KC Royals: Ned Yost Four Wins From Royals History

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Oct 15, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals owner David Glass (left) celebrates on the podium with manager Ned Yost (middle) and general manager Dayton Moore (right) after game four of the 2014 ALCS playoff baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals swept the Orioles to advance to the World Series. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Even though his winning percentage doesn’t necessarily back this up, Yost deserves credit for being a good manager. Did he make a bonehead move that almost cost the Royals the AL Wild Card game, and possibly his job, last fall?

Yes, of course he did.

However, the key word is almost, and a month later he was two runs from leading the Royals to a second World Series championship.

He is one of only three Royals’ managers to take a team to the World Series (something Herzog never did). And just how impressive are his five straight seasons of improvement? — The longest stretch similar to that in team history is three.

When he arrived on the scene in 2010, he inherited a franchise that had finished above .500 only once since 1994. The Minor League cupboard was certainly filled for him, but someone had to lead the team along the way.

If he was averaging 65 wins per season, he assuredly would have been the fall guy, which means he deserves some of the credit for turning this team into what looks like a perennial playoff contender, at least for the near future.

He’s always going to be the “get off my lawn” old-school baseball man (although he surprisingly now advocates for the DH in the National League), who despises post-game press conferences and seemingly anything outside baseball or hunting seasons.

However, save for the Royals going on a losing streak of historic proportions, he’s also going to be the franchise’s leader in wins very soon.

For all his generic press conference answers and giving his players credit for everything, it will be interesting to see how reacts once he breaks the record.

My best guess is it’s made known to him by a reporter after the game, and he quickly gives kudos to his players.

But the truth is, he will have earned each and every one of them, and deserves some kind of recognition for doing so.

Maybe it’s a plaque, or some kind of small ceremony at Kauffman Stadium.

Or maybe his team returns the favor by winning the World Series.

That might just make him a little less grumpy.

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