This day of the year never gets any easier......

Well, it's a sad, sad day here in Kansas City. As of last night, the Royals have been mathmatically eliminated from the playoffs. Just because this situation has occurred with alarming frequency over the last 20 years or so does not make it any easier. The one year the Royals were poised to make the playoffs in the '90s, Major League Baseball officials cancelled the rest of the season because of a player strike. That's just how badly the powers-that-be want the Royals to remain a failure.

Thankfully, it would appear that there are brighter days ahead of the team thanks to a lot of good moves by the new general manager. 3B Mark Teahan is blossoming into the All-Star caliber player that most projected he would be. LF David Dejesus has been consistantly hitting around the .300 mark all season. C John Buck has turned into a solid catcher with occasional power. 1B Ryan Shealy, who was stuck behind an All-Star first baseman in Colorado, was traded to KC and is playing very well. Players like OF Billy Butler and 3B Alex Gordon are in a prime position to see significant playing time in 2007 or 2008. P Luke Hochaver, who was drafted #1 this year, has signed a major league contract and is expected to be in the starting rotation sometime next year. Scouts are raving about how well he is pitching in his first starts in the minors.

Yes, it's time to look forward to next year with a month and a half remaining in the current season. 'Tis a shame, but that's just life as a Royals fan. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the new prospects that the Royals acquired. Now we begin to pray that the light is not a train coming down the tunnel in the opposite direction.