I’ve missed watching Lorenzo Cain doing his thing for the Royals this season … Oh, but he’s been good for the Brewers.
With the Brewers and Cubs playing at Miller Park this week, my attention is on that series, and I turned on the game last night, just minutes after this happened …
So great.
Afterward, LoCoin credited Rusty Kuntz and the Royals for the play. Because, of course, the Royals practiced it during the crazy, stealing, keep-the-line-moving fun that was 2014 and 2015.
Elsewhere on Tuesday night, the Royals were on the wrong side of a different rundown.
Both plays epitomize the Brewers’ and Royals’ seasons so far.
Showing posts with label Kansas City Royals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kansas City Royals. Show all posts
6.13.2018
6.05.2018
Summer nights
Our nights are busy these days with Phoebe and Faye, but I’m hardly complaining.
I rushed home from work tonight to find the girls on the living room floor and watching TV, Faye dressed and ready to go in her T-ball uniform, and Kates had made a tuna melt for me, waiting beautifully on a plate at my side of the dining table. I had just a few minutes to eat because we had to get Faye to her 5:30 game.
The T-ball game. Faye is always one of the smallest on the field in stature, but she’s also one of the mightiest. Tonight she had the privilege of playing in the pitcher’s circle on the defensive side. And at the start of every inning, she was the first one on the field and down in her crouch, ready to field the ball – even before the first batter had left the opposing dugout. … The same goes for her plate appearances. In the on-deck circle she’s as focused on her practice swings as any of the girls. Then she steps to the plate, waits patiently for Coach to place the ball on the tee, puts the ball into play and puts her head down to run to first base.
While every T-ball game offers a loaded hour of entertainment and teachable moments, tonight’s game included a first baseman who got pegged in the middle of the back when she wasn’t paying attention on a batted ball that the pitcher fielded and threw toward first base. But tonight’s best folly happened when one of Faye’s teammates took off from first base on a foul ball and didn’t hear our coaches trying to stop her until she was halfway between second and third base – and then the batter put the ball in play while the runner was crossing the pitcher’s circle on her way back to first base, which created further commotion as the coaches yelled for her to turn around and head for second base.
The postgame. Barely a T-ball game of Faye’s has ended this summer without Phoebe asking me on our walk back to the car if I’ll help her practice her softball skills – and of course I won’t turn her down. I’m thrilled she’s enjoying it so much. … So we took Kates and Faye home, grabbed the ball gear and headed back to the ball fields. We practiced her hitting and her pitching for a solid hour, and the improvement she’s showing from the first practice of the season this year is remarkable. We both wished we could have stayed longer – but at that point tonight’s blazing sun was starting to give me heat stroke and Phoebe’s arm was rapidly turning to Jell-O. I had trouble convincing her we needed to head home but she finally gave in.
It’s been pure joy – and a revelation – watching Phoebe learn and play softball this summer. After the ups and downs of coaching her machine pitch team last year, I wasn’t so sure she would stay interested in the game and regretted not starting her earlier with T-ball like Faye. This year, though, she’s embracing the game, and the smile on her face and positivity that radiates from her during every game is a marvel to me. I’m so proud.
Last night’s softball game had us driving 45 minutes east to the small town of King City – population 1,013 – for an 8 o’clock game, and it was a heartbreaker. Batting in the top of the first, our girls came out swinging like they usually have this summer, and Phoebe came up with the bases loaded. If my memory’s right, she worked the pitcher to a full count – and then she smacked a line drive back through the middle of the field. She cleared the bases and landed on second base because of an errant throw – her first hit of the season. The inning ended soon after with our girls up, 3-0. … But then they laid down in the bottom half of the inning and let the home team jump right back into the game, trailing 3-4 when the first inning ended. … No runs crossed in the second and third innings, and our girls finally got their bats going again in the fourth inning. Phoebe’s turn came up again with two outs, and she worked a full count. She barely got a piece of the 3-2 pitch to stay alive and then hit the next pitch on the ground to the shortstop, who made a good play on it and a throw that barely beat Phoebe at first base. The top of the fourth ended with our girls having retaken the lead, 5-4. … Ah, but the game’s not over until it’s over. Despite a strong performance by our third-string pitcher in that final ending – that included her snaring a line drive straight back at her glove – a series of hits and overthrows allowed the home team to win the game in the bottom of the inning, 5-6.
It was past 10 o’clock when we arrived home, and way past Phoebe’s bedtime for a school night. Kates graciously allowed her to sleep in this morning and check into summer school two hours late.
Now it’s me time. The Royals are playing a late game in Los Angeles tonight, giving Kates and I a chance to have the game on for the first time in weeks. She’s reading. I’m writing.
I read this Sam Mellinger column today. And I get it. Sam knows what he’s talking about.
I’ve accepted the fact that Eric Hosmer’s gone – and have taken to watching Padres games occasionally just to see him play.
I’m resigned to the fact that Mike Moustakas will not be a Royal when the trade deadline arrives.
But I shudder to think about the Royals dealing Salvador Perez …
Or even Whit Merrifield, who’s quickly become one of this old second baseman’s favorites. Seriously, Royals second basemen have been pitiful since Frank White – not including Ben Zobrist, who I love watching, too, but he was a rental to help the Royals win a world championship. Call me crazy, but Whit reminds me of a Chicago Cubs second baseman who was a favorite of mine.
I rushed home from work tonight to find the girls on the living room floor and watching TV, Faye dressed and ready to go in her T-ball uniform, and Kates had made a tuna melt for me, waiting beautifully on a plate at my side of the dining table. I had just a few minutes to eat because we had to get Faye to her 5:30 game.
The T-ball game. Faye is always one of the smallest on the field in stature, but she’s also one of the mightiest. Tonight she had the privilege of playing in the pitcher’s circle on the defensive side. And at the start of every inning, she was the first one on the field and down in her crouch, ready to field the ball – even before the first batter had left the opposing dugout. … The same goes for her plate appearances. In the on-deck circle she’s as focused on her practice swings as any of the girls. Then she steps to the plate, waits patiently for Coach to place the ball on the tee, puts the ball into play and puts her head down to run to first base.
While every T-ball game offers a loaded hour of entertainment and teachable moments, tonight’s game included a first baseman who got pegged in the middle of the back when she wasn’t paying attention on a batted ball that the pitcher fielded and threw toward first base. But tonight’s best folly happened when one of Faye’s teammates took off from first base on a foul ball and didn’t hear our coaches trying to stop her until she was halfway between second and third base – and then the batter put the ball in play while the runner was crossing the pitcher’s circle on her way back to first base, which created further commotion as the coaches yelled for her to turn around and head for second base.
* * *
The postgame. Barely a T-ball game of Faye’s has ended this summer without Phoebe asking me on our walk back to the car if I’ll help her practice her softball skills – and of course I won’t turn her down. I’m thrilled she’s enjoying it so much. … So we took Kates and Faye home, grabbed the ball gear and headed back to the ball fields. We practiced her hitting and her pitching for a solid hour, and the improvement she’s showing from the first practice of the season this year is remarkable. We both wished we could have stayed longer – but at that point tonight’s blazing sun was starting to give me heat stroke and Phoebe’s arm was rapidly turning to Jell-O. I had trouble convincing her we needed to head home but she finally gave in.
It’s been pure joy – and a revelation – watching Phoebe learn and play softball this summer. After the ups and downs of coaching her machine pitch team last year, I wasn’t so sure she would stay interested in the game and regretted not starting her earlier with T-ball like Faye. This year, though, she’s embracing the game, and the smile on her face and positivity that radiates from her during every game is a marvel to me. I’m so proud.
Last night’s softball game had us driving 45 minutes east to the small town of King City – population 1,013 – for an 8 o’clock game, and it was a heartbreaker. Batting in the top of the first, our girls came out swinging like they usually have this summer, and Phoebe came up with the bases loaded. If my memory’s right, she worked the pitcher to a full count – and then she smacked a line drive back through the middle of the field. She cleared the bases and landed on second base because of an errant throw – her first hit of the season. The inning ended soon after with our girls up, 3-0. … But then they laid down in the bottom half of the inning and let the home team jump right back into the game, trailing 3-4 when the first inning ended. … No runs crossed in the second and third innings, and our girls finally got their bats going again in the fourth inning. Phoebe’s turn came up again with two outs, and she worked a full count. She barely got a piece of the 3-2 pitch to stay alive and then hit the next pitch on the ground to the shortstop, who made a good play on it and a throw that barely beat Phoebe at first base. The top of the fourth ended with our girls having retaken the lead, 5-4. … Ah, but the game’s not over until it’s over. Despite a strong performance by our third-string pitcher in that final ending – that included her snaring a line drive straight back at her glove – a series of hits and overthrows allowed the home team to win the game in the bottom of the inning, 5-6.
It was past 10 o’clock when we arrived home, and way past Phoebe’s bedtime for a school night. Kates graciously allowed her to sleep in this morning and check into summer school two hours late.
* * *
Now it’s me time. The Royals are playing a late game in Los Angeles tonight, giving Kates and I a chance to have the game on for the first time in weeks. She’s reading. I’m writing.
