No matter what happens now, this Royals team has the stuff

The Royals’ improbable run to the World Series — ending a 29-year playoff drought, the longest in any professional North American sport — has included too many incredible moments to count. But we gave it a shot anyway, even though our fingers hurt from staying crossed. Here are the 20 postseason moments that thrilled us most, from the night the team clinched the Wild Card spot through the afternoon it nabbed the American League pennant.

1. Mike Moustakas’ dugout catch, American League Championship Series, Game 3

It was a rough year for Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas. He batted only .212 with 15 home runs, and he was temporarily demoted to AAA in May. But in the postseason, Moose has already tied the franchise record with four homers — and when he dived headfirst into the dugout suite in pursuit of a foul ball, he made a catch as uplifting as it was dramatic. In a microcosmic display of this city’s support of its team, the fans caught Moose, never letting him touch the ground.

2. Lorenzo Cain’s back-to-back diving catches, American League Division Series, Game 3

Though he didn’t start playing ball until his junior year of high school, center fielder Lorenzo Cain has made up for lost time by demonstrating a supernatural ability to catch any ball sent within 50 feet of his glove. Cain’s back-to-back diving catches in the fifth inning saved at least two runs in the deciding match against the Angels. His defensive prowess continued in the ALCS, paving the way for his coronation as MVP. His .533 ALCS batting average didn’t hurt, either.

3. Salvador Perez’s walk-off single, Wild Card game

How many times did that insane Wild Card showdown between the Royals and the A’s feel like it was over? After giving up five runs in a single inning, the Royals trailed by four in the bottom of the sixth. Even legendary radio announcer Denny Matthews sounded like he was ready to pick up a sandwich and call it a year. Then, improbably, the Royals battled back in the eighth and tied it in the ninth, before Salvador Perez singled to left and drove home the winning run in the bottom of the 12th. It was the kind of clutch hit that inspired strangers to hug and grown men to cry — and it set the tone for the rest of the Royals’ historic eight-game run.

4. Brandon Finnegan pitches two scoreless innings, Wild Card game.

Reliever Brandon Finnegan has become the first MLB player to go from the College World Series to the World Series in a single season. But when the 21-year-old was called to pitch the 10th inning of the Wild Card game, no one knew what to expect. He had made his major league debut only three weeks earlier. But Finnegan has a formidable weapon in his 95-mph fastball, and he was lights-out against the A’s in the 10th and 11th innings, allowing the Royals to win it in the 12th.

5. Eric Hosmer homers in the 11th inning, ALDS Game 2.

For a team that doesn’t hit with power, the long ball has turned out to be a deciding factor in many of the Royals’ extra-inning wins. The day after Moustakas’ 11th-inning solo smash lifted the Royals past the Angels in the ALDS opener, Hosmer answered with a two-run, 11th-inning dinger of his own, putting the Royals one victory away from advancing to the ALCS.

6. “That’s what speed do.”

When Hollywood makes a movie about the Royals, Jarrod Dyson should play Jarrod Dyson. After coining the phrase “That’s what speed do,” the backup outfielder shaved “ZOOM” into the hair on one side of his head and a lightning bolt on the other. Along with professional pinch runner Terrence Gore, Dyson is half of the fastest duo in baseball. That speed has been vital in the Royals’ postseason, particularly the Wild Card match, when the team stole seven bases, tying the MLB postseason single-game record.

7. Alex Gordon gets hit in the neck by a pitch, shrugs it off, ALCS Game 1.

When left fielder Alex Gordon got hit in the neck by a 97-mph fastball from Baltimore’s Andrew Miller, Royals trainers asked him how many fingers they were holding up. Gordon responded by saying, “egg salad.” OK, not really, but that’s what any mere human would have done. Instead, Gordon took his base and homered two innings later. Like this Royals team, Gordon will not quit.

8. Alex Gordon runs full speed into the wall to make a catch, ALCS Game 4.

Anyone who wonders exactly what Gordon means to the Kansas City Royals need only watch him dominate left field, where the three-time Gold Glove Award winner makes impossible plays look nearly routine. In the final game of the ALCS, the Orioles’ lead-off man hit the ball to left with no outs and the Royals leading by only a run. Gordon sprinted to track it down — and then hit the outfield wall with a thud and collapsed on the ground. For a moment, fans held their breath. Then Gordon held up his glove. The fans exploded, and pitcher Jason Vargas tipped his cap.

9. Royals babies are born during playoffs.

During this postseason, two Royals have become first-time dads. Closer Greg Holland’s son, Nash Gregory, was born October 1, and Lorenzo Cain’s son, Cameron Lo, was born October 7. Holland arrived at Angel Stadium in the middle of the ALDS opener the day after his son’s birth and shut down the Angels in the 11th, reminiscent of Bret Saberhagen’s closing out the Royals’ series-winning 1985 game against the Cardinals the night after his son was born.

