query: who did kansas city royals play in the world series

pos: 2015 World Series 2015 World Series The 2015 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 season. The 111th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion New York Mets and the American League (AL) champion Kansas City Royals. The series was played between October 27 and November 1, with the Royals winning the series 4 games to 1. It was the first time since the 2010 World Series that the World Series extended into November. The Royals became the first team since the Oakland Athletics in the 1989 World Series

pos: Kansas City Royals but then had only one winning season from 1995 to 2012. For 28 consecutive seasons (1986–2013), the Royals did not qualify to play in the MLB postseason, one of the longest postseason droughts during baseball's current wild-card era. The team broke this streak in 2014 by securing the franchise's first wild card berth and advancing to the World Series. The Royals followed this up by winning the team's first Central Division title in 2015 and defeating the New York Mets for their first World Series title in 30 years. The Royals began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. In

pos: 2015 World Series 8-for-22 (.364) in the series, and caught every inning for the Royals with the exception of the final inning of the series, won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award. He became the first catcher to win the award since Pat Borders won it in the 1992 World Series, and the second Venezuelan player, following Pablo Sandoval, who won it in the 2012 World Series. 2015 World Series (4–1): Kansas City Royals beat New York Mets. Fox broadcast the series in the United States, with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck calling the action along with color analysts Harold Reynolds and Tom

pos: 2016 Kansas City Royals season 2016 Kansas City Royals season The 2016 Kansas City Royals season was the 48th for the franchise, and their 44th at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals entered the season as the defending World Series champions determined to become the first team since the 1999 New York Yankees to win back-to-back World Series titles. The season started on April 3 with a World Series rematch at home against the New York Mets. The first series began with a 10 mile long relay of the first pitch from Kansas City Union Station to Kauffman Stadium benefiting the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy.

pos: 1985 World Series World Series (4–3): Kansas City Royals (A.L.) over St. Louis Cardinals (N.L.) 1985 World Series The 1985 World Series began on October 19 and ended on October 27. The American League champions Kansas City Royals played the National League champions St. Louis Cardinals, with the Royals upsetting the heavily favored Cardinals in seven games. The Series was popularly known as the "Show-Me Series" or the "I-70 Showdown Series," as both cities are in the state of Missouri and are connected by Interstate 70. The Cardinals won the National League East division by three games over the New York Mets, then

pos: 2015 World Series be incorrect, the Cubs "did" win the following year's World Series, marking an end to the team's 108-year championship drought. 2015 World Series The 2015 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2015 season. The 111th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion New York Mets and the American League (AL) champion Kansas City Royals. The series was played between October 27 and November 1, with the Royals winning the series 4 games to 1. It was the first time since the 2010 World Series that the

pos: 2015 American League Championship Series 16, and the series ended with the Royals winning Game 6 on October 23. This was the second ALCS matchup between Kansas City and Toronto; the Royals previously rallied from a 3–1 deficit to defeat the Blue Jays in seven games in the 1985 ALCS. The Royals would go on to defeat the New York Mets in the World Series in five games, winning their first World Series championship in 30 years. The Kansas City Royals finished the season with a 95–67 record, winning the American League Central division title for the first time since that division was created in

pos: Dayton Moore The Royals won the American League in 2014 and advanced to the World Series before losing to the San Francisco Giants in 7 games. In 2015, Moore's Royals captured the World Series against the New York Mets winning 4 games to 1 after a dominant season in which Kansas City posted the best record in the American League. In June 2018, Moore generated backlash with comments he made about convicted child molester and Oregon State University pitching prospect Luke Heimlich, saying "I think the player has earned the opportunity to play professional baseball" Dayton Moore Dayton Moore (born February 17,

pos: Jarrod Dyson 120 games and had a career high batting average (.269) and RBI total (24). On January 28, 2015, the Kansas City Royals and Dyson avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract for $1,225,000. Dyson, who is expected to be the Royals' fourth outfielder, can also make $25,000 for reaching 350 plate appearances and $50,000 if he is chosen for the All-Star Game. In 2015, Dyson played an important role in the Royals win of the 2015 World Series against the New York Mets. The Royals were up 3 games to 1 in the fifth game of the World Series.

pos: Alcides Escobar a World Series game since 1929. He followed by driving in two runs and scoring once on two hits in Game 2 as the Royals took a 7-1 victory and a 2-0 series lead. In Game 5 of the World Series, the Royals were up 3 games to 1 and Escobar hit a double in the 12th inning allowing the Christian Colon to score to help the Royals defeat the New York Mets 7-2 in twelve innings making the 2015 Kansas City Royals World Series Champions. In the 2015 postseason, Escobar hit .329 with 70 at bats. He had 23

pos: Interleague play but also saw their pitcher Henderson Álvarez pitch a no-hitter, marking just the 7th time a no-hitter was tossed in an interleague contest. On April 3, 2016, for the first time in MLB history, the previous year's World Series participants faced off on Opening Day the following year. The Kansas City Royals hosted the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium in a nationally televised game and won 4-3. The Mets would not only return the favor two days later with a 2-0 win to split the two game series, but also sweep two more from the Royals in Citi Field

neg: 2015 American League Championship Series game. On a 2-1 pitch Donaldson grounded out to 3rd for the final out to clinch back-to-back AL Pennants for the Kansas City Royals. Alcides Escobar, who batted .478 in the series with 2 doubles and a triple, was named 2015 ALCS MVP. 2015 ALCS (4–2): Kansas City Royals beat Toronto Blue Jays 2015 American League Championship Series The 2015 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a best-of-seven playoff contested between the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals for the American League (AL) pennant and the right to play in the 2015 World Series. The series is the 46th

neg: 2016 Kansas City Royals season The Royals were eliminated from postseason contention with one game yet to play, marking four straight World Series champions that missed the playoffs the following year. They finished the season with an 81–81 record and third place in the division. 2016 Kansas City Royals season The 2016 Kansas City Royals season was the 48th for the franchise, and their 44th at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals entered the season as the defending World Series champions determined to become the first team since the 1999 New York Yankees to win back-to-back World Series titles. The season started on April 3 with a