I read this Sam Mellinger column today. And I get it. Sam knows what he’s talking about.
I’ve accepted the fact that Eric Hosmer’s gone – and have taken to watching Padres games occasionally just to see him play.
I’m resigned to the fact that Mike Moustakas will not be a Royal when the trade deadline arrives.
But I shudder to think about the Royals dealing Salvador Perez …
Or even Whit Merrifield, who’s quickly become one of this old second baseman’s favorites. Seriously, Royals second basemen have been pitiful since Frank White – not including Ben Zobrist, who I love watching, too, but he was a rental to help the Royals win a world championship. Call me crazy, but Whit reminds me of a Chicago Cubs second baseman who was a favorite of mine.
7.02.2016
Indians beat Blue Jays for 14th straight win
The Indians' 14-game winning streak is alive and well. All it took was 19 innings and more than six hours to get there.Man, will the Indians ever lose? I turned on yesterday's game in the top of the 19th after noticing the Twitter chatter about it -- just in time to see Carlos Santana tee off of Darwin Barney for what proved to be the winning run.
The Indians' current winning streak is the longest in the American League since Oakland reeled off 20 wins in a row during the 2002 season. And they haven't lost a game since the Cavaliers won their NBA championship. Peg it on the wizardry of Terry Francona.
I think it's time to turn up the Wild Card watch for the Royals, whose road and injury woes are continuing after they dropped a 4-3 game in Philadelphia last night -- without Lorenzo Cain, who went down with a hamstring injury. Because it's going to take a 14-game losing streak by the Indians for the Royals to get back into the hunt to win the division.
And then there's Joe Maddon and the Cubs, who continue to remind how much fun baseball can be.
(Update 07.07.2016) Since I posted this Saturday, the Indians' winning streak has been halted, but they appear, at this point, to be a team destined to follow the Cavaliers' championship celebration. .
The Tigers are still a threat, the Kansas City Royals are the reigning World Series champion, and the Chicago White Sox hold a winning record.
Baseball's second half is going to be interesting.But they all are chasing Cleveland, and another major championship does not seem far-fetched anymore.
5.28.2016
Another day, another Royals comeback
Just when I start thinking this Royals’ season is going down the tubes and I should be investing more time in watching or listening to the Cubs, they do something remarkable and remind me why I fell in love with this current cast of Kansas City baseball players.
I had returned to my office this afternoon after coming a commencement ceremony at the college and checked the Royals score. They were down 7-1 in the seventh inning.
I groaned. Not a chance, I thought and proceeded with my work.
Then I saw this tweet during the top of the ninth.
Now what, I thought, and scrolled a little further down my TweetDeck to see Salvador Perez was involved in a collision and had to be carried off the field.
But then …
What!? … That was enough to get me to turn it on. We watched their miraculous comeback last night, and now they were doing it again.
I’ll just let Rustin’s Twitter feed take it from here.
By this time, I had finished my work for the day and had packed up my belongings, ready to go home. But Brett Eibner, whose Major League debut we watched last night along with his first Major League hit, was at the plate with two outs and the winning run on third base. And I wasn’t going anywhere until he made the third out and drove in the winning run.
After an epic at-bat that seemed more destined to result in a walk-off walk, he lined a base-hit for the walk-off win.
I pumped my fist and walked out of my office with the radio feed still playing on my phone, my head high as listened to the roar of the Kauffman Stadium crowd.
Tonight it appears as though Salvy’s injury is a relatively minor one, considering how severe the collision appeared. Thank goodness.
Here's Rustin's full recap. ... And here's MLB's recap.
I love that Eric Hosmer said "It was one of the craziest regular-season games I've played in." Because we all know which game was THE craziest.
I had returned to my office this afternoon after coming a commencement ceremony at the college and checked the Royals score. They were down 7-1 in the seventh inning.
I groaned. Not a chance, I thought and proceeded with my work.
Then I saw this tweet during the top of the ninth.
If it's as bad as it looks...see you all in April. We're not winning anything with a Drew Butera/Tony Cruz platoon. https://t.co/gehxBHbNxD— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) May 28, 2016
Now what, I thought, and scrolled a little further down my TweetDeck to see Salvador Perez was involved in a collision and had to be carried off the field.
The collision during the top of the ninth inning here at the K: https://t.co/KRpSeGnnYP— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
But then …
And now the Royals have the tying run at the plate in the ninth. So this day is off the rails. 7-4, White Sox— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
What!? … That was enough to get me to turn it on. We watched their miraculous comeback last night, and now they were doing it again.
I’ll just let Rustin’s Twitter feed take it from here.
Eric Hosmer hits a gap shot. It's 7-6, White Sox. The Royals trailed 7-1 entering the bottom of the ninth.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
And, of course, Drew Butera is now hitting.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
Drew Butera just ripped an RBI double and did the hair flip thing at second base. The Royals have scored six runs in the ninth. It's 7-7.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
By this time, I had finished my work for the day and had packed up my belongings, ready to go home. But Brett Eibner, whose Major League debut we watched last night along with his first Major League hit, was at the plate with two outs and the winning run on third base. And I wasn’t going anywhere until he made the third out and drove in the winning run.
After an epic at-bat that seemed more destined to result in a walk-off walk, he lined a base-hit for the walk-off win.
I pumped my fist and walked out of my office with the radio feed still playing on my phone, my head high as listened to the roar of the Kauffman Stadium crowd.
The Royals beat the White Sox, 8-7. They scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth. I can't believe that just happened. KC is 26-22.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
That was the largest ninth-inning comeback in Royals history.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
Tonight it appears as though Salvy’s injury is a relatively minor one, considering how severe the collision appeared. Thank goodness.
Depending on how severe the quad contusion is, Perez could be looking at DL stint, Ned says. But looks like Royals avoided total disaster.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
Art Stewart, who has been in baseball more than 60 years, bounced into the clubhouse after the game: "You had to see it to believe it."— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) May 28, 2016
Here's Rustin's full recap. ... And here's MLB's recap.
I love that Eric Hosmer said "It was one of the craziest regular-season games I've played in." Because we all know which game was THE craziest.
5.27.2016
Stormy Night at the K
Well, last night was interesting.
Our university was set to join the Royals for a special “Northwest Night at the K, a gathering of our alumni, families, students and friends. The planning began months ago and we had really looked forward to it.
But severe storms have threatened our region for days, and the forecast heading into yesterday was not promising.
Figures. We haven't had much luck with Mother Nature and Royals games, considering it's rained at some point during all but one of the games we've attend during the last two seasons, the exception being this year's School Day at the K.
We drove briefly through pelting rain and hail on our way to Kansas City yesterday afternoon. When we arrived in the Kauffman Stadium parking lot, the skies were menacing and bright strikes of lightning flashed around us – but no rain.
The rain began, however, as we started our walk across the parking lot. And it got harder the closer we came to the large tent where our group was gathered for a tailgate party. Kates had an umbrella to carry over her and protect Phoebe, but I was stupidly unprepared for the weather and had Faye riding on my shoulders with her hoodie pulled over her head. Faye and I were drenched by the time we arrived safely under the tailgate tent.
There was some joy as we got settled and greeted friends. The highlight of the night was seeing the championship trophies. We had our football national championship trophies on hand, and the Royals graciously allowed the World Series trophy to join our party. Phoebe and I had our pictures taken with them, and it was good.
But the wind was picking up and the situation had begun to get a little dicey under the tent with food getting wet and the winds tossing some of our equipment. Phoebe – still affected by our mini hurricane several years ago – was reduced to sobbing as Kates tried to comfort her.
We were just getting in the food line with the girls when an announcement was made for all of us to take shelter. We moved inside the stadium concourse and took cover for a short time in the restrooms. Then, stadium staff instructed us to head for the basement of the Royals Hall of Fame. Not a bad place to be to wait out a storm, I suppose. …
We waited there for about a half hour, though it seemed much longer as we scrolled through our social media feeds and monitored our weather apps. Shortly after 6, we learned the game was being canceled and the stadium staff gave us the all clear to move back outdoors.
Kates and I pondered staying for what was left of the tailgate, but the girls were done and wanted to go home. So we made the long trek across the parking lot back to our car and headed for home. … Starving, Kates and I stopped for food at an Arby’s. I tried the new Bourbon Steak and Bacon sandwich, which makes my mouth water every time I see the commercial – and oh, it was awesome.
We drove through a hard rain and lightning all the way back to The ‘Ville. Faye fell asleep, while Phoebe listened to her iPod – and asked every 10 minutes “how many more minutes until we get home?” … Obsessed with counting minutes and steps, Phoebe knows the GPS shows our ETA and counts down the minutes. As we drove through last night’s storm, the answer was especially important to her.
By 8:30 we were back home and unloading the car. It felt like we just returned from a vacation. … The girls “got cozy” and turned on the TV.
This morning comes the news that Mike Moustakas tore his ACL last weekend and is likely done for the season … which is rapidly growing into a bummer of a championship defense.
But, hey, we also got a trip to IKEA out of the ordeal. We visited One of the Greatest Stores Ever before our trip to the stadium and purchased a new desk and shelving unit for Phoebe’s room. It’s long overdue and will be a welcome addition to her room and tween life.
