It’s been 29 long years, but the Kansas City Royals are headed back to the World Series! This isn’t about how easy they’ve rolled through the American League playoffs, to a tune of eight wins and no losses. This isn’t about how this team is built to win a championship, with solid starters and a lock-down bullpen. This is about a city that has stuck with its team, and now it’s their time to shine.
A Long 29 Years in Kansas City
It was 1985 and the Kansas City Royals had just won the World Series in seven games against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals were down 3-1 in the series and came all the way back in one of the most memorable series ever played. Forget the subway series, the Show-Me-Series lived up to its hype. Don Dekinger’s blown call in game 6 is what we all remember, but the series was and epic showdown. Whitey-ball vs the KC speed of their own, was an exciting series of base stealing and bunting that today’s game rarely sees. Want to talk about a different era? KC starter Brett Saberhagen had two complete games in that World Series. It was also the very first World Series that every game was played under the lights. It has been a long time, indeed, since KC was king of the baseball hill.
The New York Yankees were known as a team that perennially had no shot at the title. Steroids were only a whisper. Both World Series teams played on Astro-turf. Pete Rose broke the all-time hits record and was still a hero. DNA was used for the first time in a criminal case. Oh, and something called the internet was created.
Through it all, these Royals fans have been here for it all. When Kansas City won that World Series in 1985, they were the Royal team of baseball. They were in the ALCS six times from 1976-1985. The World Series twice, losing to Philly in 1980. In my youth, it seemed like KC would always be contenders. A few short years later, cable televison and the game would be changed forever. Big local T.V. contracts would put more money in the pockets of the Goliaths of New York, Los Angeles and Boston. The little guys in Pittsburgh, Montreal and Kansas City were doomed for many moons.
In the last few years, though, it has changed again. Billy Beane brought Billy-Ball to the Oakland A’s. Winning with small salaries and a new kind of baseball math. The Tampa Bay Rays realized if they moved a guy right before he became a free-agent, they could bring in prospects. This, and Tampa was bad for several years and had stock piled talent through high draft picks because of the losing seasons, which was a result of not having the big time money.
Kansas City took notes from both strategies of the A’s and Rays and finally built a winner. Their draft picks have finally paid those great dividends. And more importantly, unlike Oakland (whom they beat in the Wild-Card game) KC seized the moment and is headed to the World Series. Kansas City might be headed for another Show-Me series, or they might be on the way to take on the Golden Gate City. One thing is for sure. This time, with the financial obstacles that the Royals will always face, the people of Kansas City and Royals Nation will take in every last moment. They’ll savor every pitch, of every inning, of every game: win-or-lose. Nobody knows how long they’ll have to wait for a World Series again.
Here’s hoping, no matter who wins, the World Series goes seven again, just like it did in 1985.
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