10. Eric Hosmer buys fans drinks at the Power & Light District.

After the Royals swept the Angels to win the ALDS, first baseman Eric Hosmer headed to McFadden’s in the Power & Light District to celebrate. But he didn’t want to drink alone, so he bought a round for his new friends. And when your team is dominating the playoffs after sucking for three decades, you’re friends with everyone in the bar. Hosmer and his teammates split the tab, which ran to a reported $15,000.

[page]

11. Loud fans help win the Wild Card game.

It’s common knowledge that Arrowhead Stadium is not a safe place for virgin eardrums, but the roar lately at the K has been just as loud — so loud, in fact, that it likely influenced the outcome of the Wild Card game. A’s outfielder Sam Fuld called for Hosmer’s 12th-inning smack, but Jonny Gomes couldn’t hear him, so they both went for it. Neither made the play, and Hosmer had an off-the-wall triple, putting him in perfect position to score on Christian Colon’s infield hit.

12. “Three-headed monster” dominates late innings.

In Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland, the Royals have the most formidable late-inning relievers in the game. Just how good has the “three-headed monster” been this postseason? Well, the three have a combined ERA of 1.06, essentially forcing the other teams to win in six innings instead of nine. In fact, in 2014, the Royals are 68–4 when leading after six innings, and they’re 75–1 when leading in the eighth.

13. SungWoo Lee is back for the World Series.

Remember that eight-game winning streak in early August that catapulted the Royals into first place and ultimately helped them clinch the Wild Card spot? That hot streak happened to coincide with the arrival of SungWoo Lee, a Royals superfan from South Korea who finally got to see his favorite team play live. Lee was hailed as a lucky charm as the Royals won game after game, including a sweep of the San Francisco Giants. Now, thanks to an extensive social-media campaign, Lee is back in town for the World Series.

14. Billy Butler steals second base, ALDS Game 3.

Affectionately nicknamed Country Breakfast, 240-pound designated hitter Billy Butler isn’t exactly renowned for his speed. That didn’t matter in Game 3 against the Angels. Thanks to a Hosmer home run, the Royals had a 5–1 lead in the third, so Butler chugged his way from first to second like the Little Engine That Could — another side of what speed do for this roster.

15. Big Game James lives up to his name.

On this young Royals team, pitcher James Shields has emerged as a kind of elder statesman. The 32-year-old ace has pitched well enough in each of his three postseason outings to get his team a “W” — but that’s not his most important contribution. Younger pitchers and manager Ned Yost say Shields’ passionate style of play has completely changed the clubhouse environment, turning this into a team that doesn’t just think it can win but knows it can win.

16. Royals set record for extra-inning wins.

Try this stat on for size: When the Royals scored three runs in the 10th to defeat the Orioles in Game 1 of the ALCS, they became the first team to win four extra-inning games in a single postseason. Five teams have won three extra-inning games, and all five went on to win the World Series, the most recent being the 2004 Red Sox. Don’t think about it too hard or you’ll jinx the whole thing.

17. Royals become the first team to win eight consecutive games in a single postseason.

The chance of the Royals winning their first seven postseason games was slim to none. The team had a weak offense facing some of the best power teams in baseball, and only two other teams in baseball history, the 1976 Reds and the 2007 Rockies, had done it. Well, the Royals made history this year by being the first team to win eight postseason games in a row.

18. Ned Yost — secret genius?

Ned Yost is one of the most polarizing figures in local sports. Yes, the Royals’ mild-mannered manager has made some questionable calls — admittedly, enough that fans have coined the term “Yosted,” short for “our manager screwed us again.” But it sure does seem that Yost knows how to win with his Royals brand of small ball in the postseason. “It goes back to playing the game the way the game was built to be played,” Yost has said. “It’s exciting baseball.”

19. Salvador Perez is hit by a bat, ALDS Game 2.

Alex Gordon isn’t the only Royal seemingly impervious to concussions. Six-foot-three-inch catcher Salvador Perez, the redwood tree behind home plate, got hit in the head by Angel Josh Hamilton’s bat on a hard follow-through. And just like Gordon, Perez stayed in the game. Later, he said he felt “dizzy” and “foggy,” but that’s no big deal when you’ve got the championship on the line. Be careful back there, Salvy!

20. Everyone steps up when needed.

In a postseason full of plays begging to be preserved in sepia-tinged photographs in leather-bound books, not every Royal has made the highlight reel. But Nori Aoki has made some stellar, run-saving catches in right field. Starting pitcher Jason Vargas allowed only one run in 5-1/3 innings in the ALCS clincher against the Orioles. Shortstop Alcides Escobar has been consistently solid in the lead-off spot, and second baseman Omar Infante has made a couple of barehanded grabs. This team might not have a George Brett, but everything adds up. And when everyone is playing this well, this team seems to be unbeatable.