Our university was set to join the Royals for a special “Northwest Night at the K, a gathering of our alumni, families, students and friends. The planning began months ago and we had really looked forward to it.
But severe storms have threatened our region for days, and the forecast heading into yesterday was not promising.
Figures. We haven't had much luck with Mother Nature and Royals games, considering it's rained at some point during all but one of the games we've attend during the last two seasons, the exception being this year's School Day at the K.
We drove briefly through pelting rain and hail on our way to Kansas City yesterday afternoon. When we arrived in the Kauffman Stadium parking lot, the skies were menacing and bright strikes of lightning flashed around us – but no rain.
The rain began, however, as we started our walk across the parking lot. And it got harder the closer we came to the large tent where our group was gathered for a tailgate party. Kates had an umbrella to carry over her and protect Phoebe, but I was stupidly unprepared for the weather and had Faye riding on my shoulders with her hoodie pulled over her head. Faye and I were drenched by the time we arrived safely under the tailgate tent.
There was some joy as we got settled and greeted friends. The highlight of the night was seeing the championship trophies. We had our football national championship trophies on hand, and the Royals graciously allowed the World Series trophy to join our party. Phoebe and I had our pictures taken with them, and it was good.But the wind was picking up and the situation had begun to get a little dicey under the tent with food getting wet and the winds tossing some of our equipment. Phoebe – still affected by our mini hurricane several years ago – was reduced to sobbing as Kates tried to comfort her.
We were just getting in the food line with the girls when an announcement was made for all of us to take shelter. We moved inside the stadium concourse and took cover for a short time in the restrooms. Then, stadium staff instructed us to head for the basement of the Royals Hall of Fame. Not a bad place to be to wait out a storm, I suppose. …
We waited there for about a half hour, though it seemed much longer as we scrolled through our social media feeds and monitored our weather apps. Shortly after 6, we learned the game was being canceled and the stadium staff gave us the all clear to move back outdoors.
Kates and I pondered staying for what was left of the tailgate, but the girls were done and wanted to go home. So we made the long trek across the parking lot back to our car and headed for home. … Starving, Kates and I stopped for food at an Arby’s. I tried the new Bourbon Steak and Bacon sandwich, which makes my mouth water every time I see the commercial – and oh, it was awesome.
We drove through a hard rain and lightning all the way back to The ‘Ville. Faye fell asleep, while Phoebe listened to her iPod – and asked every 10 minutes “how many more minutes until we get home?” … Obsessed with counting minutes and steps, Phoebe knows the GPS shows our ETA and counts down the minutes. As we drove through last night’s storm, the answer was especially important to her.
By 8:30 we were back home and unloading the car. It felt like we just returned from a vacation. … The girls “got cozy” and turned on the TV.
This morning comes the news that Mike Moustakas tore his ACL last weekend and is likely done for the season … which is rapidly growing into a bummer of a championship defense.
The Moustakas news offered a second, unexpected, gut punch. In seconds, on an inconsequential foul ball in a 3-2 loss, the Royals lost an All-Star left fielder for a month and an All-Star third baseman until 2017.
“To lose two All-Stars on one play,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “it’s kind of tough.”
The news cast a pall over the clubhouse as the Royals, 24-22, prepared for a weekend series against the Chicago White Sox. (Thursday night’s game was rained out, with a makeup date coming later this season.)
The reality cut deep into a close-knit room. In March, the Royals spoke confidently about their motivations this season: Another American League pennant, another championship, an improbable mini-dynasty in one of baseball’s smallest markets.
Seven weeks into the franchise’s first World Series championship defense in three decades, the Royals must trudge on with the left side of the diamond gutted by injuries.
But, hey, we also got a trip to IKEA out of the ordeal. We visited One of the Greatest Stores Ever before our trip to the stadium and purchased a new desk and shelving unit for Phoebe’s room. It’s long overdue and will be a welcome addition to her room and tween life.
12.12.2015
Baseball buzz
So I was getting ready to give Faye a bath Tuesday night when the alert from the Chicago Tribune came in.
“Whoooah!” I exclaimed, to which Phoebe and Kates answered, “What!?”
Ben Zobrist has signed with the Cubs!
I’m saddened he’s leaving the Royals after watching him play a huge role in their World Series fun and endearing himself to Kansas City … But if there’s one place I’d be happy to see him go, it’s to the Chicago Cubs.
The deal totally make sense for the Cubs, who are becoming a destination club – and for Zobrist. The Cubs have since added Jason Heyward, too, but I’m less confident about the payoff for the Cubs with that deal … And I say good riddance to Starlin Castro, who was traded to the Yankees and never became the player he was expected to be in Chicago.
Now, with Zobrist’s non-return to the Royals confirmed, we hold our breaths to see whether Alex Gordon returns. … I’m not convinced it’s worth a lot of money to keep him, but I worry about how the void is filled in the outfield and the clubhouse is he chooses to leave.
Sam Mellinger says the Royals remain in good shape no matter what happens.
In the meantime, I can hardly wait for a chance to see the “World Series 2015” movie.
“Whoooah!” I exclaimed, to which Phoebe and Kates answered, “What!?”
Ben Zobrist has signed with the Cubs!
I’m saddened he’s leaving the Royals after watching him play a huge role in their World Series fun and endearing himself to Kansas City … But if there’s one place I’d be happy to see him go, it’s to the Chicago Cubs.
The deal totally make sense for the Cubs, who are becoming a destination club – and for Zobrist. The Cubs have since added Jason Heyward, too, but I’m less confident about the payoff for the Cubs with that deal … And I say good riddance to Starlin Castro, who was traded to the Yankees and never became the player he was expected to be in Chicago.
Now, with Zobrist’s non-return to the Royals confirmed, we hold our breaths to see whether Alex Gordon returns. … I’m not convinced it’s worth a lot of money to keep him, but I worry about how the void is filled in the outfield and the clubhouse is he chooses to leave.
Sam Mellinger says the Royals remain in good shape no matter what happens.
Gordon is a terrific player, in most ways the personification of what the Royals want their personality to be, and provides real value beyond his production. But he already signed one long-term contract extension, gave them what figure to be the best years of his career, and for a team whose astonishingly rotten television contract is still four years from expiration, it makes more sense to allocate limited funds to younger players who haven’t received that first big payday yet.
Gordon wanted to enter free-agency, and there is no tangible reason to believe his price will drop into the Royals’ comfort zone. But the Royals do want to wait to find out. They believe that supply and demand is on their side, and will reward patience, if not with Gordon than with others. It worked last year with Ryan Madson and Chris Young.We do know, however, that Andy McCullough is leaving Kansas City after two years as The Star’s Royals beat reporter. I’ve loved reading Andy’s stuff the last two seasons and hearing the back-and-forth between him and Ned Yost during post game news conferences. Here is his story reflecting on the last two years. He did his part.
No matter what happens with Gordon, the Royals remain in very good position — and not just because of the championship rings that are being designed.
Even with Zobrist gone, and Gordon likely gone, the Royals return six of their nine starting position players and eight of the 11 pitchers who appeared in the World Series. Madson is replaced by Joakim Soria, and the Royals are searching for a starting pitcher to replace Johnny Cueto.
Internally, the Royals think Escobar, Hosmer, and Salvador Perez can have better offensive years in 2016, that Moustakas and Cain are in the peaks of their careers and hope that Omar Infante can be better with sustained health.
This is the Royals’ place in the baseball world, even as world champions. It’s not perfect, and it can be frustrating that after conquering the sport, the top tiers of free-agent talent remain over budget.
But, all things considered, it’s a pretty good starting point for a team that was the best in baseball last season.
In the meantime, I can hardly wait for a chance to see the “World Series 2015” movie.
11.03.2015
World Series Parade Day!
How else could I describe today – other than to use the word that’s been used again and again to describe the Royals resurgence and World Series championship?
Unbelievable.
Kansas City has been lit up in blue since Sunday night. Today it was colored in blue for parade day, and it was a spectacle from no matter where you watched. We will not soon forget this day.
For the record, I had barely a tiny bit of interest in going – if only a small consolation prize in missing the Game 6 matchup that I would have been attending tonight. But I didn’t have it in me to try navigating all of the traffic, parking and crowds. Beyond that, I have too much going on at work this week and couldn’t afford to be out of the office.
It’s not like the last couple days have been productive ones anyway. Our workplaces are in a haze of championship giddiness, pent up from 30 years of misery. … Today, we hosted a state agriculture director on the university campus for a discussion about our programs and initiatives. After our 12:30 p.m. news conference, it took me another four hours to write the news release when it should have taken me half that time. Before and after the news conference I kept getting sidetracked by all of the social media posts popping up on my phone and laptop.
So instead of joining the crowd, I set our DVR to record the parade and rally. We had our own family watch party tonight, eating our supper around the coffee table in our living room, taking in the sights and sounds recorded earlier in the day. That was the memory I wanted to have from today.
As we got started, Phoebe admitted – as if she was admitting she had taken candy from Faye’s Halloween bucket – that her teacher let her class watch some of the parade after their lunch hour today; Phoebe, she told us, was the one naming the players – and their uniform numbers – for the teacher and her classmates. … I admitted to Phoebe I had watched some of the parade and rally at work, too.
