Written by Farzin Vousoughian at No Coast Bias
This past week, Kansas City has experienced a week like non-other.
I won’t lie. Fourteen months ago, I barely watched baseball. didn’t attend many Royals games (probably three total) nor purchase Royals merchandise from 2004 to 2014. I never followed the sport very closely.
Perhaps it is possible that living in Kansas City, where baseball has been less than enjoyable during the 29-year postseason drought, factored in to my lack of interest.
I loved the Royals in 2003 because of the hot run, until they collapsed in September and fell short of a postseason appearance. The following year, the team adds Benito Santiago and Juan Gonzalez, making the team better on paper. But it only went downhill. I lost interest after that.
However, I was not the only one.
It was not until September of 2014 when the Royals became the talk of the town. The Royals earned a wild-card spot after a rollercoaster season. There were plenty of empty seats during the 2014 season.
During last year’s crazy wild-card game at home, Kauffman Stadium was packed as fans witnessed an incredible comeback victory against the Oakland Athletics. The Royals swept the Anaheim Angels and Baltimore Orioles, earning an 8-0 postseason record going into the 2014 World Series.
The 2014 World Series appearance was probably more than what Kansas City fans could have asked for that postseason. Many would have been content with just winning a series because it has been 29 years since the team played in the playoffs. For some Royals fans, it was the first postseason experience of their lives.
The World Series loss to the San Francisco Giants was sad, but no one was disappointed. Kansas City was proud of the team. Fans and the team held their heads high.
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