The Sisterhood of the Traveling Jersey is a Gaslamp Ball community project that will chronicle the 2012 Padres season through the lives of their greatest fans and an old jersey.

So I agreed to inherit the Jersey & show it a good time in Kansas City. According to www.retrosheet.org, Dave Staton was 6'5", and weighed 215 pounds. I don't think it's telling the truth.

Ah, the memories of such former Royal/Padre players as the legends Storm Davis, Mark Davis, John Davis, Eric Rasmussen, Kurt Bevacqua, Benito Santiago, Kurt Stillwell, Danny Jackson, Damian Jackson, Terry Shumpert, Carmelo Martinez, Wally Joyner, Kevin McReynolds, Chris Gwynn, Bip Roberts, Joe Vitiello, Matt Whisenant, Shane Mack, Ray Holbert, Jay Witasick, Don Wengert, Brian Johnson, Brian Meadows, Doug Bochtler, Trent Hubbard, Darrell May, Desi Relaford, Rondell White, Julius Matos, Matt Stairs, Dennys Reyes, Rudy Seanez, Terrence Long, Emil Brown, Chip Ambres, Justin Huber, Reggie Sanders, Kerry Robinson, Miguel Olivo, Brett Tomko, Jeff Fulchino, etc. Whew. A couple of decent players, with a whole bunch of crap in the mix. Kevin McReynolds is still known in KC as "the player who acted like he didn't want to play baseball."

Here I am outside of Royals.....um, I mean, Kauffman Stadium. I practically grew up here in my summers as a kid. The last time the Royals played in a postseason game was October 27, 1985, when they beat the Cardinals in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. Yeah.

In through security. HAH!

I found this great photo that my Dad took of me at my first Royals game. That's a 5-year old me, next to HOFer Harmon Killebrew. Harmon played with the Royals in his last year in the majors. July 6, 1975.

Here I am above the LF wall & the Royals' bullpen. That's my 5-year old nephew to my right, who is watching Luke Hochevar warm up. I haven't yet explained the 27-year postseason drought. I don't want to crush his spirit. But I did tell him, "Yep, that's what the #1 pick in the MLB draft looks like. Welcome to the world of the KC Royals."

Getting a good view of where Padres' relief pitcher Huston Street sat on his butt for the entire 2012 All-Star Game (visitor's bullpen, out beyond RF).

Me, in front of baseball god George Brett's statue, on the concourse beyond RF.

My view from my seat. White Sox at Royals, July 14, 2012.

Proof that the jersey saw a Royals game.

One of my favorite places in KC. Arthur Bryant's barbecue, off 12th & Brooklyn Avenue. President Carter, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Steven Spielberg, Danny Glover, Senator McCain, & Tom Watson have stopped in. Heaven on a plate.

Here I am at the site of old Municipal Stadium at 22nd & Brooklyn. The Kansas City Monarchs, Kansas City A's, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Beatles all played here. It stood from 1923-1976. Satchel Paige pitched here for the Monarchs. The 1960 All-Star Game was played here. Mickey Mantle used to hit HR bombs onto the street to my left. The longest game in NFL history was played here (1971 playoff between the Chiefs & Dolphins that ended in double-overtime).

Me, standing approximately where the pitching mound was located at Municipal Stadium.

Thanks for reading. I'll close with one of my favorite baseball quotes: "You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." ~Jim Bouton, Ball Four, 1970

Sisterhood of the Traveling Jersey

The Idea
The Beginning
The Sisterhood is Born
The First Steps
Spring Training Bound
With the Pad Squad
Welcome to Mexico
Braving the Beat Down
On to San Francisco
Going the Distance
London Calling
All the way to Belgium
Beer and Baseball in Colorado
Kansas City
The California Coast

The Map