Last year, the Kansas City Royals were 90 feet from tying the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series. This year, the Royals topped the American League in wins and conquered their division by a dozen games. They’ve won a lot in two year’s time.
You might look at these Royals and mistake them for Goliath—the playground bullies, the clear frontrunners, the 1990s Yankees. No, no. The Royals aren’t Darth Vader. They aren’t even Donald Trump.
They’re still the lovable underdogs, the comeback kids, the little engines that could. Before the season began, analysts and pundits treated 2014 as a cute little fluke. They all picked against the Royals. In a poll of 88 ESPN “experts,” the Royals received the fewest votes to win the AL Central. Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projections had the Royals at 72 wins. They won 95, which is more.
If you didn’t follow the ALDS between the Royals and Astros, you missed a phenomenon. Game 4 was an elimination game with Houston leading the series 2-1. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Astros hit two home runs and captured a 6-2 lead. At that point, the Royals had only a two-percent chance of winning. But then, Alex Rios hit a single. And Alcides Escobar hit a single. And Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain hit singles. What did Eric Hosmer do? Oh, he hit a single.
This slow-motion ambush continued until the Royals won 9-6–saving the series and their season. How rare is such as win? In MLB playoff history, only two teams have won after being down four or more runs in the eighth inning of an elimination game. One was this game. The other was also the Royals in the 2014 Wild Card game.
Betting Blue Jays? Count the Royals out at your own peril. Their batters may not crush home runs. (They ranked 24 of 30 teams.) Their pitchers may not blow everyone away. (They finished 22nd in strikeouts.) But, the Royals keep winning. And, they have a blast doing it.
We love the Royals. Here are ten reasons why:
1. Alex Gordon will go wherever, do whatever to catch a fly ball.
2. The Royals loved Fetty Wap before Fetty Wap was cool. BTW, what’s a Fetty Wap? We’re asking for our mother.
KC players are fining each other if they don’t use “1738” in postgame interviews. I have no idea what it means. Success has driven them mad.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 29, 2015
KC players are fining each other if they don’t use “1738” in postgame interviews. I have no idea what it means. Success has driven them mad.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 29, 2015
Oh, it has to do with Trap Queen? Then I am fully on board.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 29, 2015
Cain on Bauer: “He was like a 17-38 to the plate.” Hosmer on his RBIs against Cleveland: “I’ll take 17. I’ll take 38.”
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 29, 2015
Moustakas on Hosmer’s pick: “Hoz picks that thing 17 out of 38 times.”
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 29, 2015
McCullough: “I am not putting that in newspaper.”
Moustakas: “Why not?”
AM:: “It makes no sense.”
Moose: “It makes perfect sense.”
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 29, 2015
source: deadspin.com
3. Our dog—Odie—loves the Royals. Other dogs share his passion.
Abner and luna date night! #BarkAtThePark #Bulldogs #ronswansonbulldog photo bombing! pic.twitter.com/rGApCNKW5G
— Eric Kush (@EricKush64) April 22, 2015
Abner and luna date night! #BarkAtThePark #Bulldogs #ronswansonbulldog photo bombing! pic.twitter.com/rGApCNKW5G
— Eric Kush (@EricKush64) April 22, 2015
@Royals this dog is Royal. #BarkAtThePark pic.twitter.com/QaI6st5UAo
— Faith Furman (@faith_furman) April 22, 2015
5. In support of its team, Kansas City turns everything—foundations, bridges, buildings—blue.
Iconic KC bridge to shine in Royal Blue! #TakeTheCrown #Royals
Info—> http://t.co/Ljj6VyMM23 pic.twitter.com/lwg1KvAnFO
— MoDOT Kansas City (@MoDOT_KC) October 6, 2015
6. A 29-year-old rookie outfielder from Brazil, named Paulo Orlando, only hits triples–well, besides this game-winning grand slam.
7. This ain’t the West, and there’s no draught, which means ice-water baths for everyone.
8. Fans almost voted Omar Infante, who was batting .205, as an starter in the All-Star Game. He got inched out by Jose Altuve, but the Royals were well represented with seven players. Oh yeah, the American League won, setting the table for another Game 7 in Kansas City, if needed.
Source: MLB.com
9. That said, you don’t want to get on the Kauffman crowd’s bad side. Just ask Brett Lowrie or Robinson Cano.
.@Athletics‘ @blawrie13 rips @Royals‘ fans after “worst series… ever” http://t.co/bqo4kto9v8 #MLB pic.twitter.com/uvcLCNKNj7
— Yahoo Canada (@YahooCanada) April 22, 2015
.@Athletics‘ @blawrie13 rips @Royals‘ fans after “worst series… ever” http://t.co/bqo4kto9v8 #MLB pic.twitter.com/uvcLCNKNj7
— Yahoo Canada (@YahooCanada) April 22, 2015
10. Salvador Perez. Is. Awesome.
Hey @SalvadorPerez15, how’s your Saturday going? pic.twitter.com/NJoMQQ9htb
— Cut4 (@Cut4) October 3, 2015
Hey @SalvadorPerez15, how’s your Saturday going? pic.twitter.com/NJoMQQ9htb
— Cut4 (@Cut4) October 3, 2015
— Craig Brown (@royalsauthority) May 11, 2015
