Are there any left in the world who have not become admirers of the Kansas City Royals' Manager, Ned Yost, and General Manager, Dayton Moore? Dramatic winners of game 1 of the 2015 World Series, the Royals, on the strength of Alex Gordon's game-tying home run off of Jeurys Familia in the 9th, demonstrated a summation of the Kansas City Royals' culture. They prove patience is a virtue and, even in lean times, they don't overreact.
The Players-
Dayton Moore
June 8, 2006, Dayton Moore left a cushy job in the Atlanta Braves organization to become General Manager of the Kansas City Royals. They were in the process of finishing up with their 3rd consecutive 100-loss season. Attendance had slipped to a low of 1.3 million. Moore had extensive scouting experience with the Atlanta Braves and it was hoped he could lead the Royals out of the haze that had settled over Kauffmann Stadium.
Moore's reconstruction was not moving fast enough for some. Grumbling started and some called for Moore to be fired. This from SB Nation in 2013, "Earlier this year, I laid out a case why Dayton Moore wasn't suited to be the General Manager of the Kansas City Royals. Among the evidence I presented was his infatuation with replacement level players, his inability to construct a coherent major league roster while misreading the markets and his complete failure on the player development front."
The Royals are the first team since the Texas Rangers to appear in back-to-back World Series, and are well suited for next year, as well. Only difference, Kansas City may do what Texas couldn't do: win.
Ned Yost
In 2008, holding an 83-67 record as Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Ned Yost was fired. Granted, the Brewers were in a major slump, but it was the first time in baseball history that a manager was fired in August or September with his team in a playoff position. Everyone was in shock.
Fast forward two years. Yost was back, hired by Dayton Moore to lead the renaissance in Kansas City. Only the renaissance wasn't rocket fuel powered. Fifty-five, 71, and 72-win seasons followed, and fans in Kansas City were wondering if Moore could use some company in the unemployment line.
Alex Gordon
Believe it or not, there was a time when Alex Gordon was considered a bust. Drafted by KC to play 3rd base, Gordon was looked on to be the next George Brett and lead the Royals out of oblivion. That didn't happen, and Gordon struggled under the weight of the pressure. In his first two big league seasons, Gordon only hit 31 home runs. This via the Sporting News, "The Royals' best player today—the guy who is the poster boy for what the franchise has become—was their worst player and eventually would be Exhibit A for why they were failing on the major league level. Gordon wasn't forgotten, but he was no longer considered the reason the Royals might reverse their fortunes. Hosmer and Moustakas represented the new hope."
There's something to be said about staying the course. Despite all these adversities, the Kansas City Royals stand three wins from a World Series title because they did not panic and overreact when things were not going right.
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