It turned out to be a gorgeous day in Kansas City today – sunny skies with temperatures were in the low 70s. The parade was scheduled to begin at noon at Sprint Center and then make its way down Grand Boulevard on its way to Union Station, where a championship rally was set to take the stage at 2 p.m.
Streets, businesses and schools were shut down. Those that did venture out – the majority of them going to the parade – found gridlock on all roads pointing to downtown. It was basically a snow day – without the snow.
Here are just a few of my favorite tweets and photos from the day …
Here’s a stunning aerial video looking toward Union Station from above the Liberty Memorial.
ROYALS RALLY - UNION STATION AERIALS from Vision Digital Cinema on Vimeo.
Updated Nov. 6, 2015
There are some more great gifs, tweets, photos and videos here on MLB’s Cut4 site
But this one has been called the best Royals parade video you’ll see. I’ll back that up. This is the only one to give me chills as I watched it.
Good reads …
Here's more from Sam Mellinger ...
The best part of watching the rise of the Royals has been the correlating rise of their fans. Rooting for the Royals used to mean accepting that nothing good would come of it, and of being able to laugh at yourself when Mark Redman is your All-Star, or when Tony Peña showers with his clothes on in some vague attempt to stop a losing streak. Now, it means knowing that being down two runs in the eighth inning is exactly where you want to be. ...
They bought more tickets and spent more time at home watching more games than ever before. Next year, those numbers figure to go up again. Royals fans essentially highjacked All-Star voting, at one point putting Omar Infante in position to start at second base, even though most of them did not want Infante starting at second base for their own team.
More than 60 percent of TV-owning households in Kansas City watched Game 5 of the World Series, and you have to assume most of the other 40 percent were at someone else’s house, or a bar.
So the celebration on Tuesday was entirely fitting. When those images and stories make their way around the internet and the world, the only reaction is, basically, hole-ee crap.
Meanwhile …
Unbelievable.
Kansas City has been lit up in blue since Sunday night. Today it was colored in blue for parade day, and it was a spectacle from no matter where you watched. We will not soon forget this day.
For the record, I had barely a tiny bit of interest in going – if only a small consolation prize in missing the Game 6 matchup that I would have been attending tonight. But I didn’t have it in me to try navigating all of the traffic, parking and crowds. Beyond that, I have too much going on at work this week and couldn’t afford to be out of the office.
It’s not like the last couple days have been productive ones anyway. Our workplaces are in a haze of championship giddiness, pent up from 30 years of misery. … Today, we hosted a state agriculture director on the university campus for a discussion about our programs and initiatives. After our 12:30 p.m. news conference, it took me another four hours to write the news release when it should have taken me half that time. Before and after the news conference I kept getting sidetracked by all of the social media posts popping up on my phone and laptop.
So instead of joining the crowd, I set our DVR to record the parade and rally. We had our own family watch party tonight, eating our supper around the coffee table in our living room, taking in the sights and sounds recorded earlier in the day. That was the memory I wanted to have from today.
As we got started, Phoebe admitted – as if she was admitting she had taken candy from Faye’s Halloween bucket – that her teacher let her class watch some of the parade after their lunch hour today; Phoebe, she told us, was the one naming the players – and their uniform numbers – for the teacher and her classmates. … I admitted to Phoebe I had watched some of the parade and rally at work, too.
It turned out to be a gorgeous day in Kansas City today – sunny skies with temperatures were in the low 70s. The parade was scheduled to begin at noon at Sprint Center and then make its way down Grand Boulevard on its way to Union Station, where a championship rally was set to take the stage at 2 p.m.
Streets, businesses and schools were shut down. Those that did venture out – the majority of them going to the parade – found gridlock on all roads pointing to downtown. It was basically a snow day – without the snow.
Here are just a few of my favorite tweets and photos from the day …
A sea of Royals faithful filling the Station! #Crowned pic.twitter.com/RSIA9s9j1s
— Union Station KC (@UnionStationKC) November 3, 2015
The crowd at @UnionStationKC is growing bigger and bluer for #RoyalsParade Star photo by @davidphotokc pic.twitter.com/TUlp3XuNOd
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) November 3, 2015
Traffic to get to the parade is insane pic.twitter.com/eaFMEflKAJ
— Nicole Phillips (@NicolePhilli) November 3, 2015
— marc (@wmermine) November 3, 2015
— Zachary Cobb (@ZachIsHere) November 3, 2015
PHOTO: Check out these motorists just parking their cars on the interstate and walking toward Royals parade pic.twitter.com/Ssx8gvD58D
— Shain Bergan (@ShainKCTV) November 3, 2015
View of crowd from 21st floor of City Hall ready for the #RoyalCelebration parade. pic.twitter.com/sNIXHFnjjE
— Kansas City, MO (@KCMO) November 3, 2015
Look close. Folks atop the K Center. pic.twitter.com/TouBgqDLHd
— Rick Montgomery (@rmontgomery_r) November 3, 2015
Parking is scarce for parade. Fans parking before exiting the freeway for #RoyalCelebration! pic.twitter.com/m3lBdFlzgH
— Jane Monreal (@JaneMonreal) November 3, 2015
Uhoh! Union Station fountain turned on while ppl were sitting on it! @41ActionNews pic.twitter.com/7be3D4e9eI
— Brandon Twichell (@brandontwichell) November 3, 2015
— Zachary Cobb (@ZachIsHere) November 3, 2015
12:33pm photo before 2pm #RoyalCelebration #WorldSeries rally, fans coming from all directions still. @KCStar pic.twitter.com/7AcVnyLVf1
— David Eulitt (@davidphotokc) November 3, 2015
When over 600,000 people show up to a World Series parade in a "small-market" city with a population of 467,000 pic.twitter.com/vULtolRp4o
— Jack Slifer (@slifedaddy) November 3, 2015
People doing whatever needed to make today's #royals parade. #KansasCity @41ActionNews pic.twitter.com/ZQSng5ieYZ
— Josh Helmuth (@Jhelmuth) November 3, 2015
Incredible sight! #RoyalsParade #instaKC #RoyalCelebration #Crowned --- Repost @kc_hive:
… https://t.co/ASHdE4M7yb pic.twitter.com/JKib1AjrJ8
— Kansas City (@VisitKC) November 3, 2015
#Royals fans found the only empty spot for #RoyalCelebration rally inside fountain. Then the water came on. @KCStar pic.twitter.com/6SoyNXSkn0
— David Eulitt (@davidphotokc) November 3, 2015
Another shot of the abandoned, er, parked, cars on side of freeway for #royals parade. @41ActionNews pic.twitter.com/onHFEfMuKk
— Josh Helmuth (@Jhelmuth) November 3, 2015
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) November 3, 2015
Thank you to viewer, Roy Inman, for the best picture I've seen of today's rally. #RoyInmanPhotographs @41ActionNews pic.twitter.com/NGjm1gUrgJ
— Rhiannon Ally (@RhiannonAlly) November 4, 2015
Here’s a stunning aerial video looking toward Union Station from above the Liberty Memorial.
ROYALS RALLY - UNION STATION AERIALS from Vision Digital Cinema on Vimeo.
Updated Nov. 6, 2015
Well, this is a pretty decent front page. pic.twitter.com/2HssFklZnT
— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) November 4, 2015
@KCStar Gotta 💙 @SalvadorPerez15 He has a smile 😃 and personality that lights up EVERYTHING!
— Diana (@dkonlyone) November 4, 2015
About 800,000 people celebrated the @Royals’ #WorldSeries title Tuesday. Photo by Roy Inman, special to The Star pic.twitter.com/CqGw2nbf55
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) November 4, 2015
There are some more great gifs, tweets, photos and videos here on MLB’s Cut4 site
But this one has been called the best Royals parade video you’ll see. I’ll back that up. This is the only one to give me chills as I watched it.
Good reads …
- A KC of blue! Massive crowd, Royals rejoice
- KC salutes ‘greatest team’ in Royals history
- Even by championship standards, this Royals team is special
Here's more from Sam Mellinger ...
The best part of watching the rise of the Royals has been the correlating rise of their fans. Rooting for the Royals used to mean accepting that nothing good would come of it, and of being able to laugh at yourself when Mark Redman is your All-Star, or when Tony Peña showers with his clothes on in some vague attempt to stop a losing streak. Now, it means knowing that being down two runs in the eighth inning is exactly where you want to be. ...
They bought more tickets and spent more time at home watching more games than ever before. Next year, those numbers figure to go up again. Royals fans essentially highjacked All-Star voting, at one point putting Omar Infante in position to start at second base, even though most of them did not want Infante starting at second base for their own team.
More than 60 percent of TV-owning households in Kansas City watched Game 5 of the World Series, and you have to assume most of the other 40 percent were at someone else’s house, or a bar.
So the celebration on Tuesday was entirely fitting. When those images and stories make their way around the internet and the world, the only reaction is, basically, hole-ee crap.
Meanwhile …
- 10 lessons from the MLB postseason
- Wrigley Field's Iconic Marquee Comes Down Amid Renovations … Put it back the way you found it, boys!