neg: Kansas City, Missouri the city from 1955, after moving from Philadelphia, to 1967, when the team relocated to Oakland, California. The city's Major League Baseball franchise, the Royals, started play in 1969, and are the only major league sports franchise in Kansas City that has not relocated or changed its name. The Royals were the first American League expansion team to reach the playoffs, in 1976, to reach the World Series in 1980, and to win the World Series in 1985. The Royals returned to the World Series in 2014 and won in 2015. The Kansas City T-Bones, playing in the independent Northern

neg: History of the Kansas City Royals pitch calling. History of the Kansas City Royals The following is a detailed history of the Kansas City Royals, a Major League Baseball team that began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. The team is currently in the American League Central Division. The franchise has won one wild card berth, seven division titles, four league championships, and two World Series titles. When the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland after the 1967 season, Kansas City was left without major league baseball or, for the first time since 1883, professional baseball at all. An enraged Senator Stuart Symington threatened to

neg: History of the Kansas City Royals History of the Kansas City Royals The following is a detailed history of the Kansas City Royals, a Major League Baseball team that began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. The team is currently in the American League Central Division. The franchise has won one wild card berth, seven division titles, four league championships, and two World Series titles. When the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland after the 1967 season, Kansas City was left without major league baseball or, for the first time since 1883, professional baseball at all. An enraged Senator Stuart Symington threatened to introduce legislation

neg: Arthur Rhodes of the salary of a player trying to deny them a world championship. This also resulted in Rhodes being eligible to receive a World Series ring no matter who won. The Cardinals won the World Series against the Texas Rangers in 7 games. Rhodes, who pitched in three games in this Series, joined Lonnie Smith as the only players to play in a World Series for the winning team against the team he had played for earlier in the season (Smith played on the 1985 World Series-winning Kansas City Royals after having been traded from the Cardinals, whom the Royals

neg: Barry Bremen (He was outed by genuine All-Star Otis Birdsong, who really did play for Kansas City: "You're on my team, and I don't even know who you is.") Bremen repeated that act in a Houston Rockets uniform at the 1981 All-Star Game at the Richfield Coliseum. Later that season, he donned an officials' jacket and stood with the real officials, Earl Strom, Paul Mihalak and alternate Joe Gushue, during the national anthem prior to Game 5 of the World Championship Series at the Boston Garden. On July 17, 1979, with the help of telecaster Dick Schaap and Kansas City Royals third

neg: 1980 World Series 1982 World Series (as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals), 1985 World Series (as a member of the Kansas City Royals), and the and 1992 World Series as a member of the Atlanta Braves. The two Braves seasons were the only years in which he played for the losing team in the Series. Three men who played in the 1980 Series (John Vukovich, Dan Quisenberry, and Tug McGraw) have died of brain cancer. (Bobby Murcer and Johnny Oates, who played for the New York Yankees against the Royals in that year's ALCS, also succumbed to the disease, as did

neg: Cardinal Nation National League record 11 World Series Championships. They are second only to the New York Yankees (who have 27) in total World Series Championships. Cardinals fans are known for traveling to see their team on the road as well and fill nearly half of Wrigley Field in Chicago when the Cubs and Cardinals carry on their classic rivalry each season. (The converse is true when Cubs fans go to Busch Stadium in St. Louis when the Cubs visit.) When the Kansas City Royals play the Cardinals in Kansas City every season during interleague play, the games often sell out. Many

neg: Kansas City Royals Herzog, who had been the Royals' manager from 1975 to 1979, and led Kansas City to the franchise's first three playoff appearances – in 1976, 1977, and 1978 – before getting fired just shortly after the Royals were eliminated from the playoffs in 1979. Interleague play in 1997 allowed the I-70 Series to be revived in non-exhibition games. The first few seasons of the series were rather even, with the Cardinals holding a slight advantage with a 14–13 record through the 2003 season. Through the 2016 season, the Cardinals hold the series advantage 51–39. From 1976 to 1980, the Royals

neg: Cardinals–Royals rivalry the following day 11-0 for their first World Series title. The Royals became the first team ever to win the World Series after dropping games 1 and 2 at home. The Royals did not return to the MLB postseason for 29 years, winning one of the American League wild cards in 2014 and advancing to the 2014 World Series. The following season, they claimed their first title since 1985 by winning the 2015 World Series. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog had been the Royals' manager from 1975 to 1979. He led Kansas City to the franchise's first three playoff appearances –

neg: 1987 World Series the Kansas City Royals. The success of the 1987 Twins inspired Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) in "Beverly Hills 90210" to explain why the Twins were the ultimate definition of a team, thus enabling him to win the Dreyer Scholarship. However, his interview included a factual inaccuracy; he said Gladden hit a grand slam in the pivotal Game 4, when in fact Gladden hit one in Game 1, and Hrbek hit one in the pivotal Game 6. In a February 2015 interview, sportscaster and author Al Michaels (who, as previously mentioned, did play-by-play for ABC's television coverage of the 1987 World

neg: Tommy Davis American League with 181 hits. In 1974 he won the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award (later renamed for Edgar Martínez). He played in two American League Championship Series (both times, in 1973 and 1974, the Orioles lost to the eventual World Series champion Athletics). The Orioles released him in spring training, and he signed with the Yankees but did not play for them. From June to September he hit .265 with the California Angels before ending the season with the Kansas City Royals. He retired after being released by the Royals on January 17, 1977, having played for ten different teams

neg: 1980 World Series 1980 Yankees manager Dick Howser, who also managed the Royals to the 1985 World Series title, and Ken Brett, who pitched for Kansas City in the 1980–81 regular seasons.) Royals pitcher Paul Splittorff died of melanoma and oral cancer May 25, 2011. Umpire Bill Kunkel died of colon cancer on May 4, 1985. 1980 World Series The 1980 World Series was the 77th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series and the conclusion of the 1980 Major League Baseball season. A best-of-seven playoff, it matched the National League (NL) champion Philadelphia Phillies against the American League (AL) champion Kansas City

