Beer for the World Series

Party like it's 1985 should be party like you've never partied before because this hasn't happened before. To any team, let alone the Royals.

It was 1980, the Royals finally broke through the Yankees after 3 straight ALCS losses. 1980, they were in their prime and were past the Yankees, this was the year. By game 6, when Willie Wilson, my favorite player came to bat with 2 outs in the 9th, I had lost faith. I knew he would strike out. I wasn't the only one, Tug McGraw knew it, Mike Schmidt knew it, Pete Rose knew it and I suspect Willie knew it. 4 times in 5 years the Royals failed on the national stage.

The early 80's weren't any better, they were in that weird Texas League style playoff with the Oakland A's and were promptly stomped by the spitters. 84, the year the Tigers put everything together for 6 months, the Royals barely showed up to the ALCS. Then in 1985, with what was pretty close to the worst Royals team of my lifetime, they put together 2 weeks of great baseball and won it all.

1985 was different, it was a reward for a decade of heartbreaking high profile losses. This ain't that. This time it's different.


Big Game James is the only brand name player on the Royals. 2 months ago the average baseball fan couldn't have named another Royals player, ok, maybe Alex Gordon. Don't believe me? Name a Cub, name a Padre, name an Astro. These Royals are anonymous, or were. In 1985, George Brett was arguably the best player in baseball. Willie Wilson was a pitcher's nightmare. Frank White was a defensive wizard. Dan Quisenberry was some sort of sidearmed witch. Next year, these Royals will be brand names, this year these Royals are like the time you take a drink of something new, tilt your head and say "hunhh, that's pretty good".

1985 was it's own thing, 2014 is different. 1985 was 2 weeks of stress, 2 weeks of elimination games, 2 weeks of no runs crossing the plate, 2 weeks of no leads, 2 weeks of great baseball mixed with a little luck and a couple of epic meltdowns. 2014 has been sweeps, late inning heroics, late inning leads. Sure there's been extra inning games and late nights, but it hasn't felt dangerous. Other than the Oakland game, the Royals' backs weren't against the wall, in danger of elimination. Plus, these Royals don't have the monkey of past postseason losses on their backs. Hell, they haven't lost a postseason game since 1985.

I'm no expert on the beers of 1985, but I suspect that the most adventurous beer one could get in Kansas City would be Dixie Blackened Voodoo or Anchor Steam. Boulevard didn't even exist and because of the absence of beer styles led a quiet beer hobbyist to go pro. Now Boulevard is established and a brand name. Boulevard is the 1985 Royals. You need the 2014 Royals to be your beer for the World Series.

Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle by River North Brewery is 2014. It's what you need to go buy, it's what you need for the late innings, it's what you need to go with Mike Moustakas at bats, it's what you need for Vroom and Zoom, it's what you need for HDH, it's what you need for Billy on the basepaths.

The high alcohol content of this tasty Belgian IPA will ease your nerves for the dangerous parts of the San Franciscos' lineup. As a Nationals fan, I've already been through worrying about Buster Posey at bats, the Nats didn't get him out. Hunter Pence has long been a favorite player of mine, he's like Maverick to Alex Gordon's Ice Man. He's long, full of elbows and knees, full of hustle, speed and grit and most of all talent. He's genuinely terrifying if you're up against him (and you are). Another favorite of mine, from his time with the Nat's is Michael Morse. He sucks at nearly everything other than mashing the holy hell out of baseballs into the deep dark night. He's also one of the most interesting looking people I've encountered. I play a fun Twitter game every time I see him where I try to come up with what he reminds me of.



I probably have 100 more tweets like that. Michael Morse is the greatest, he seems like a guy who packs more than one belt for a road trip.

Get out there and find some Hoppenberg Uncertainty Principle for these tense nights coming up. It's the beer for the World Series because this ain't 1985, it's 2014, drink like it.

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