- Dusty Baker is an underwhelming hire, but that's not a disaster in baseball … I grudgingly share this article for the amusing way it paints the role of a baseball manager. I say grudgingly because I don’t agree with the piece completely – but it’s entertaining – and it’s another writer unwilling to credit the Royals for the way they won.
11.02.2015
The Royals took the crown!
Tonight started out like almost every other night for the last seven months.
The Kansas City Royals were on the TV, and our family was gathered around to watch them play.
Like so many nights this past summer, I hustled Phoebe to get ready for bed during commercial breaks while Faye danced around the living room and sang loud enough that I had to strain to hear the commentators. It was my night to put Phoebe to bed and I got the privilege of lying in bed with her, like so many nights this season, listening to the game while she tried to fight off sleep.
But there was a glitch tonight, because I got called away from watching the game to deal with an issue on campus around 9 p.m. while the game was in the sixth inning, with the Mets leading 2-0. … I was already on edge, anxiously waiting to know whether I would be heading to Game 6 in Kansas City Tuesday night. Then to be called into a late night meeting during Game 5 of the World Series, on a night when the Royals were on the verge of clinching. Oh, I was a bit frustrated.
I kept the Fox video feed going on my phone during the meeting, with the volume turned down. I kept glancing at the TweetDeck on my laptop, too. That meet was the last place I wanted to be. … But I kept my mouth shut and engaged as best I could to help address the issue.
In the meantime, Matt Harvey, the Mets ace who had shut the Royals down all night long, was coming back out for the ninth inning to try for the complete game shutout.
Then, things started happening. Again.
Seeing my hopes of seeing a World Series game in person this year slip away, and losing focus in my meeting quickly, the Royals held the Mets in the bottom of the ninth. I was back in my car in time to listen to the top of the 10th on my drive home. The score remained tied.
The feelings I was having tonight about my Game 6 ticket and the Royals trying to come back are exactly why I don’t play fantasy sports – because I would end up rooting against my favorite players and teams for selfish reasons. There is no fun in that.
In the 11th inning, with two outs, Eric Hosmer singled and then stole second. Moustakas then lifted a pitch to left field that looked like it might die – and it did just that in Conforto’s glove.
Oh, by the way, there was a Packers game on tonight. The Packers lost to the Broncos in a battle of undefeated teams. For six innings of tonight’s Royals game, I had forgotten the Packers were on. I didn’t watch a down of that game and couldn’t have cared less.
The top of the 12th arrived. Salvador Perez led off by dropping a single down the first base line. Jarrod Dyson came into pinch run. I knew then that the Royals were winning the World Series tonight.
Dyson took off on the 2-1 throw and stole second by a mile. Then, he moved to third on a Hosmer groundout to first.
Next up, Christian Colon scored Dyson with a clean line drive single to left.
Then …
At this point I asked Kates whether I could wake up Phoebe. She said no.
The Royals kept piling on. It would be a 7-2 lead when the inning ended. The crown would be their’s.
The bottom of the 12th inning belonged to Wade Davis. He struck out Wilmer Flores to win the World Series for the Kansas City Royals.
Fireworks could be heard across The 'Ville.
Kates and I watched the celebration, laughing and smiling with every shot that depicted the players we’ve grown to love hugging each other and bouncing around the field like boys. It was so fitting that Salvy dumped his final Gatorade bucket of the season on Ned Yost.
I'm already looking forward to next season, and getting pictures with two World Series trophies during our trips to Kauffman Stadium next summer.
I couldn’t keep up with the tweets, they were coming in so fast. But here are some of my favorites …
There are no words I can write now that haven’t been written already. There will be plenty more to write about in coming days.
Good night.
The Kansas City Royals were on the TV, and our family was gathered around to watch them play.
Like so many nights this past summer, I hustled Phoebe to get ready for bed during commercial breaks while Faye danced around the living room and sang loud enough that I had to strain to hear the commentators. It was my night to put Phoebe to bed and I got the privilege of lying in bed with her, like so many nights this season, listening to the game while she tried to fight off sleep.
But there was a glitch tonight, because I got called away from watching the game to deal with an issue on campus around 9 p.m. while the game was in the sixth inning, with the Mets leading 2-0. … I was already on edge, anxiously waiting to know whether I would be heading to Game 6 in Kansas City Tuesday night. Then to be called into a late night meeting during Game 5 of the World Series, on a night when the Royals were on the verge of clinching. Oh, I was a bit frustrated.
I kept the Fox video feed going on my phone during the meeting, with the volume turned down. I kept glancing at the TweetDeck on my laptop, too. That meet was the last place I wanted to be. … But I kept my mouth shut and engaged as best I could to help address the issue.
In the meantime, Matt Harvey, the Mets ace who had shut the Royals down all night long, was coming back out for the ninth inning to try for the complete game shutout.
harvey sprints out to the mound for inning No. 9. crowd is lovin it #DarkKnight— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) November 2, 2015
Then, things started happening. Again.
Lorenzo Cain walks. You know.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
CAIN STEALS SECOND! That puts him in scoring position with nobody out. Hosmer up to bat now.— KCTV5 - Kansas City (@KCTV5) November 2, 2015
The Royals are freaking zombies. Hosmer with a double. 2-1, Mets.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
Citi Field is Panic City once more.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
A standing ovation for Harvey as he exits with a man on second and no one out. Your new pitcher for the Mets in the ninth: Jeurys Familia.— SI MLB (@si_mlb) November 2, 2015
Here comes Jeurys Familia. The Royals have conquered him twice this series. Tying run at second. None out.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
That's the last time anyone begs to face the Royals for another inning. What a game.— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) November 2, 2015
Terry Collins uttered some not-suitable-for-TV words in the dugout after Matt Harvey gave up that RBI double.— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) November 2, 2015
This ballpark sounds absolutely terrified.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
Moustakas grounds out to Duda at first for the first out, but Hosmer moves up to third. Tying run 90 feet away with Perez up, one out.— SI MLB (@si_mlb) November 2, 2015
And TC made the call we'd all make sticking with Harvey https://t.co/CUx2mqB51a— Joe Block (@joe_block) November 2, 2015
Holy hell. 2-2.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
TIE GAME! Perez grounds out to Wright, but Hosmer breaks home as the throw goes to first and scores! 2–2 in the ninth!— SI MLB (@si_mlb) November 2, 2015
BLOWN SAVE NUMBER THREE FOR FAMILIA— Jessica Lütz ❁ (@CutezieLutzie) November 2, 2015
I apologize to all my neighbors... and the previously sleeping child upstairs.— Jen Lada (@JenLada) November 2, 2015
Clintonville's Mike Jirschele unfairly maligned last year has been downright heroic as Royals 3B coach— Joe Block (@joe_block) November 2, 2015
NEW YORK -- Holy shit. https://t.co/BkoEeacdZB— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
There are 14 ways to score a run in baseball and the Royals have successfully executed 97 of them.— Matt Goldich (@MattGoldich) November 2, 2015
Seeing my hopes of seeing a World Series game in person this year slip away, and losing focus in my meeting quickly, the Royals held the Mets in the bottom of the ninth. I was back in my car in time to listen to the top of the 10th on my drive home. The score remained tied.
The feelings I was having tonight about my Game 6 ticket and the Royals trying to come back are exactly why I don’t play fantasy sports – because I would end up rooting against my favorite players and teams for selfish reasons. There is no fun in that.
In the 11th inning, with two outs, Eric Hosmer singled and then stole second. Moustakas then lifted a pitch to left field that looked like it might die – and it did just that in Conforto’s glove.
Oh, by the way, there was a Packers game on tonight. The Packers lost to the Broncos in a battle of undefeated teams. For six innings of tonight’s Royals game, I had forgotten the Packers were on. I didn’t watch a down of that game and couldn’t have cared less.
The top of the 12th arrived. Salvador Perez led off by dropping a single down the first base line. Jarrod Dyson came into pinch run. I knew then that the Royals were winning the World Series tonight.
Dyson took off on the 2-1 throw and stole second by a mile. Then, he moved to third on a Hosmer groundout to first.
Raise your hand if you're dancing like Dyson in front of your TV. ✋🏼 #Royals #TakeTheCrown— Children's Mercy (@ChildrensMercy) November 2, 2015
Next up, Christian Colon scored Dyson with a clean line drive single to left.
So if Wade Davis can throw a scoreless inning, I believe the Royals are World Champions. WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) November 2, 2015
Christian Colon scored the winning run in the Wild Card Game a year ago, potentially drives in the #WorldSeries clincher a year later— Chris Fickett (@ChrisFickett) November 2, 2015
Then …
Orlando taps an easy grounder to second, but Murphy muffs it. Two on, one out for the Royals, and Citi Field is a mausoleum.— SI MLB (@si_mlb) November 2, 2015
Alcides Escobar doubles in a run. Citi Field may riot. 4-2, KC.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
The Brewers just lost the Greinke trade.— Chris Barncard (@chrisbarncard) November 2, 2015
Intentional walk to Zobrist loads the bases with one out. Cain will bat with the bags juiced and the Royals up, 4–2.— SI MLB (@si_mlb) November 2, 2015
At this point I asked Kates whether I could wake up Phoebe. She said no.