neg: Sports in Kansas City Sports in Kansas City The Kansas City Metropolitan Area has a long history of sports, which has included national championship teams and championship title events. Kansas City has had teams in all five of the major, professional sports leagues; three major league teams remain today. The Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball became the first American League expansion team to reach the playoffs (1976), to reach the World Series (1980), and to win the World Series (1985; against the state-rival St. Louis Cardinals in the "Show-Me Series"). They did not make the playoffs again until 2014, winning the American

neg: History of the Kansas City metropolitan area housing projects. After Charlie Finley moved the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland, California, Missouri Senator Stuart Symington threatened to remove professional baseball's antitrust exemption. Major League Baseball responded by awarding an expansion team to Kansas City which started play in 1969 under Ewing Kauffman. The Royals had winning seasons by 1971 and moved into their new home in the Truman Sports Complex at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium) in 1973, beginning a decade in which they appeared in the World Series two times (winning once) and won six American League West division titles. In 1972, the Kansas City Chiefs played

neg: 2014 World Series the New York Yankees won. 2014 World Series (4–3): San Francisco Giants (NL) beat Kansas City Royals (AL) In all but one of the seven games, the team that scored first went on to win; the exception was in Game 2. Similarly, statistics show this pattern of scoring first to win has prevailed in 67% of Series Game-7 outcomes, as it did here after the victorious Giants scored in the top of the second. Fox broadcast the series in the United States (simulcast in Canada on Sportsnet), with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck calling the action along with color analysts Harold

neg: 1985 Kansas City Royals season 1985 Kansas City Royals season The 1985 Kansas City Royals season ended with the Royals' first world championship win over their intrastate rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals won the Western Division of the American League for the second consecutive season and the sixth time in ten years. The team improved its record to 91–71 on the strength of its pitching, led by Bret Saberhagen's Cy Young Award-winning performance. In the playoffs, the Royals went on to win the American League Championship Series for just the second time and the World Series for the first time (they previously lost

neg: Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member team of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expansion franchise in 1969, and has participated in four World Series, winning in 1985 and 2015, and losing in 1980 and 2014. The name Royals pays homage to the American Royal, a livestock show, horse show, rodeo, and championship barbeque competition held annually in Kansas City since 1899 as well as the identical names of two former

neg: History of the Kansas City Royals the AL MVP, and Willie Wilson, who electrified crowds with stolen bases and inside-the-park home runs. In the 1980 ALCS, the Royals finally vanquished the Yankees in a three-game sweep punctuated by a George Brett home run off Yankees' star closer Goose Gossage. Frank White was named the playoffs MVP for all-around steady play and heroics. However, after reaching their first World Series, the Royals fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. The Phillies featured future Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton, as well as all-time hits leader Pete Rose. In the series, Willie Aikens became the

neg: 2014 Kansas City Royals season Giants added further insult to injury with a four-run seventh. The Royals never scored in the game outside of their four-run third inning, and this time it was the Giants who used an effective lineup of seventh, eighth, and ninth-inning relievers to quell any further Kansas City threat. 5:07 p.m. PDT at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California Madison Bumgarner was the only pitcher the Giants required to take a 3–2 lead in the World Series over the Royals, again puzzling Kansas City hitters as he had in Game 1. Kansas City starter James Shields was more effective than four

neg: 2014 Kansas City Royals season games earlier, only surrendering two runs across seven innings of work, but the Giants added three runs insurance off Royals relievers Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis. San Francisco's five runs were delivered by only two batters: Juan Pérez, who batted in two, and Brandon Crawford, who drove in three. This was the fourth postseason shutout suffered by the Royals in franchise history, following Game 1 of the 1981 American League Division Series, Game 4 of the 1984 American League Championship Series, and Game 4 of the 1985 World Series. 7:07 p.m. CDT at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri Lorenzo

neg: 2015 Kansas City Royals season 2015 Kansas City Royals season The 2015 Kansas City Royals season was the 47th for the franchise, and their 43rd at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals made their second consecutive World Series appearance in 2015, after winning the American League in 2014. They won the series for the first time since 1985. The team won their first AL Central title on September 24, 2015, the first time the Royals won their division since 1985. They opened the playoffs by defeating the Houston Astros in five games in the Division Series and then defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in six games in

neg: 2015 Kansas City Royals season Strikeouts" 2015 Kansas City Royals season The 2015 Kansas City Royals season was the 47th for the franchise, and their 43rd at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals made their second consecutive World Series appearance in 2015, after winning the American League in 2014. They won the series for the first time since 1985. The team won their first AL Central title on September 24, 2015, the first time the Royals won their division since 1985. They opened the playoffs by defeating the Houston Astros in five games in the Division Series and then defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in six games

neg: 2008 Kansas City Royals season in franchise history, and all of the streaks have occurred since 1997. The losing caused Kansas City to make roster changes by sending the struggling Billy Butler to Triple-A affiliate Omaha. Mike Avilés was called up in exchange. Looking to rebound from their 12-game losing streak in May, the Royals started the month of June with 4 consecutive series wins over National League opponents. Kansas City completed its first ever series sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis. In 12 years of Interleague play, the Cardinals still hold the I-70 Series lead, 26-22, but the Royals have done better in

neg: 1985 Kansas City Royals season five-hit shutout, allowing the Royals to win 11–0 and clinch the franchise's first World Series title as the Cardinals' pitchers fell apart. AL Kansas City Royals (4) vs NL St. Louis Cardinals (3) After the season these players became free agents: "Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases" Triples Home runs Strikeouts Games pitched Saves Notes: 1985 Kansas City Royals season The 1985 Kansas City Royals season ended with the Royals' first

neg: Omaha Storm Chasers Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at Werner Park which opened in 2011. The team previously played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, home to the College World Series, from 1969 to 2010. The team has been the only Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals since their inception in the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion. They were originally known as the Omaha Royals

