Willie Henderson describes the Royals Caravan visit to Maryville.

The Royals Caravan is an annual promotion where Royals players, announcers, Royals legends and team mascot Sluggerrr climb in a small bus and visit over 30 midwestern cities, covering more than 2,000 miles across five states. Cynics will say it is an effort to win back fans who feel disenfranchised by the present state of the national pastime.

True fans, like Matt McClarnon, Shambaugh, Iowa, see it differently.

"It's great that the players will come to a town like Maryville," McClarnon said. "It gives us a chance to see them up close."

I have to agree with Mr. McClarnon. Providing a personal connection to players is a great way to develop a fan base. There are going to be a lot of David DeJesus fans after this trip.