My fire alarm has been randomly going off all night. My kid's already up ... But, yeah, now would be a good time! https://t.co/Sh3ba5Duhw— Andy Seeley (@agseeley) November 2, 2015
The Royals kept piling on. It would be a 7-2 lead when the inning ended. The crown would be their’s.
One more run and legally Wade Davis doesn't have to pitch. Just has to walk to the mound and the game is declared over #WorldSeries— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) November 2, 2015
The bottom of the 12th inning belonged to Wade Davis. He struck out Wilmer Flores to win the World Series for the Kansas City Royals.
Fireworks could be heard across The 'Ville.
Kates and I watched the celebration, laughing and smiling with every shot that depicted the players we’ve grown to love hugging each other and bouncing around the field like boys. It was so fitting that Salvy dumped his final Gatorade bucket of the season on Ned Yost.
I'm already looking forward to next season, and getting pictures with two World Series trophies during our trips to Kauffman Stadium next summer.
I couldn’t keep up with the tweets, they were coming in so fast. But here are some of my favorites …
The Royals win, 7-2. For the first time since 1985, they are the world champions of Major League Baseball. The team of a lifetime.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
The Royals are World Series champions, finally and again. The parade will be Tuesday, along Grand Blvd, like they did in 1985.— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) November 2, 2015
Ned Yost is champion of the world. The relentless Royals win the 111th #WorldSeries in five games.— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) November 2, 2015
One thing I thought I'd never say: Kansas City Royals, World Champs.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) November 2, 2015
All Missourians are Royal tonight. Never giving up. Always competing tough. Playing with heart. What a team #TakeTheCrown— Governor Jay Nixon (@GovJayNixon) November 2, 2015
I'd say unbelievable but I'm watching it. It's believable, wonderful, excellent, terrific, fantastic, incredible, great, good, nice, cool...— Royal Nation (@kcroyalnation) November 2, 2015
Headlines you'd never have expected 2 years ago: The Royals win the World Series. And Luke Hochevar gets the win.— Vahe Gregorian (@vgregorian) November 2, 2015
I really don't want to wait nearly 5 months to watch this team play again.— Brandon Zenner (@brandonzenner) November 2, 2015
George Brett, asked how his 1985 team would do against this team. "They'd beat us. They're better than we were."— Sam Mellinger (@mellinger) November 2, 2015
Tomorrow's @KCStar 1A. Get it early. pic.twitter.com/lmOLlHWPyp— Sarah Morris (@smorris1988) November 2, 2015Banners declaring the #Royals "World Series Champions" are put up downtown early Monday morning. pic.twitter.com/aOyEGfBOV2— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) November 2, 2015For the moment 30 years in the making., here's Ryan's World Series winning call pic.twitter.com/S2f8TJvGao— Shaun Newkirk (@Shauncore) November 2, 2015The fourth pylon above Bartle Hall had a blue light added early today #Royals #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/b8yR8L643h— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) November 2, 2015
It's been 30 years, you need a new wardrobe: https://t.co/uWiNWC21EA #SquadGoals pic.twitter.com/KsfR9QW2Fo— Royals (@Royals) November 2, 2015KC advance scouting crushed this World Series. Told their players to test Duda's arm. And that, at some point, Murphy would butcher a ball.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) November 2, 2015
Ready to send as 9th started "NEW YORK _ History remains on the #Royals side, but their margin for error is reduced by one World Series game— Blair Kerkhoff (@BlairKerkhoff) November 2, 2015
I'm finding some enjoyment in listening to the national media trying to figure out what we've known for a while now.
— Royals Nation (@RoyalsNation) November 2, 2015
There are no words I can write now that haven’t been written already. There will be plenty more to write about in coming days.
Good night.
11.01.2015
World Series: Royals strike again in Game 4
It is a gorgeous, sunny Sunday morning to start the month of November. And the Royals could win the World Series tonight – thanks to another thrilling victory last night.
All of this, of course, is not a surprise to those of us who have been watching this team all year long. It was just another night of Royals baseball. Never giving up. Capitalizing on the opponent’s mistakes. And keeping the line moving.
Take it away Sam Mellinger …
For the first seven innings of last night’s game it was a mostly unexciting, tedious affair. Steven Matz went about his business on the mound for the Mets and Michael Conforto homered twice to provide New York with a lead.
It also didn’t help the Royals when Ben Zobrist was called out in the first for interfering with the catcher while Alcides Escobar stealing second – resulting in Escobar being called out, too. And Alex Rios forgot there were only two outs in the bottom of the third and missed a chance to throw out Wilmer Flores as he was tagging up.
But the Royals had hung around all night. In the fifth, Salvador Perez doubled and Alex Gordon batted him in with a single to put Kansas City on the board and make it 2-1. After Conforto’s second home run, Ben Zobrist doubled and Lorenzo Cain scored to make it 3-2.
I had seen a tweet early in the game that noted the team to score first in this series had not won either of the first three games. I figured all along the Royals were going to win Game Four. It was just a matter of when they were going to make their move.
Then the eighth inning happened.
After Alcides Escobar led off the inning with a ground out, Zobrist walked. Cain walked.
Hosmer hit a soft ground ball toward Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, and the ball bounced under his glove. Zobrist scored and suddenly we had a tie game.
Mike Moustakas followed with a RBI single. And Salvador Perez matched it in the next at-bat. Royals led, 5-3.
They did it off Jeurys Familia, the Mets’ closer whom the Fox analysts had been praising for most of the night and calling for New York manager Terry Collins to put in the game. Again, their memories seemed to be so short that they didn’t recall Alex Gordon beat Familia in Game One. Every time they mentioned that Familia needed to enter the game, I thought, Yeah, go ahead, stick him in there.
Some of my favorite tweets from the inning …
The bottom of the eighth and ninth innings belonged to Wade Davis. Sure, the Mets offense made some noise in their half of the ninth, but I never doubted the Royals would hold.
Good reads …
All of this, of course, is not a surprise to those of us who have been watching this team all year long. It was just another night of Royals baseball. Never giving up. Capitalizing on the opponent’s mistakes. And keeping the line moving.
Take it away Sam Mellinger …
When they fall behind, they do their best work. It would be repetitive if it wasn’t so enthralling. It would be unrealistic if we weren’t all watching in real time.Finally. Finally – after the Royals struck in that eighth inning last night – the narrative – not the momentum, which I’ll defend the Royals have had since Game One – seems to be changing.
Their greatest moments have all come after mistakes by the other side. The Astros’ Carlos Correa missing that grounder that bounced off the mound in Houston. The Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista throwing to the wrong base in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Now this.
That’s part of the story, of course. Baseball is a game of failure, it is often said, and the winners and losers are separated by how they manage. The Royals make these things count.
Remember, while the Mets were going through all the pain of the last 29 years, the troubled careers of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, the 2000 Series, the Adam Wainwright pitch, the collapses of 2007 and 2008, the Royals were losing too. The Royals were losing worse, and for longer. The Mets have been a wild epic soap opera tragedy with constant twists and turns that we can't stop watching, but the Royals have been far more depressing: They've just been quiet, modest, sullen failures, the sort of barren, depressing novel that never makes the bestseller list and ends up going out of print. They've been going through the same pain Mets fans have, maybe even worse pain. This is their story too. And this is looking like their breakthrough.Funny how people were drawing connections to Bill Buckner after Eric Hosmer’s Game One error, and now the attention has turned to Daniel Murphy after his costly error last night.
For the first seven innings of last night’s game it was a mostly unexciting, tedious affair. Steven Matz went about his business on the mound for the Mets and Michael Conforto homered twice to provide New York with a lead.
It also didn’t help the Royals when Ben Zobrist was called out in the first for interfering with the catcher while Alcides Escobar stealing second – resulting in Escobar being called out, too. And Alex Rios forgot there were only two outs in the bottom of the third and missed a chance to throw out Wilmer Flores as he was tagging up.
12 innings in NY: #Royals pitcher doesn't cover, pitcher unsure where to throw, batter out for interference, OF forgetting No. of outs.— Blair Kerkhoff (@BlairKerkhoff) November 1, 2015
But the Royals had hung around all night. In the fifth, Salvador Perez doubled and Alex Gordon batted him in with a single to put Kansas City on the board and make it 2-1. After Conforto’s second home run, Ben Zobrist doubled and Lorenzo Cain scored to make it 3-2.
I had seen a tweet early in the game that noted the team to score first in this series had not won either of the first three games. I figured all along the Royals were going to win Game Four. It was just a matter of when they were going to make their move.
Then the eighth inning happened.
After Alcides Escobar led off the inning with a ground out, Zobrist walked. Cain walked.
Hosmer hit a soft ground ball toward Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, and the ball bounced under his glove. Zobrist scored and suddenly we had a tie game.
Mike Moustakas followed with a RBI single. And Salvador Perez matched it in the next at-bat. Royals led, 5-3.
They did it off Jeurys Familia, the Mets’ closer whom the Fox analysts had been praising for most of the night and calling for New York manager Terry Collins to put in the game. Again, their memories seemed to be so short that they didn’t recall Alex Gordon beat Familia in Game One. Every time they mentioned that Familia needed to enter the game, I thought, Yeah, go ahead, stick him in there.
