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It has been 29 years since Kansas City Royals fans have had something to cheer about. However, they have made up for lost time sweeping their way back to the World Series! The Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles yesterday punching their ticket to the big series.
The Royals first won the Wild Card playoff game against the Oakland A’s; a game that needed extra innings and a clutch walk off single by catcher Salvador Perez. The Royals then moved on to the American League Division Series to face the Los Angeles Angels, an early favorite to win the World Series. However, they were no match for the Royals’ magic. Surely, the Royals “luck” would run out when they faced the Orioles in the Championship series. I
The Royals have not gotten to the World Series because of luck or magic, but instead because of good baseball. Great starting pitching by their rotation with an even better bullpen that has been stingy with runs. They have scored runs by way of stolen bases and lots of bunts. While hitting home runs is not part of their style of play, they have gotten some very clutch home runs when they needed it.
This team knows their incredible run means more to the city of Kansas City than most realize. “We’re changing lives in the city,” says outfielder Jarrod Dyson. “We’re bringing excitement back. That’s our goal, man.” Let’s face it, Kansas City is not known as a sports town like Los Angeles or New York. It is a town that has faced a lot of rough times with their teams, but all that is gone. It is Kansas City’s turn to party and celebrate their team shocking the world.
The Royals were not the team to make a huge trade at the deadline like other teams did. The Royals are a scrappy team who play the game it was meant to be played. Nobody expected this team to make it this far a few months ago. Now they face the San Francisco Giants, a team that has been to the World Series twice in the past five years. Two teams that could not have any more different paths to the big stage.
