KC Royals: Times Sure Have Changed For Royals Fans

Former Kansas City Royals starting pitcher James Shields (33) – Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

My dad is the biggest Royals fan I know.

Every year (even when I was a kid), he would always say, “We’re going to be good this year!” and he’d mean it. During those 100 loss seasons, my dad stuck through it. He was optimistic that this team would be something someday. He even used to tape every game, you know, back when VCRs were a thing.

In 2013, my dad once again said, “We’re going to be good this year!” and after the trade that brought James Shields (and yes, Wade Davis) to Kansas City, I agreed with him. It was a bold move by Dayton Moore, but I liked the trade, and was fully on board the Kansas City Royals train that year.

Yes, the Royals went on to miss the playoffs in 2013, but they finished the season with a winning record for the first time in ten years.

The Royals, despite not quite having captured the attention of everyone in KC, were having a good year in 2013. They were in the running to make the playoffs late in the season, but it got to a point where they basically had to win out and hope that the rest of the teams in the running lost out. It wasn’t a realistic situation.

I think the turning point for this organization came near the end of the 2013 season. The fans really saw the magic begin when Justin Maxwell hit a walk-off grand slam against the Texas Rangers in the Royals’ final home game of the season. I was at that game, and it was the loudest Royals game I had ever been to at that point.

That was only the beginning though.

Yes, the Royals went on to miss the playoffs in 2013, but they finished the season with a winning record for the first time in ten years. That was something to be optimistic about in Kansas City, and little did the wonderful people in this city know what was about to occur for their baseball team.

My dad was right. The Royals were going to be good in 2014.

Next: 2014