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Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer is the Next Big Thing

By Leigh Oleszczak

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The Kansas City Royals haven’t had many superstars during their short existence in the major leagues. Is Eric Hosmer becoming a possible superstar for the organization?

The Kansas City Royals selected first baseman Eric Hosmer with the third overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. At the time of his selection, the hype for Hosmer was that he could be the next Bo Jackson.

Hosmer got his call up to the big leagues during the 2011 season, where he exceeded the expectations. He slashed .293/.334/.465 in 128 games during his rookie year and hit 19 home runs, which is still the most in his career.

Over the years, Eric Hosmer has become the face of the franchise for the Kansas City Royals.

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For one, he’s young and exciting to watch. He might not be a Bryce Harper or Mike Trout, but the guy can make plays on offense and on defense (he has three Gold Gloves to show for the defensive part).

Hosmer also legitimately seems to really enjoying playing baseball for the KC Royals, something that not many could say before the 2013 season. Hosmer is always smiling on the diamond, and his momentum during big moments surely carries throughout the rest of the team.

Hosmer is certainly a shoe-in for the Royals Hall of Fame once his career is over with. He’s been linked with so many huge moments in franchise history and it’d be weird to see him wear another team’s jersey after the 2017 season.

Some of the big moments for Eric Hosmer include:

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  • Hitting a triple in the 12th inning of the 2014 Wild Card game, which ended up being the tying run, and setting Salvador Perez up for the game winning single
  • Slamming a two-run home run during Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS to give the Royals a 2-0 series lead over the Angels
  • Singling home Lorenzo Cain during Game 6 of the 2015 ALCS, which ended up being the winning run
  • … and of course, stealing home during Game 5 of the World Series to tie the game up in the ninth

That last bullet point is likely what Hosmer’s legacy in Kansas City will be. The image of him dashing home to tie the game and the look on distraught Mets fans’ faces in the background is an iconic one for Royals fans, and Hosmer will always be loved in KC for his love of the game and of the city.

Hosmer continued to make Terry Collins and Mets fans cry during the All-Star Game. His first All-Star Game at-bat saw him mashing the ball over the wall for a home run to tie the game up at one run a piece.

Hosmer also singled in another run and ended up winning the All-Star Game MVP Award.

As if Eric Hosmer wasn’t beloved enough in Kansas City as it is, he’s now a household name and one that Mets fans can’t stand.

Reading Pete Grathoff’s article on The Kansas City Star (linked above) about how Mets fans are tired of Hosmer made me think about an even deeper meaning. Mets fans look as Eric Hosmer the same way that Royals fans look at Madison Bumgarner.

Sure, Hosmer didn’t singlehandedly win the Royals the World Series like Bumgarner did for the Giants, but he was a huge part of it. Mets fans are going to remember his mad dash for home plate for a long time to come (even if they win the World Series soon – Royals fans, you still hate MadBum, right?).

Next: Eric Hosmer's Five Biggest Moments

The Mets may hate Eric Hosmer, but all of us in Kansas City love the guy. I sure hope that Dayton Moore and the Royals find a way to keep Hos in a Royals uniform for his entire career. The guy deserves to be Forever Royal.

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