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KC Kingdom: Know Your Knight – David Hart

By Joel Wagler

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Kansas City Royals center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) – Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

KC Kingdom is dedicated providing top notch coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Sporting Kansas City, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, and even the Wichita State Shockers. 

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We are happy to welcome David Hart to our KC Kingdom writing family.

David will be helping in our effort to expand our Kansas City Royals  coverage. We are excited to have him writing for KC Kingdom.

David Hart is off to a flying start, and has already published several things for us. Recently, he compared the Kansas City Royals newest rotation member, Edinson Volquez to departed ace James Shields. Their 2014 seasons were closer than you may think. David also talks about how speed is a weapon for the Royals.

Like all of the new writers to KC Kingdom, David Hart took a few minutes to answer eight questions so we can get to know him just a little better. Here are his answers to those eight questions:

How did you become a fan of the team you’re covering?

My family moved here in 1982, and my father a child in the 1950’s was a huge Yankees fan, so naturally he began taking me to Kansas City Royals ballgames as early as I remember. As my profile states, he did take me to game 1 of the WS in 1985, and the preacher to game 7. Something I still will not let him live down to this day.

I fondly remember shortly after the glory days of the Royals, Bo Jackson breaking bats, and the impending 20 some-odd years of prospects who never lived up to George Brett and the ones that were close eventually leaving for bigger TV markets.

Where did you grow up and where do you currently live?

I grew up in Overland Park, moved away in 1997 and finally returned to KC in 2011. I currently reside in Mission, KS

What is your college/educational background?

I studied Chemical Engineering at KSU, received a MS (with honors) in Chemical Engineering at KU, and another MS in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at KU

What do you do for a living?

I am the Research and Development Manager for the largest commercial plant science industry supplier in the world which is based in Overland Park.

Do you have a family?

I am married to my lovely wife Teresa, and we are expecting a baby boy, John Thomas ( J.T. ) on the day right before the Detroit home opener. I am hoping the child is in no hurry to get here because I want to go to that first game!

What do you like to do for fun (sports related or otherwise)?

I enjoy sand volleyball in the summer, golf (even though I don’t have any time to play anymore), the history of Baseball, and the history of science.

What are your least favorite team(s) and why?

The Missouri Tigers, because being the Nebraska Football Fan, and attending KSU and KU, the only common enemy was Mizzou.  I don’t even really like Harpos.

What is your favorite sports moment or memory?

I have two and neither were good memories, but they are both the strongest sports memories I have ever had.

January 1, 1994 -The 60th Orange Bowl between Nebraska and FSU in the Old Orange Bowl in Miami FL. That old stadium was something to see, it was a hell of game, and would have been even better if the refs weren’t FSU fans.

I still contend that William Floyd did not have possession when he crossed the goal line. But it was electric there, and one of the first times I can remember the fans shouting profanities in unison together.

It was a pretty wild ride at the end of that 1993 season, and Nebraska barely got in there. There were also some great college players, Tommie Frazier, Charlie Ward. It was also the first time I remember wearing shorts on New Years day.

October 29, 2014 – Game 7 of the 2014 WS. Despite my Father taking the preacher to Game 7 in 1985, we went together for this one and sat in the last row of the right-field seats. I remember getting to our seats, and noticing the all of the buntings lined across the upper deck lower-wall.

At that moment I guess some neurons in my brain reconnected, and I was taken back to 6-year old me seeing the buntings in Game 1 of the 85′ World Series.

There is something very American rooted in the buntings, and it is very nostalgic to see those in person and to remember black and white photos of World Series from the 1920’s buntings.

They are timeless, the pattern I don’t believe has changed, and they remind you of the importance of that Series. The poignancy of Pablo Sandoval’s catch to end the game brought a stillness that I have never seen in a crowd of 40,000 people. Along the 3rd Base line you could see about 30-40 SF Giants fans and wives in a few rows going crazy, as well as the players dog-piling on the field, but around us it was just still and shocking. The ride was over, but it was totally worth it.

Welcome, David!

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