neg: 1985 Kansas City Royals season the 1980 World Series). Both the ALCS and the World Series were won in seven games after the Royals lost the first two games at home and three of the first four games overall. The championship series against the Cardinals was forever remembered in St. Louis by umpires' supposedly blown calls in Game Six: one that cost the Royals a run in the 4th, and a blown call by umpire Don Denkinger that allowed Jorge Orta to reach first. The World Series is remembered in Kansas City as the culmination of ten years of dominance by the Royals, during which

neg: 2014 American League Championship Series 2014 American League Championship Series The 2014 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Baltimore Orioles against the Kansas City Royals for the American League pennant and the right to play in the 2014 World Series. The Royals won the series four games to zero. The series was the 45th in league history with TBS airing all games in the United States. Even as the Royals swept the series, each game was decided by two runs or fewer. To reach the 2014 ALCS, the Orioles (East Division champions, 96–66) defeated the Tigers (Central Division champions, 90–72) in

neg: 1990 Kansas City Royals season 1990 Kansas City Royals season The 1990 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 6th in the American League West with a record of 75 wins and 86 losses. Kansas City maintained their reputation as one of the American League West's top contenders throughout the late 1980s. The club posted a winning record in three of the last four seasons following their World Series championship season. The Royals finished the 1989 season with a 92–70 record (third best record in franchise history) and a second-place finish in the AL West seven games

neg: Kansas City Royals Escobar and Ben Zobrist (who was intentionally walked). Wade Davis, who hadn't allowed a run yet that postseason, closed out the game with a flawless 12th, allowing a hit and striking out Wilmer Flores to end the game and win the World Series for the Royals. The Royals' most prominent rivalry is with the intrastate St. Louis Cardinals. For geographic reasons, the teams long played exhibition games, but a true rivalry began with the Royals' victory over the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series, known as the "I-70 Series." Notably, the manager for the Cardinals in the series was Whitey

neg: 1980 Kansas City Royals season = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts" October 8 Royals Stadium October 9 Royals Stadium October 10 Yankee Stadium 1980 Kansas City Royals season The 1980 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. The Royals finished first in the American League West with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. They went on to sweep the New York Yankees in the ALCS, then lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 World Series, four games to two. One of the highlights of the

neg: Lorenzo Cain and stolen base total placed eighth in the AL. He notched twice as many infield hits as he had the year before – this as a result of the work he had done with Al Hobson, track coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College to improve his base-running sprint speed. The Royals made the playoffs for the first time since winning the 1985 World Series. In the Division Series, Cain's defensive play in center field – featuring four spectacular catches in two games – was widely credited with helping the Royals sweep the highly favored Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

neg: Hobie Landrith Mateo, California on October 14, 1961. David Landrith played two seasons in the minor leagues from 1983 to 1984 in the Kansas City Royals farm system for the Butte Copper Kings and Charleston Royals after being drafted in the 12th Round, 309th overall by Kansas City in the 1983 amateur draft. He had previously turned down an offer to play professional baseball after being drafted in the sixth round of the 1979 draft by the Cleveland Indians. A year later, David was part of the Arizona Wildcats baseball team becoming National Champions in winning the 1980 College World Series. David

neg: Jonny Gomes Gomes was traded to the Kansas City Royals for minor league infielder Luis Valenzuela. The Royals would go on to win the World Series against the Mets. However, Gomes did not make the postseason roster and played in only 12 games for the Royals in 2015 but was given a World Series ring. Gomes signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on February 3, 2016. On May 6, the Eagles released Gomes. On February 1, 2018, Gomes announced his retirement to become the Rookie League hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gomes has been known for his charity work in

neg: Kansas City Royals the Series. In game three, with KC down 2 games to 0, George Brett homered twice and doubled off the fence in right field to put Kansas City back into the series. With the Royals down three-games-to-one in the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Royals eventually rallied to win the series 4–3. In the 1985 World Series (nicknamed the "I-70 Series" because the two teams are both located in the state of Missouri and connected by Interstate 70) against the cross-state St. Louis Cardinals, the Royals again fell behind, three games to one. The key

neg: 1984 Kansas City Royals season 1984 Kansas City Royals season The 1984 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 1st in the American League West with a record of 84 wins and 78 losses. However, they would lose to the Detroit Tigers in 3 Games in the ALCS. The Tigers would go on to the World Series and defeat the San Diego Padres in 5 Games. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in" October 2, Royals

neg: 1984 Kansas City Royals season Stadium October 3, Royals Stadium October 5, Tiger Stadium 1984 Kansas City Royals season The 1984 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 1st in the American League West with a record of 84 wins and 78 losses. However, they would lose to the Detroit Tigers in 3 Games in the ALCS. The Tigers would go on to the World Series and defeat the San Diego Padres in 5 Games. "Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home

neg: 2010 Kansas City Royals season SB = Stolen bases" 2010 Kansas City Royals season The Kansas City Royals' season of 2010 was the 42nd for the Royals franchise. It was also the 25th anniversary of their first World Series championship (1985). The Royals' payroll as the 2010 season opened was $70 million (21st in the major leagues). Manager Trey Hillman was dismissed after the game on May 13, 2010 and replaced with Ned Yost. "Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in;

neg: 2010 Kansas City Royals season 2010 Kansas City Royals season The Kansas City Royals' season of 2010 was the 42nd for the Royals franchise. It was also the 25th anniversary of their first World Series championship (1985). The Royals' payroll as the 2010 season opened was $70 million (21st in the major leagues). Manager Trey Hillman was dismissed after the game on May 13, 2010 and replaced with Ned Yost. "Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average;

neg: 2014 Kansas City Royals season fielder Gregor Blanco and left fielder Juan Perez, allowing Gordon to reach third standing up. Unfortunately for Kansas City, Salvador Pérez, the next batter, popped a ball up into foul territory on a 2-2 count, which was easily caught by Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval to give San Francisco their third World Series victory in five seasons and crush Kansas City's Cinderella run through the postseason. Madison Bumgarner worked on short rest for San Francisco; although he did not start the game, he came into relieve Jeremy Affeldt (who had himself relieved starter Tim Hudson) in the fifth inning and

