Page 19 - Aruba Today

SPORTS A19
Tuesday 3 November 2015

Royals reveling in first World Series title since 1985

BY DAVE SKRETTA “I think the resiliency of this the 1939 Yankees to trail for most importantly, the Ben Zobrist.
AP SPORTS WRITER team and the way we can by two runs in the ninth in- fans of Kansas City,” out- All those years of losing were
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- come back and the way ning or later of a potential fielder Jarrod Dyson said. suddenly a distant memory.
The jersey that Eric Hosmer we just count ourselves in clinching game and some- “It’s been a long time since So was last season’s World
wore in the decisive game every single game, I think how rally to victory. Kansas City raised a trophy Series heartbreak against
of the World Series is head- it makes for a fun team to All told, Kansas City trailed like that and I’m just happy San Francisco. The Royals
ed to the Hall of Fame. So watch,” Hosmer explained. by at least two runs in seven to be a part of it.” and their fans believed that
is the glove Salvador Perez “It’s definitely a fun team to of its 11 playoff wins. Long time, indeed. they could not only win the
used, the spikes Lorenzo play for.” “The way guys played all The Royals were once one final game of their season,
Cain laced up and the That resiliency was evident season,” Cain said, “the of baseball’s model fran- they almost seemed to ex-
bat that third baseman throughout their October way guys stepped up even chises, but the 1990s and pect it.
Mike Moustakas took to the ride. though we were down the 2000s were marked by So when the final out was
plate. entire game, it was a huge historic ineptitude: Nine made at Citi Field, and
Maybe they ought to ask In the Division Series, they team effort.” straight losing seasons the Royals streamed out of
for the goal posts from the trailed the Astros by four Now, that team that (twice), three straight 100- their dugout to celebrate a
University of Kansas. runs in a game that could formed such a bond with loss years, token All-Stars championship, it was hard-
Those were torn down in- have ended their season, its city the past two seasons chosen for the Midsummer ly a surprise that their fans
side Memorial Stadium in then rallied to win the se- will get to revel in a cham- Classic simply because ev- joined in the party.
the wee hours Monday ries. They kept fighting back pionship together. Their ery club needed to be rep- Even the ones that decid-
morning, shortly after the when the Blue Jays kept victory parade is Tuesday resented. ed to tear down some goal
Royals beat the New York pounding home runs, even- in downtown Kansas City, Everything started to posts.
Mets to win their first cham- tually winning their second a route that will take the change when general “We just believe. We be-
pionship in three decades. straight AL championship. entire entourage about 2 manager Dayton Moore lieve in each other, you
Thousands of fans shot off It was in the World Series miles to historic Union Sta- arrived, though. It picked believe in the guy next to
fireworks, stormed sporting that they really shined, tion. up steam when Ned Yost you,” Hosmer said, “and
goods to buy the latest ap- though. The victory rally at the base took over as manager, you realize you don’t have
parel, and spent the night The Royals trailed in all of the National World War and a core bunch of play- to do it all by yourself, you
partying as if it was New five games against the I Memorial will begin when ers - Hosmer, third base- just do your part and we
Year’s Eve in downtown Mets, winning three times the parade arrives, and man Mike Moustakas and got a chance of winning
Kansas City. when they were down in thousands of fans lining the others - finally made it to ballgames. It’s something
the eighth inning or later - parade route are expect- the big leagues. The final we’ve all believed in, it’s
“Our fan base and our something no team had ed to converge there. pieces were added at this something we all bought
team share a real special ever accomplished. In the “It’s a dream come true, year’s trade deadline, with into since day one and
bond,” Hosmer said. “That’s decider, the Royals be- not just for the players, but the arrival of pitcher John- that’s why we’re world
grown throughout the came the first team since the staff, for the front office, ny Cueto and the versatile champions.”q
whole entire world, I think,
as the fans have watched
us compete throughout this
postseason.”
Indeed, the Royals made
plenty of new fans with
their scrappy, fight-to-the-
last-out style.
President Barack Obama
called manager Ned Yost
on Monday and said the
team was fun to watch and
made Royals fans proud,
according to White House
spokesman Josh Earnest, a
Kansas City native.
They won 95 games dur-
ing the regular season and
earned home-field advan-
tage throughout the play-
offs. But they never seemed
to be the favorites - not
against the plucky Astros,
the powerful Blue Jays or
against the hard-throwing
Mets’ starting rotation.