the front office of the Royals seemed to actually hear the fans. They decided to change the 6th inning song. Sweet! And as an added bonus, they would let the fans decide. Sweeter!
Here is a list of the 32 songs the fans were asked to vote on over the course of the first 2+ months of the season…
1) All Star – Smash Mouth
2) Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
3) Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
4) Burning Love – Elvis Presley
5) Centerfield – John Fogerty
6) Dancing Queen – ABBA
7) Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
8) Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks
9) Get Down Tonight – KC and the Sunshine Band
10) I Feel Fine – The Beatles
11) I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
12) I Want You to Want Me – Cheap Trick
13) I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
14) Kansas City – The Beatles
15) Kansas City – Fats Domino
16) Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
17) Louie, Louie – The Kingsmen
18) Minnie the Moocher – Cab Calloway
19) My Girl – The Temptations
20) Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger
21) R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. – John Mellencamp
22) Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
23) Rock and Roll All Nite – KISS
24) Small Town – John Mellencamp
25) Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
26) Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
27) Twist and Shout – The Beatles
28) Walk of Life – Dire Straits
29) We Will Rock You – Queen
30) I Won’t Back Down – Tom Petty
31) You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
32) 1999 – Prince
The winner was revealed in the 6th inning this past Saturday night during the Yankees game. Kansas City, your new 6th inning song is now Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey.
Not bad. Not bad at all. I’m fine with that selection. It’s much better than it’s predecessor. It’s fun and people will have fun singing it out loud in the 6th inning.
Is the franchise trying to tell us something? Am I saying the front office rigged the “fan vote” in order to send a message to the fans? No, of course not. That would make me crazy. But then again, I seriously wouldn’t put anything past this regime.
In reality, we should have had some choices.