neg: 2014 Kansas City Royals season pitched five innings in a masterful performance that prevented the Royals' offense from igniting. Bumgarner was awarded a save; the win went to Affeldt. No scoring occurred after the fourth inning, when Pablo Sandoval came home from third on a one-out hit to right field by Michael Morse. This would prove to be the World Series-winning run for the Giants. Prior to the fourth inning, both teams scored two runs each in the second inning. Alex Gordon and Omar Infante batted in the Royals' only runs. 2014 Kansas City Royals season The Kansas City Royals' season of 2014 was the

neg: 1985 Kansas City Royals season they reached the playoffs seven times, with stars such as George Brett, Hal McRae and Willie Wilson. The team was managed by Dick Howser in his fourth and final full season with the Royals. The Royals did not return to the postseason until 2014 and won the World Series again in 2015. The Royals opened the season at home on Monday, April 8, in a three-game series versus the Toronto Blue Jays. In his second straight opening day start, Bud Black faced off against the Blue Jays' Dave Stieb and allowed only a single earned run on four hits as

neg: History of the Kansas City Royals removing baseball's antitrust exemption unless Kansas City was granted a team in the next round of expansion. Major League Baseball complied with a hasty round of expansion at the 1967 winter meetings. Kansas City was awarded one of four teams to begin play in 1971. However, Symington was not satisfied with having Kansas City wait three years for baseball to return, and pressured MLB to allow the new teams to start play in 1969. Symington's intervention may have contributed to the financial collapse of the Royals' companion expansion team, the Seattle Pilots, who had to begin play in 1969 before

neg: 2014 American League Championship Series The Kansas City 8-game postseason winning streak wouldn't be complete without a defensive gem, this time provided by multi-time gold-glove left-fielder Alex Gordon. In the 5th, J. J. Hardy looked to have an extra-base hit deep to left-center field, but Gordon, running full speed, leaped and caught the ball, while crashing into the wall for the out. 2014 ALCS (4–0): Kansas City Royals over Baltimore Orioles 2014 American League Championship Series The 2014 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Baltimore Orioles against the Kansas City Royals for the American League pennant and the right to play

neg: 2014 World Series Series. Bumgarner only allowed four hits, recorded eight strikeouts and no walks. When Bumgarner did allow a hit, he shut down the Royals after that by coming up with 6 of his 8 strikeouts immediately after allowing a hit. The only time that the Giants' pitcher allowed the Royals to get into scoring position was Omar Infante's one-out double in the fifth inning, but Bumgarner then struck out the next two Kansas City batters. This was the third straight game in which neither team hit a home run, the first such occurrence in a World Series since . The Giants

neg: 2009 Kansas City Royals season On May 19, Kansas City trailed Cleveland 5–2 entering the ninth inning but accomplished their biggest comeback victory of the season. After two consecutive home runs by Mike Jacobs and Mark Teahen, the Royals rallied to a 6–5 victory after a sacrifice fly by Willie Bloomquist brought David DeJesus home for the winning run. Kansas City began Interleague play against their crossstate rival St. Louis Cardinals. After losing the first two games of the series by scores of 5–0, the Royals fell to a 21-22 record and under the .500 mark for the first time since April 11 when they

neg: Kansas City Royals Missouri, who demanded a new franchise for the city after the Athletics (Kansas City's previous major league team that played from 1955 to 1967) moved to Oakland, California in 1968. Since April 10, 1973, the Royals have played at Kauffman Stadium, formerly known as Royals Stadium. The new team quickly became a powerhouse, appearing in the playoffs seven times from 1976 to 1985, winning one World Series championship and another AL pennant, led by stars such as Amos Otis, Hal McRae, John Mayberry, George Brett, Frank White, Willie Wilson, and Bret Saberhagen. The team remained competitive throughout the early 1990s,

neg: 1980 National League Championship Series Maddox, and the Phillies had won their first pennant since 1950, while the Astros had to wait 25 years before they would make a World Series appearance. Philadelphia went on to defeat the Kansas City Royals four games to two in the World Series. 1980 NLCS (3–2): Philadelphia Phillies over Houston Astros 1980 National League Championship Series The 1980 National League Championship Series was played between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros from October 7 to 12. Philadelphia won the series three games to two to advance to the World Series, eventually defeating the Kansas City Royals for their

neg: 2014 World Series Royals' starter Jeremy Guthrie. The Royals scored first when Alcides Escobar doubled to lead off the game and came around to score on groundouts by Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain. Kansas City mounted a rally when Mike Moustakas singled and Omar Infante walked, but Hudson ended the threat with a lineout and a double play. Both pitchers settled down until the sixth inning. The Royals started another threat in the top of the sixth inning. Escobar singled with one out. Gordon then doubled to center field to score Escobar and increase the Royals' lead. Cain grounded to third for the

neg: Kansas City Royals Kauffman Stadium on October 14, 2014. Pitcher Jeremy Guthrie allowed only one run as KC beat the Orioles 2–1, taking a 3–0 lead in the series. In Game four, the Royals completed the sweep of the Orioles with another 2–1 win to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1985. The win marked the team's eighth consecutive postseason win in one year, breaking a major league record previously held by the Colorado Rockies in 2007 and Cincinnati Reds in 1976. It also marked the Royals' 11th win in a row overall in postseason play, dating back to

neg: History of the Kansas City Royals Royals won with a bloop base hit by seldom used pinch hitter Dane Iorg, a former utility player for the Cardinals. Following the tension and frustration of Game Six, the Cardinals came undone in Game Seven, and the Royals won 11-0 to clinch the franchise's first World Series title. In 1986, the Royals fell suddenly from contender status. They also made one of the worst trades in franchise history, trading native Kansas Citian and future perennial All-Star David Cone for Ed Hearn. Hearn played for less than a month in Kansas City. The Royals were the trendy pre-season pick to

