My favourite reminiscence of the 2014 Wild Card Recreation between the Kansas Metropolis Royals and the Oakland Athletics will not be, in actual fact, Salvador Perez’s game-winning single previous an outstretched Josh Donaldson within the backside of the twelfth inning. Moderately, my favourite second got here a lot earlier—on the primary pitch of the sport. James Shields took the mound within the high of the primary inning and fired a fastball to Coco Crisp, who watched it go by.
It was a strike. The stadium, already within the midst of a “Let’s Go Royals” chant, erupted in a cheer that I didn’t know Kauffman Stadium may make. And that was on the primary pitch. In Royals lore, it’s recognized merely because the Wild Card Recreation, correct noun. It occurred on September 30, 2014, 10 years in the past to the day.
Loads of phrases have been written about that recreation, a back-and-forth contest with the Royals’ odds to win the sport dipping to three% within the backside of the seventh inning. Royals legends like Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez, Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer, Wade Davis, and Lorenzo Cain contributed to the win. So, too, did cameo appearances from supporting gamers like Josh Willingham, Brandon Finnegan, Christian Colon, and Jason Frasor.
However in wanting again on the decade of baseball that’s transpired since then, my major takeaway is simply how particular that recreation, these two playoff runs, actually had been. We’re by no means going to see a greater baseball recreation.
In 2014, Kansas Metropolis sports activities fandom was almost a shameful expertise. At that time, the Royals hadn’t been to the playoffs in 29 years, and had accrued extra 100-loss seasons (4) than successful seasons (three) in twenty years. The Chiefs had been in a tough spot of their very own, whose playoff victory drought had simply gotten sufficiently old to legally drink alcohol. No person beneath the age of 30 was sufficiently old to recollect Kansas Metropolis postseason success. That’s a complete technology of sports activities followers.
And for the Wild Card Recreation to happen as a single elimination recreation, a quasi recreation seven proper off the bat? Are you kidding me? These video games are already electrical sufficient. Royals followers had been there to get together.
So when Shields threw that first pitch, it wasn’t only a pitch. It was an nearly literal manifestation of generational sports activities hope from a fandom who by no means misplaced their loyalty and pleasure of the sport. September and October of 2014 had been unbelievable. Your entire metropolis got here collectively to assist the group. All the things was blue. You would minimize the thrill within the air with a knife.
The Wild Card Recreation lasted 4 hours and 45 minutes. I keep in mind a lot of little issues. I keep in mind going to get some water after Brandon Finnegan pitched what felt just like the forty sixth inning and questioning at his journey that 12 months. I keep in mind wanting by the hands on my watch hit midnight with the Royals down 4 runs and considering that, hey, not less than the Royals made it to October. I keep in mind giving Max a excessive 5 within the parking zone after the sport. I keep in mind that first pitch, the couple who left after the terrible sixth inning and missed all of the enjoyable, the music I listened to on the best way dwelling.
You would have a recreation as loopy as that Wild Card Recreation, positive. However it took many years of pent-up frustration and futility to achieve the payoff of that recreation. Even when that recreation occurred this week, it simply wouldn’t be the identical. You may’t have that very same euphoria and not using a vital quantity of ache and heartbreak beforehand. I’m glad that it didn’t take almost 30 years for the Royals to make the playoffs afterwards. However by God did they make that wait rely.
