10.14.2014

One win from the World Series

Sunday night I watched the back-and-forth game involving the Giants and Cardinals in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. I was hopeful San Francisco was on its way to taking full control of the series when the Giants tied it in the top of the ninth inning. Then, Kolten Wong stepped to the plate and hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to win it for the Cardinals and tie the series at one game apiece. …




Exciting, yes. But to quote a baseball-loving friend, “Brb. Gagging.” The Cardinals are the last team I want to see in the World Series for several reasons.

Monday, it rained. Poured, actually. All. Day. Long. … And that forced the postponement of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in Kansas City.

Which brings us to tonight. Not a lot to say. The Royals played tight defense. The pitching held. Timely hitting won the game, 2-1, for the Boys in Blue, and they’re one win from playing in the World Series.

Also, Mike Moustakas made one of the greatest catches. Ever.



Here’s some reaction from the guys who caught Mike Moustakas in the third base dugout suite.

And from The Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger: Mike Moustakas’ catch embodies this crazy playoff run for the Royals.

There is some appropriate symbolism here. The Royals and their fans have grown a bond over these last weeks and months. The players appreciate the loyalty — 29 years and no playoffs — and the fans appreciate the ride. Last week, a few players invited fans to drink on what turned into a $15,000 bar tab.

You don’t have to think too hard to see how this represents the Royals’ season in some real ways.

That ball should’ve gone deep into the seats. The wind pulled it back, which is a nice break. Moustakas took full advantage by never quitting, and he should’ve been the one to make a play like this.

As usual, I hooped and hollered when the final out came – after holding my breath for a split second as the ground ball up the middle nearly took of Greg Holland’s head.



The Royals won, and we’ll have a clincher at Kauffman Stadium tomorrow!

















This rocks ...




Royals' return to regular season formula has World Series in sight
One way you know that a town has fallen in love with a team again: It writes the team's name all over itself. Such is the case, right now, with Kansas City and the Royals. The Royals' logos — their name in cursive, their interlocking, serif-fonted 'K.C.' — are everywhere: on signs at the airport, on restaurant awnings, projected onto office buildings, all over people's clothes. On Tuesday, about 10 hours before Kauffman Stadium was to host its first ALCS game in 29 years, a local morning show even demonstrated devices that allow fans to burn the logos into their food, so that they could digest Royals-branded hamburgers, hot dogs and toast.

 Most everyone in Kansas City is infatuated with the Royals — except, perhaps, for the man who stood outside Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday afternoon bearing a sign that read THIS PARTY ENDS IN HELL — and the love has everything to do with the Royals' play, and particularly with their six straight postseason wins heading into Tuesday night. For the most part, though, those victories did not correspond with the regular-season formula that had produced Kansas City's long awaited playoff appearance. In fact, there didn't seem to be any pattern at all to the wins; they were exciting, they were messy, a remarkable four of them came in extra innings. Other than the Royals' athleticism on the base paths and in the field, they didn't share much in common, stylistically.

Royals' pitching, defense top Orioles, has K.C. one win from World Series

Here’s a neat photo gallery of the Kansas City Royals practice Sunday at Kauffman Stadium

And here’s a great blog post authored by a Royals-loving guy who is racking up followers with his lively Twitter banter this fall.

Plethora of one-run games provide postseason dramatics

The Royals' Difference Maker … Excellent read about the journey of Royals’ third base coach Mike Jirschele

Long before Shields, the 'other blockbuster trade' helped Royals get where they are ... I referenced "the trade" a few weeks ago, but here's a professional writing about it. While I'm loving this Royals run, I'm also enjoying watching all of the former Brewers playing/coaching in this series. For the record: I've always liked Ned Yost, Dale Sveum and J.J. Hardy. I didn't think Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain would ever have an impact. Nori Aoki is the only one I didn't have much opportunity to watch, but, boy am I glad the Royals picked him up.

Royals' Brandon Finnegan awards random Twitter fan postseason tickets, BBQ dinner … This. Is. Awesome.

Seeking an Autograph and, With Luck, More
Posted by Horns! at 11:23 PM
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