neg: 1980 World Series had become the Baltimore Orioles). While Mike Schmidt was the official MVP of the 1980 World Series, the Babe Ruth Award (another World Series MVP) was given to Tug McGraw. 1980 World Series (4–2): Philadelphia Phillies (N.L.) over Kansas City Royals (A.L.) NBC broadcast the Series on television, with play-by-play announcer Joe Garagiola, color commentators Tony Kubek and Tom Seaver, and field reporter Merle Harmon. Bryant Gumbel anchored the pre- and post-game shows, while former pitching great Bob Gibson and umpire Ron Luciano also contributed to NBC's coverage. CBS Radio also carried the Series nationally, with Vin Scully handling the

neg: 1980 Kansas City Royals season 1980 Kansas City Royals season The 1980 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. The Royals finished first in the American League West with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. They went on to sweep the New York Yankees in the ALCS, then lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 World Series, four games to two. One of the highlights of the season was George Brett winning the American League batting title. Brett's .390 batting average was the highest in the majors since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. On September 30, while pitching

neg: 2013 Kansas City Royals season mark of anyone with at least 30 at-bats against the Detroit pitcher. Tim Collins (1–0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Royals and got the win. This followed a game the previous day, which the Royals narrowly lost against Detroit (having only played two out of six days due to postponed games and having no batting practice prior to the game on April 24 as a result of bad weather). Overall, the Royals went 4–3 at Atlanta, Boston and Detroit. Kansas City did not play a home game since April 14. They played seven road games in 11 days. "This

neg: 1977 New York Yankees season = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts" October 5: Yankee Stadium, New York City October 6: Yankee Stadium, New York City October 7: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri October 8: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri October 9: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri All-Star Game 1977 New York Yankees season The 1977 New York Yankees season was the 75th season for the Yankees in New York and the 77th season overall for the franchise. The team won the World Series, which was the 21st championship in franchise history and the first championship under the ownership of George Steinbrenner.

neg: 2015 Kansas City Royals season League Championship Series. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by George Brett. Matt Harvey started Game 1 for the Mets, while Edinson Vólquez started for the Royals. Volquez's father died earlier in the day. He was not aware of his father's death until after he left the game. On the first pitch thrown by Harvey, Alcides Escobar hit an inside-the-park home run, the first in a World Series game since Mule Haas in the 1929 World Series (and the first hit by a leadoff batter since Patsy Dougherty did it for the Boston Americans (now Red Sox) in ).

neg: 2014 Kansas City Royals season and never closed the 7–2 gap. Kansas City's Kelvin Herrera–Wade Davis–Greg Holland relief lineup again kept the lead intact. The Royals' victory evens the World Series at one game apiece and thus forces a Game 5 on Sunday, October 26. 5:07 p.m. PDT at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California The Royals took a 2–1 series lead in the first tilt of the Fall Classic that was a closely contested pitchers' duel instead of a lopsided hitting spree, as Games 1 and 2 had been. Kansas City hung one run on the Giants in the top of the first inning

neg: 1977 American League Championship Series Yankees know how to win." 1977 ALCS (3–2): New York Yankees over Kansas City Royals 1977 American League Championship Series The 1977 American League Championship Series was a five-game series played between October 5 and 9, 1977, at Yankee Stadium (Games 1–2), and Royals Stadium (3–5). The Yankees took the series 3–2, and would later go on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1977 World Series to take the title. Kansas City was given home-field advantage as it rotated back to the West Division; the Royals held a 102–60 record to the Yankees' 100–62 record. This was the

neg: 1903 World Series Bucky Veil, who finished the game. Bill Dinneen struck out eleven and pitched a complete game for the Americans, while Patsy Dougherty hit home runs in the first and sixth innings for two of the Boston's three runs. The Americans' Patsy Dougherty led off the Boston scoring with an inside-the-park home run, the first time a leadoff batter did just that until Alcides Escobar of the Kansas City Royals duplicated the feat in the 2015 World Series, 112 years later. Dougherty's second home run was the first in World Series history to actually sail over the fence, an incredibly rare

neg: History of the Kansas City Royals Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS and ALCS, respectively. However, the Royals fell a win short in the World Series, losing to the San Francisco Giants in seven games. Energized by the previous season's playoff run, the 2015 Royals won the American League Central, earning their first division title since 1985. In the ALDS against the Houston Astros, the Royals trailed in the series 2–1, and were on the verge of elimination after trailing by four runs heading into the eighth inning of Game 4. However, Kansas City scored seven runs in the final two

neg: 2015 Kansas City Royals season fifth inning, becoming the first rookie to hit two home runs in a World Series game since Andruw Jones in the 1996 World Series. In the sixth inning, Zobrist hit his eighth double of the postseason, tying a postseason record previously set by Albert Pujols and David Freese of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals took the lead in the eighth inning off of Tyler Clippard and Familia, who had his second blown save of the series. Volquez returned to the Dominican Republic for his father's funeral the day after Game 1, but returned to the Royals in time

neg: Omaha Storm Chasers World Series Champion. 10 – Dick Howser: Managed the Kansas City Royals from 1981–86, including guiding the team to two Western Division titles and the 1985 World Series title 20 – Frank White: Spent the first half of 1973 in Omaha, then got called up to the majors. He went on to spend his entire 18-year career with the Kansas City Royals, picking up 8 Gold Gloves and 5 all-star selections. He was part of the 1985 World Series team and was named the MVP of the 1980 ALCS. 23 – Mike Jirschele: Not only managed Omaha from 1995–97 and

neg: History of the Kansas City Royals 14th inning. In Game 4, with the Mets on the verge of tying the series, the Royals scored three runs (one unearned) in the eighth inning to send them to within a game of the championship. Then in Game 5, with the Mets three outs away from forcing Game 6, the Royals scored two runs to tie the game, before seldom-used infielder Christian Colón drove in the go-ahead run in the 12th inning, helping Kansas City win 7–2 and clinch their second World Series championship. All Star catcher Salvador Pérez was named Series MVP for his clutch hitting and excellent

