The hate mail has stopped coming, and Mike Sweeney can finally feel safe. "Now, all that matters is getting this team to the World Series," he says. That certainly won't happen this year, as the Royals endure yet another losing season. "Well, you know, we had a winning record last year, that was the first time in a while. Just proves that we can win if we want to. And we play in the best ballpark in the majors, in front of the best fans in the majors. So there's no reason why not."
It's an uphill battle, to be sure. This country is no more ready for a small-market champion than it is for a black president. The American media has formed a conspiracy against Sweeney and the Royals, doctoring and sometimes flat-out inventing less-than-spectacular statistics. Mike has been served a great injustice, but he doesn't seem overly bothered by it.
"I would like my plaque in the Hall of Fame someday, and it's always nice to be recognized," he said. "But none of that matters half as much as getting the Royals back to winning. It may not be this season, but it is going to happen, and if I can help it, it's going to happen very soon.
"They can doctor our stats all they want, but the fans in the stands will see our team for what it really is. That's all I care about."