Sports have a funny way of messing with our sense of time. When a team is struggling, seasons seem to take years to finish, and when your team is rolling, weeks fly by. Now take that struggling scenario I mentioned and multiply it by 29. Almost three decades of forgettable campaigns. Fans always get promised that next year it would be better. We know the old sports adage, “Just wait until next year, we are so close”. These past three seasons, the one team that could legitimately believe in that statement would be the Royals.
Kansas City has been on the cusp of the postseason the past few years. Their essentially homegrown core had started to show signs of what everyone thought they could be. No longer were these Royals the doormat of the AL Central. They were competing with the best of them, and learning about who they were. Their ownership never wavered on decision making. Like any great organization – there was a goal, a path and an action plan to turn that goal into reality. Last night in front of 40,000 screaming, delirious fans who have stuck with them through it all, it all came to fruition for the Royals.
Royals fan or not, if you have watched them this month, you have to be in awe. 9 straight postseason victories. Not one loss. They have defeated the two winningest clubs in the AL via the sweep. They have ignited a flame in a city that has had sub-par sports for decades. This team is as real as it gets. A humble group of not yet stars who have put their unique skills together at the right time. The Royals play baseball unlike any team in recent memory. Stellar defense, quality starting pitching, timely hitting, sneaky power, lightning speed and the BEST bullpen we have seen in years. This team is no fluke. This is a team of destiny, built correctly, been through hell and back and finally having their day.
It’s a great story, a true underdog story that will not rest until they are on top of the podium again holding the World Series Trophy. The Royals have arrived, America. Sit back and enjoy.
expect the unexpected. Both teams come into the ALCS as preseason long-shots to outlast the big names – Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Tigers. It is hard to argue either team is coming in with an edge as they both used some magic to close their opening series. Both fan bases are rabid and yearning for a pennant. Pitching usually trumps all in postseason series, and the Royals boast a stronger rotation and bullpen than the O’s. The Orioles hit the long balls, the Royals play small ball and rely on 2-out hitting and base running. Which club will run out of steam in the ALCS? Predicting a 4-2 series win for the Royals. A close, close series.