neg: Kansas City Royals game in their comeback was Game 6. Facing elimination, the Royals trailed 1–0 in the bottom of the 9th inning, before rallying to score two runs and win. The Royals maintained a reputation as one of the American League West's top teams throughout the late 1980s. The club posted a winning record in three of the four seasons following its 1985 World Series championship, while developing young stars such as Bo Jackson, Tom Gordon, and Kevin Seitzer. The Royals finished the 1989 season with a 92–70 record (third-best in the major leagues) but did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing

neg: Al Michaels a series that was panned for being low-scoring and dull. After a Royals win in St. Louis forced the action back to Kansas City, the sixth game was also low scoring. However, this contest grew into a tense pitcher's duel. In the bottom of the 9th, pinch hitter Jorge Orta led off for the Royals against Cardinals pitcher Todd Worrell with Kansas City trailing 1–0 and hit a ground ball to first baseman Jack Clark. Clark threw over to pitcher Worrell, who was running over to cover first base in time to beat the speedy Orta and did. Yet first

neg: Fernando Cortez left-handed pitcher J.P. Howell. Cortez was assigned to the roster of the Triple-A Omaha Royals and did not play in the majors with Kansas City in 2006. In , Cortez saw limited action with Kansas City, appearing in eight games. His 2007 campaign with the Royals resulted in a .286 batting average four hits in 14 at-bats, with one RBI and three runs scored. Kansas City designated him for assignment on July 11. Cortez signed with the Chicago White Sox for the season. He last played for the Somerset Patriots in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2011. Fernando

neg: Kansas City Royals Series champions. It was the Royals' first World Series title since 1985. The series win was sealed after the Royals beat the Mets 7-2 in the 12th inning of Game 5. The Royals rallied in the 9th inning down 2-0 to tie the score 2-2, forcing the game into extra innings. The five-run 12th inning was initiated by a Perez single and Dyson pinch-running for him. This was followed by a single from Christian Colon, doubles from both Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain, scoring runs from Jarrod Dyson, Colon, Paulo Orlando (who reached base on an error by Daniel Murphy),

neg: Kansas stadium now known as Children's Mercy Park. Historically, Kansans have supported the major league sports teams of Kansas City, Missouri, including the Kansas City Royals (MLB), the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) and the Kansas City Brigade (AFL) – in part because the home stadiums for these teams are a few miles from the Kansas border. The Chiefs and the Royals play at the Truman Sports Complex, located about from the Kansas–Missouri state line. The Kansas City Brigade play in the newly opened Sprint Center, which is even closer to the state line at . FC Kansas City, a charter member

neg: 2015 Japan Series the first Korean player to win the Japan Series MVP Award, and the first foreign player since Troy Neel in the 1996 Japan Series. Kenji Akashi, Shota Takeda, and Rick van den Hurk of the Hawks won outstanding player awards. The Fighting Spirit Award, given to the best player on the losing team of the series, went to Tetsuto Yamada of the Swallows. Masayoshi Son, the owner of the Hawks who also owns the Sprint Corporation, based in Kansas City, Missouri, joked that he would like the Hawks to play against the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball, if

neg: Bo Jackson Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he refused to play for them because a visit to team facilities they said was NCAA-approved was actually not, causing him to miss the remainder of his final college baseball season. Jackson believes that the failure to obtain NCAA approval was deliberate and was intended by the Buccaneers to get him to play football instead of baseball. He vowed not to sign with Tampa Bay should they draft him, but they proceeded anyway. He kept his vow and opted to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals, the defending World Series champions, who had drafted him

neg: 2014 Kansas City Royals season Finnegan to the usual late-inning Herrera–Wade Davis–Greg Holland lineup, kept the Giants at bay for the remaining three innings. Kansas City never recorded an insurance run to pad their 3–2 lead, but the closer Holland racked up three straight outs to secure a Royals victory without further rebut. 5:07 p.m. PDT at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California The World Series was forced to at least a sixth game back in Kansas City following a definitive and conclusive victory by the Giants in which they attacked the Royals' bullpen in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, especially rookie Brandon Finnegan,

neg: Art Frantz no-hitter in Texas Rangers history, a 6-0 victory over the defending World Series champion Oakland Athletics. Frantz was the home plate umpire for Game 5 of the 1976 American League Championship Series, which ended when the New York Yankees' Chris Chambliss hit a walk-off home run off Kansas City Royals pitcher Mark Littell on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Yankees to their first World Series in 12 years. After the ball cleared the fence, Chambliss was mobbed by fans (who tore out second base) on the basepaths and did not make an attempt

neg: Kansas City Royals the franchise's final three wins of the 1985 Series, the third-longest multi-year postseason streak in baseball history. The Royals faced the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 World Series. They had home-field advantage, due to the American League's win in the 2014 All-Star Game. After setting an AL record by winning eight straight games to reach the World Series, the Royals opened the series by losing 7–1 in the first game against starter Madison Bumgarner. The Royals bounced back with a 7–2 win in game two to tie the series at 1–1. The Royals won game three in San Francisco

neg: Freddie Patek played in four American League Championship Series, his teams never reached the World Series. The Pirates won the World Series the season after Patek left the Pirates (), and the Royals lost the World Series the season after Patek left the Royals (). Baseball analyst Bill James has ranked Patek, a member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame, the 14th best player in Royals' history. Patek briefly served as a part-time baseball analyst for NBC after his retirement. On July 21, 1992, Patek's daughter Kimberlie was paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident. Community fund raisers

neg: Cardinals–Royals rivalry (and several notable droughts) leading up to the World Series. The Cardinals fell on hard times in the 1970s after winning the 1964 and the 1967 World Series and appearing in the 1968 World Series. The Kansas City Royals had become one of the best teams in baseball by the late 1970s, reaching the American League playoffs six times from 1976 to 1984, including the 1980 World Series. After several down years, the Cardinals emerged as a pennant contender in the early 1980s, winning the 1982 World Series. The first official meeting between the Cardinals and Royals was in the