Some of my favorite tweets from the inning …
Errors can be so beautiful— Jessica Lütz ❁ (@CutezieLutzie) November 1, 2015
Some serious Royals baseball in this inning.— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) November 1, 2015
Very loud "LET'S GO ROYALS" chants at Citi Field as Mets fans are stunned into silence. What a brutal turn for New York in the eighth.— SI MLB (@si_mlb) November 1, 2015
Yay #royals baseball. Make contact, see what happens. 4-3 kc. #TakeTheCrown— barb shelly (@bshelly) November 1, 2015
Bill Buckner laughing hysterically somewhere right now.— Dan Gerson (@dger21) November 1, 2015
This team is so much fun, because you never know when they'll break out an inning like this.— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) November 1, 2015
The bottom of the eighth and ninth innings belonged to Wade Davis. Sure, the Mets offense made some noise in their half of the ninth, but I never doubted the Royals would hold.
Good reads …
10.31.2015
The World Series: Game 3 goes to the Mets
The Royals didn’t get a win last night, and the World Series now stands at two games to one.
On the bright side, it means we’re one game closer to a Game 6 showdown in Kansas City.
The Royals looked like their usual selves early. After Noah Syndergaard knocked Royals leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar to the ground with a fastball up and in – a ploy to keep Alcides from swinging at the first pitch – the Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Ben Zobrist double, a Lorenzo Cain single to move Zobrist to third and an Eric Hosmer RBI on a muffed double play ball by the Mets. The Royals were capitalizing on mistakes again.
Then the Royals took a 3-2 lead in the second inning on singles by Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon and Alex Rios. After Gordon was called out sliding into third on Rios’ single, Ventura sacrificed Rios to third and he scored on a wild pitch. … At that point I turned to Kates’ and said, “This series is so over.”
Outside of Gordon being called out at third on a replay review, everything seemed to be going the Royals' way.
From Sports on Earth ...
We were so wrong. It was all Mets the rest of the way. Raul Mondesi’s Major League debut was a dud. New York won the game 9-3.
I don’t even recall seeing the final outs. Phoebe and I dozed off on the couch sometime in the eighth while Kates was reading a book and Faye was playing “school.”
In other words …
I am as annoyed as ever with the national broadcast team. Maybe it’s my Royals bias and middle-age jadedness, but let’s all agree – as also noted above – Noah Syndergaard did not “announce his presence with authority.” I didn’t think that when the pitch was thrown at Escobar and don’t think it had any significant impact on the game now. Here's another take from The New York Times.
Here's a great read about why the Royals owe Hall of Famer Robin Yount for hitting coach Dale Sveum. It's another one that that will have my fellow Brewers fans rolling their eyes again at what Milwaukee gave up to Kansas City ... Robin Yount is arguably my all-time favorite baseball player, and I loved watching Dale Sveum play in Milwaukee when I was a boy, too. I've been behind Ned since day one in Kansas City, and I thought the day he hired Dale -- within hours of his firing by the Chicago Cubs -- that it was a genius move. ... I also vividly remember watching the night Sveum's Brewers career ended when he broke his leg in an outfield collision with Darryl Hamilton. Sveum's replacement at shortstop was a rookie named Gary Sheffield.
I caught this commercial during last night’s game. I really liked it.
Here's a remembrance of the World Series comebacks by the Royals and Mets.
On the bright side, it means we’re one game closer to a Game 6 showdown in Kansas City.
The Royals looked like their usual selves early. After Noah Syndergaard knocked Royals leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar to the ground with a fastball up and in – a ploy to keep Alcides from swinging at the first pitch – the Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Ben Zobrist double, a Lorenzo Cain single to move Zobrist to third and an Eric Hosmer RBI on a muffed double play ball by the Mets. The Royals were capitalizing on mistakes again.
Then the Royals took a 3-2 lead in the second inning on singles by Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon and Alex Rios. After Gordon was called out sliding into third on Rios’ single, Ventura sacrificed Rios to third and he scored on a wild pitch. … At that point I turned to Kates’ and said, “This series is so over.”
Outside of Gordon being called out at third on a replay review, everything seemed to be going the Royals' way.
From Sports on Earth ...
For the first two innings of Friday night's Game 3 of the World Series, it looked like the Kansas City Royals were simply never going to be beaten. This had been a glorious Mets season, but the Royals were a buzzsaw that would vivisect and eviscerate anything unfortunate enough to cross their path. The Royals had outlasted the Mets in Game 1 -- while hitting Matt Harvey harder than he has been hit in a while -- and batted Jacob deGrom around in Game 2. But Friday was their greatest trick of all: They were murdering Thor.
Coming into this game, Mets fans were demoralized and shaken by the two losses in Kansas City, but they could tell themselves one thing: They still had Noah Syndergaard. Perhaps their best postseason pitcher, and definitely the one who threw the hardest, Syndergaard was the reason Mets fans weren't in total despair. Sure, the Royals hit a lot of fastballs, but they surely couldn't hit his, right?
And then seven of the first 10 Royals batters reached base. Every time Syndergaard got two strikes on a Royal, the batter would fight him off until he either walked or found a hole to hit the ball through. It was one thing to see this happen to Harvey and deGrom. But Syndergaard? Thor? It made you feel like it was hopeless. The whole reason Mets fans had any optimism in the first place was because they had all these power arms, and here, these relentless Royals, they were knocking them around three straight games. The Royals led 3-2, but it felt like a lot more, and that a lot more runs were coming. Sorry, Mets: You did what you could, but sometimes, you're the bug, and the windshield is wearing blue.
We were so wrong. It was all Mets the rest of the way. Raul Mondesi’s Major League debut was a dud. New York won the game 9-3.
I don’t even recall seeing the final outs. Phoebe and I dozed off on the couch sometime in the eighth while Kates was reading a book and Faye was playing “school.”
In other words …
I am as annoyed as ever with the national broadcast team. Maybe it’s my Royals bias and middle-age jadedness, but let’s all agree – as also noted above – Noah Syndergaard did not “announce his presence with authority.” I didn’t think that when the pitch was thrown at Escobar and don’t think it had any significant impact on the game now. Here's another take from The New York Times.
Here's a great read about why the Royals owe Hall of Famer Robin Yount for hitting coach Dale Sveum. It's another one that that will have my fellow Brewers fans rolling their eyes again at what Milwaukee gave up to Kansas City ... Robin Yount is arguably my all-time favorite baseball player, and I loved watching Dale Sveum play in Milwaukee when I was a boy, too. I've been behind Ned since day one in Kansas City, and I thought the day he hired Dale -- within hours of his firing by the Chicago Cubs -- that it was a genius move. ... I also vividly remember watching the night Sveum's Brewers career ended when he broke his leg in an outfield collision with Darryl Hamilton. Sveum's replacement at shortstop was a rookie named Gary Sheffield.
I caught this commercial during last night’s game. I really liked it.
Here's a remembrance of the World Series comebacks by the Royals and Mets.
10.29.2015
World Series off night trick-or-treating
We spent our off night of the World Series trick-or-treating tonight. Although, we almost didn’t get out the door.
Tonight was the night we’ve looked forward to for the last few Octobers. On the Thursday night before Halloween, The ‘Ville’s downtown businesses host a downtown trick-or-treat and the campus residence halls open their doors to let children knock on students’ hall doors for candy.
I arrived home from work ahead of 5 p.m., ready to meet the girls and head downtown. But they didn’t walk through the door until after 5:30 p.m. And saying they were a little crabby is an understatement.
Phoebe was in the most foul mood of all and wanted no part of putting on the fairy costume her Grandma S made for her. Many tears and kicking ensued, stoking memories of the infamous Homecoming Day meltdown years ago.
I tried to negotiate, pitching the idea of going to the Student Union for dinner. But Phoebe still refused to wear her costume.
Phoebe and I went for another round while Kates and Faye boarded the car in the garage. Finally I got her to go if I allowed her take one of her teddy bears. And I swiped her costume from the kitchen table on our way to the door, telling Phoebe I was bringing it in case she changed her mind.
So we skipped the downtown trick-or-treating and finally arrived at the Student Union to eat around 6:20. There, the girls continued to bicker and whine – which further frustrated Kates and I who barely ate anything. And we had gone to the all-you-care-to-eat dining area, so we hardly got our money’s worth.
And then, as we walked to the car, Phoebe had a change of heart. The clouds parted, a rainbow broke through, and suddenly she wanted to put on her costume to go trick-or-treating.
We got the picture of the girls together in their Fairy dresses. They filled their Halloween baskets with candy. Erase the hour or so between the time they arrived home from school and the time we exited the Student Union and we had a really great time.
In the meantime, us Royals fans are still feeling pretty good about our 2-0 lead and anxiously awaiting tomorrow night’s Game 3. We’re a fanbase caught between the impossible and entirely possible.
The Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger notes that in six of the Royals' nine playoff wins, Kansas City has trailed in the fifth inning or later. “It's more than heart.”
And The Star’s Rustin Dodd writes about how the Royals’ frenzied hitting attack sank Mets ace Jacob deGrom last night.
