Courtesy Jackson County.
The Kansas City Royals, long ignored as losers, are getting plenty of national attention after the Wednesday win that sends them to the World Series.
In the Wall Street Journal today, reporter Jared Diamond called them “the logic-defying darlings of MLB postseason and, improbably, the champions of the American League.”
They also are the first team in baseball to win eight straight playoff games.
The journal story almost grudgingly says “while they frequently ignore convention, the Royals also do a lot quite well.”
Maybe they’ll go on to win the series, it says, or “Maybe their luck will finally run out.”
The headline in the Huffington Post today is “27 Reasons The Kansas City Royals Are Becoming America’s New Favorite Team.”
From the Post story by Chris Greenberg:
“With a combination of breathtaking speed, timely hitting, jaw-dropping defense and questionable managerial moves, the Royals have become the talk of Major League Baseball’s 2014 postseason.”
Among the 27 reasons given for their favorite status:
- The team hasn’t appeared in the playoffs since 1985.
- With their speed and bunting, they still play like it’s the 80s.
- They had the 19th lowest payroll in baseball, with just two players set to earn a salary greater than $10 million and 17 earning below the average major league salary of $4 million.
- First base coach Rusty Kuntz looks like Robert Redford.
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