neg: History of the Kansas City metropolitan area The "Kansas City Star", which had been caught flat-footed after the Kemper Arena collapse, hired a structural engineer following the Hyatt disaster and wound up winning a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the story. The Kansas City Royals helped boost the city's morale in 1980, when they played their first World Series (in which they were favored to win, but lost to the Philadelphia Phillies four games to two), and then in 1985 in the "I-70 Series" with the intrastate rival St. Louis Cardinals. The 1985, the Royals won the Western Division of the American League for the second

neg: 1980 American League Championship Series season prematurely ended, the Yankees had the best record in the American League, which was also the second best in baseball. This would also be the last time the Yankees would be swept in a postseason series for 32 years. Four men involved with the 1980 ALCS (Dick Howser, Bobby Murcer, Johnny Oates, and Dan Quisenberry) have died of brain cancer. (Tug McGraw and John Vukovich of the Philadelphia Phillies, who defeated the Royals in that year's World Series, also succumbed to the disease, as did Ken Brett, who pitched for Kansas City in the 1980–81 regular seasons.) 1980 American

neg: 1979 American League Championship Series 1979 American League Championship Series The 1979 American League Championship Series was a best-of-five series that pitted the East Division champion Baltimore Orioles against the West Division champion California Angels, who were making their first postseason appearance. The Orioles won the Series three games to one and would go on to lose to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 World Series. This was the only ALCS between 1971 and 1981 that did not feature either the Oakland Athletics or the Kansas City Royals. Game 1 was a match-up of Nolan Ryan in his final season with the Angels, and Jim

neg: Danny Jackson combined for the best pitching tandem in baseball that season. Jackson's great 1988 season went largely unnoticed because of the outstanding season turned in by the Dodgers Orel Hershiser. In total, Jackson played in three World Series for three different franchises: the 1985 Kansas City Royals, the 1990 Cincinnati Reds, and the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies. Danny Jackson Danny Lynn Jackson (born January 5, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1997. He played for the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis

neg: Major League Baseball Wild Card Game 2014 postseason featured the first Series sweeps involving Wild Card Game winners, but they were both in favor of the AL Wild Card Kansas City Royals who swept both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Baltimore Orioles en route to the second World Series featuring both NL and AL Wild Card Game winners, with the San Francisco Giants defeating the Royals in seven games. The first all Wild Card World Series also involved the Giants, but they were on the losing end, losing the 2002 World Series to the then Anaheim Angels in seven games. The one-game, win-or-go-home

neg: 2009 Kansas City Royals season 12-10 record for the month, the Royals registered their first winning April since 2003 when they began the season with a 16-7 record. The Royals entered the month of May in sole-possession of first place in the American League Central. They traveled to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to play the Minnesota Twins in a three-game series to start off the month. The series was hotly contested with the Royals scoring 22 runs and the Twins scoring 19 and several lead changes. The second game of the series was decided in 11 innings. In the third game, the Royals were

neg: 2015 Kansas City Royals season base on an error by Daniel Murphy, Alcides Escobar hit a double to score Colón. Ben Zobrist was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Cain drove home three more runs with a double off Bartolo Colón. Davis pitched a shutout inning for the Royals to complete the series and win the championship; he struck out Wilmer Flores looking to end the game, series, and baseball season. This marked the second consecutive year (and the fourth time in the last six years) that the home team did not win the World Series, thus the trophy presentation was done in the

neg: Ryan Lefebvre Ryan Lefebvre Ryan Lefebvre (; born February 12, 1971) is an American sportscaster, best known as a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals since 1999. In 2008, he became the primary announcer for Royals' television broadcasts on Fox Sports Kansas City. Lefebvre also provides play-by-play on the Royals Radio Network for some of the games that aren't covered on television, relieving longtime Royals announcer Denny Matthews. Since the 2012 season, he has called most games on radio when Steve Physioc does the play-by-play on TV. Lefebvre was named Most Valuable Player for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in

neg: 1985 Kansas City Royals season Championship Series, the 1985 World Series was destined to become one of the most memorable series for the cross-state rivals. It was popularly known as the "Show-Me Series" (Missouri is "the Show-Me State") and the "I-70 Series". The 1985 World Series was played by National League rules, with no designated hitter, so the Royals were without the regular services of one of their best players, Hal McRae. As they had done in the ALCS, the Royals lost three of their first four games with the Cardinals. The key game in the Royals' comeback was Game 6, a game famous for

neg: Kansas City Royals before he was replaced by Jeremy Affeldt, who was later replaced by Madison Bumgarner. The Royals lost game seven, 3–2, with the tying run (Alex Gordon) on third base in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, when Salvador Pérez fouled out to Pablo Sandoval to end the game and the series. After earning a wild-card entry to the playoffs in 2014, in 2015 the Royals won the franchise's first division title since 1985 and first Central division title ever (the Central was created in 1994). The Royals went on to win the 2015 World Series – the first

neg: Pokey Reese Sox did not tender him a contract, making him a free agent two days later. On January 30, 2002, he signed with the Pirates. In 2003, Reese turned down a higher-paying deal from Pittsburgh to play for the Red Sox, and in 2004, he was part of Boston's first World Series win since 1918. On May 8, 2004, at Fenway Park, Reese had the first two-homer game of his career in a Red Sox 9-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Reese hit an inside-the-park home run and one over the Green Monster, to snap a 172 at-bat homerless streak

neg: 2013 Kansas City Royals season first since 2003. During the offseason, the Kansas City Royals donated over $4 million in funds raised during the 2012 All-Star game for various projects in the Kansas City area communities, including building two baseball facilities for disabled children. Alex Gordon signed a $37.5 million four-year deal last season with the Royals. The team lost Eric Hosmer to the United States team for the World Baseball Classic. Right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke, who won the 2009 AL Cy Young Award while with Kansas City, signed a $147 million six-year contract to join the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason but was