Tonight was the night we’ve looked forward to for the last few Octobers. On the Thursday night before Halloween, The ‘Ville’s downtown businesses host a downtown trick-or-treat and the campus residence halls open their doors to let children knock on students’ hall doors for candy.
I arrived home from work ahead of 5 p.m., ready to meet the girls and head downtown. But they didn’t walk through the door until after 5:30 p.m. And saying they were a little crabby is an understatement.
Phoebe was in the most foul mood of all and wanted no part of putting on the fairy costume her Grandma S made for her. Many tears and kicking ensued, stoking memories of the infamous Homecoming Day meltdown years ago.
I tried to negotiate, pitching the idea of going to the Student Union for dinner. But Phoebe still refused to wear her costume.
Phoebe and I went for another round while Kates and Faye boarded the car in the garage. Finally I got her to go if I allowed her take one of her teddy bears. And I swiped her costume from the kitchen table on our way to the door, telling Phoebe I was bringing it in case she changed her mind.
So we skipped the downtown trick-or-treating and finally arrived at the Student Union to eat around 6:20. There, the girls continued to bicker and whine – which further frustrated Kates and I who barely ate anything. And we had gone to the all-you-care-to-eat dining area, so we hardly got our money’s worth.
And then, as we walked to the car, Phoebe had a change of heart. The clouds parted, a rainbow broke through, and suddenly she wanted to put on her costume to go trick-or-treating.
We got the picture of the girls together in their Fairy dresses. They filled their Halloween baskets with candy. Erase the hour or so between the time they arrived home from school and the time we exited the Student Union and we had a really great time.
* * *
When the World Series comes to town, everyone talks about baseball. Everyone wears baseball on their shirts, baseball in their eyes. They sit next to you, waiting for you to bring up baseball, unless they snap and bring baseball up first. On the flight into the city, there are announcements about baseball. Driving into the city, there are baseball billboards, baseball banners, electronic traffic signs that end with messages about baseball. The walls of the city are festooned with baseball. The people are mad about baseball. Everything is baseball.
It's a living, delightfully suffocating experience. The deeper you dig, the more you realize there's nothing like it. It shows up unexpectedly where you live. It's about you. It's about the people around you. It's about where you live, happening right there. It's unambiguously good. It's all anyone can talk about, unless they're talking about the plans they're making around it.
There's nothing like it. When an entire section of the country can't stop talking about the same thing, it's always a tragedy or awful story. The happy, fun things are shared on social media until the next happy, fun things come along, but they're mostly disposable. There isn't a wellspring of this this this for everyone to enjoy at the same time, all around you, completely unavoidable.
When the World Series comes to town, everyone is sure thinking about the World Series.
The Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger notes that in six of the Royals' nine playoff wins, Kansas City has trailed in the fifth inning or later. “It's more than heart.”
This is not a fluke as much as it is the amplification of a season-long trend. The Royals had 41 comeback wins in the regular season. No American League team had more.
Comebacks are stacking on top of comebacks, enough that Royals manager Ned Yost comes up blank when asked his most memorable comeback before last year’s Wild Card Game.
And The Star’s Rustin Dodd writes about how the Royals’ frenzied hitting attack sank Mets ace Jacob deGrom last night.
As Kauffman Stadium pulsates and the cool breeze blows through this old stadium, the Royals’ offense can feel a little like a technically sound prize fighter, quietly dismantling an opponent. There is the consistent jab, the precise touch, the perfectly crafted right hook. Inside the Royals’ clubhouse, they call this display “frenzy hitting,” a never-ending line of hard contact and rattling bats and balls in play. …Meanwhile the national analysts are going crazy, overthinking the Royals. I find it funny and annoying. … Baseball is a game with millions of variables. The Royals are winning the game right now. Get over it.
If this World Series was supposed to be a referendum on the Mets’ power arms versus the Royals’ hum-drum attack, the early verdict suggests a precision knockout for Kansas City. In two games, the Royals have stared down deGrom and right-hander Matt Harvey, the Mets’ two front-line horses. In two games, the Royals have struck out just four times against Harvey and deGrom while nicking the starters for seven earned runs in 11 innings.
The Kansas City Royals are the sort of team you find yourself trying to come up with excuses for why they just beat you, because you can't make sense of it otherwise. Everybody always thinks they're better than the Royals. Last year, the A's were more versatile, the Angels had more star power and front-line starting pitching, the Orioles had more home run thunder. Same thing this year: The Astros were younger and more new school (and came closer than anyone to beating Kansas City), the Blue Jays were too strong and too cool and too ready and the Mets, man, those Mets pitchers were just gonna blow them away.Game on.
The Royals' postseason record against those teams, after their 7-1 World Series Game 2 win on Wednesday night? 17-4. 17-4!
10.28.2015
World Series: Royals take two
Kauffman Stadium may never feel better than this, not in 2015, not in a lifetime. For the inhabitants of this ballpark, stocked with a generation of Royals fans choked by 29 years without October and taunted by a silver medal in 2014, the pinnacle may have come in a 7-1 victory Wednesday over the Mets in Game 2 of the World Series, when the lineup bloodied an opposing ace and incited a slew of standing ovations.
Savor this if you stood among the rain-soaked mass of 40,410 inside the stadium. Savor it if you joined the millions watching on television or huddling near a radio. Savor it if you spent years waiting for a Royals renaissance, because baseball might not be played again in Kansas City this season.
Baseball may disappear for the sweetest of reasons, because the Royals flew to New York on Wednesday night with a chance to spill champagne inside Citi Field for their first championship since 1985.
A couple weeks ago, after the Royals mounted that unbelievable comeback against the Astros in the Division Series, my mom asked whether I thought Johnny Cueto could pitch well enough in that series’ Game 5 to clinch it for Kansas City. I shrugged off any doubt and noted Johnny seemed to pitch his best at home.
He pitched the game of his life in that Game 5. Then, he was awful last week in Game 3 in Toronto. And he was a Met killer tonight in Game 2 of the World Series in Kansas City. So good, he pitched a two-hit, one-run complete game.
Johnny Cueto is a nightmare dressed like a daydream only also a daydream at home.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) October 29, 2015
There’s not much more to say. Cueto was good. The Royals defense was good. The offense just kept movin’ the line.
As we watched tonight and Phoebe cuddle up to me on the couch, it occurred to me that we’ve done the same thing nearly every night since opening day. As usual, Phoebe and I watched as much as we could together before we had to yield to her bedtime – which led to us just moving the game-watching to my phone in her bed until she was snoring soundly and I could return to watching the game on our TV in the living room. Watching the Royals play – and play hard until the very last out – is now a staple in our daily routines. So routine that the significance of the World Series is almost an afterthought.
Meanwhile, the national media continues to be clueless about this Kansas City Royals team. From the moment last night’s game ended they pretty much had a win chalked for the Mets – all because Jacob deGrom was on the mound for New York.
The Royals don’t care who’s on the mound.
The Royals now have a 2-0 lead in the series, and with the way they’re playing – handing the Mets a deflating loss last night and the offense landing some big punches tonight – I would not be surprised if they win this thing in five or even sweep it.Lorenzo Cain mentioned postgame how well Syndergaard was throwing today. All these guys look alike to KC, and they intend to clout them all.— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) October 29, 2015
— Jen Lada (@JenLada) October 29, 2015
The Royals won two #WorldSeries games today! Boy it's a nice day to be a Royal. #ForeverRoyal #TakeTheCrown pic.twitter.com/tthX6WE3Ho
— KCTV5 - Kansas City (@KCTV5) October 29, 2015
A better scenario, though, would be that they win one of three in New York, come back to Kansas City and win it all in Game 6. Because I’ve got a ticket to that game. … I may have to avoid wearing my lucky Royals T-shirt for a couple of those game to make it happen.
As we sat down to watch last night’s game, Kates gave me her nod of approval to try for a Game 6 ticket. I checked StubHub obsessively today. This evening, the tickets prices for the remaining games started going – not down as I had anticipated – up (I blame the excitement of last night’s game, and now everyone wants in on the action). I continued monitoring the prices during tonight’s game. When the Royals won tonight’s game, I pounced. … If the Royals get to Game 6, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll get a full refund – and the Royals will be World Champions.
Good reads ...
Kansas City is the best baseball town in America right now
The bikers at the bar are talking about the Royals. The hipsters on the street are talking about the Royals. The cashiers at the supermarket in the middle of the night are chatting about Lorenzo Cain’s range in center field.
It’s everyone, and it’s everywhere. It feels like you can’t pass four people on any street in Kansas City without spying at least one Royals cap, if not more.
This 88-year-old Royals fan, ‘Miss Frances,’ never misses a game at The K ... Quite a woman.
After decade of losing, Royals fans learning how to have fun ... This is a good read about KayCee, Moose Man and the cat guy at Kauffman Stadium.
Back to work for bleary baseball fans after epic (and late) World Series Game 1 ... A good one illustrating how we're all feeling after last night's classic.
Fox drew 14.9 million viewers for Royals-Mets, most-watched Game One of the WS since 2009. (Cavs-Bulls drew 3.5M on TNT.)
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) October 28, 2015
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