Here’s how the KC Royals will honor their 2014 AL championship team this week
The Royals dropped a tight 2-1 home result against Baltimore on May 15, 2014, and their record dropped to 20-20.
Although the Royals were six games behind the Tigers in the AL Central at that time, many Kansas City fans were happy the team was in the thick of the playoff race, although there was still three-fourths of the season to be played.
Exactly five months later, the Royals beat the Orioles 2-1 at Kauffman Stadium and finished a four-game sweep of the American League Championship Series.
It was part of an electric playoff run that supercharged Kansas City. Many moments remain part of team lore.
Remember the epic Wild Card Game win? How about home runs by Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer in the division series against the Angels? Billy Butler’s stolen base against the Angels? Moustakas’ grab over the railing against the Orioles? Center fielder Lorenzo Cain catching everything throughout the playoffs? What about Yordano Ventura’s tough-as-nails outing forcing Game 7 of the World Series?
Players from that team will be honored Thursday at Union Station as the American League champions gather 10 years after the team ended a 29-year World Series drought.
The Royals lost to the San Francisco Giants, but most of those players returned to finish the job as Kansas City won the 2015 World Series.
Nearly all members of that 2014 team are no longer in baseball and some have been honored for their accomplishments. Manager Ned Yost is in the Royals Hall of Fame. Cain was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame a year ago and first baseman Eric Hosmer will be enshrined Sunday.
All three will be in Kansas City this week for the reunion. They’ll be joined by Moustakas, Alex Gordon, Jarrod Dyson, Wade Davis, Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera, Alcides Escobar, Luke Hochevar and James Shields, among many others.
Royals catcher Salvador Perez remains the lone active player in the majors from that team, although left-hander Danny Duffy is in the Texas Rangers’ minor-league system.
And, unfortunately, Ventura tragically died in January 2017. His memory is sure to be honored.
Here is what’s on tap this week.
Thursday
Players and coaches from the pennant-winning team will gather at Union Station for a black-tie fundraiser for the Royals Foundation, the team’s charitable organization. The event begins at 7 p.m., but tickets are sold out.
Friday
An on-field ceremony will be held before the Royals face the A’s at Kauffman Stadium, and the team is giving away a Herrera bobblehead. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 5:45 p.m., the Royals said.
Saturday
Davis will toss out the ceremonial first pitch and fans will receive his bobblehead.
Sunday
Holland’s bobblehead is the giveaway and he’ll throw out the first pitch at Kauffman Stadium.
Hosmer will be back at Union Station when he is inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
