Something In The Missouri Water?

Mr Will Doing His Thing. Photo by Kelly Reed

It always amazes this guy when you see the success of team in a given city can also rub off on another team within a calendar year.

1969 comes to mind when the Mets, Jets, and Knicks of New York would proceed to have success against the Colts, Orioles, and then Bullets go down to defeat in championship matches.

This isn't necessarily something out of the ordinary.

Recently we saw this phenomenon in Pittsburgh with the Pirates and Steelers in 1979. The Giants and Mets also did the same in 1986. 

Go back to Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium where the Kansas City Chiefs put up 41 points on the perennial powerhouse Patriots. KC also won on the road in Miami while-lo and behold-we're seeing the same kind of magic permeate for Ned Yost and his Royals!

Think I'm blowing smoke about Kansas City pride? Well think again!

Qualifying for the second wild card, blowing a 7=3 lead before winning in dramatic fashion to eliminate the one time A's from Kansas City. Since 1968 from Oakland.

One California team eliminated now on to another one. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The most improved team of 2014 from 2013 without their ace Garrett Richards taking on a Royals team with all the confidence in the world.

A lunch pail mentality with a team full of grinders. Oh yes and some great pitching!

Game 1 with the Angels goes extras as starter Jason Vargas goes a solid six innings, allowing but two runs while Jered Weaver (one time college teammate at Long Beach State) goes seven innings and also got tagged for two runs.

Great pitching, defense and seven relievers later no less than Mike Moustakas brought a crowd of Thunder sticksters into stunned silence as the Royals took a 1-0 lead.

Jason Vargas was a one time Texas Ranger who has had his problems when pitching against Jered Weaver.

"Jason Vargas pitched one heck of a ballgame tonight," Yost said. "Six innings. Gave up two hits, both of them were homers. But our game plan going into it was [for him to] get us six innings, keep us in the game and turn it over to the bullpen, and boy, he did that in fine fashion."

While a Ranger he heard ad infinitum the importance of pitching and defense. Jason had some great support from Center fielder Lorenzo Cain that kept the game tied. Robbing Erick Aybar and Kole Calhoun of extra bases.

Earlier in the year I was among the few who believed that Kansas City might very well be a team with nothing to lose with pitching good enough to reach the post-season.

No matter what happens the rest of the way this is exactly why we welcome and watch the post-season. For the chance at seeing the unseeable.

Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and a great supporting cast. All season long I harped about seeing an all-California World Series with the A's-Giants or Dodgers-Angels?

It never even occurred to me that we could indeed see the I-70 World Series again.

Don Denkinger: Prepare to get a bunch of interview requests. Refer to Game 6 1985 if that confused you.

Ned Yost's team flies under the radar. Will 1985 get revisited? Stay tuned.

Over and in Big D.

Mr. Will