James Shields revels in ‘Big Game’ atmosphere as Royals host Wild Card Game

On Tuesday evening, the eyes of the baseball world will turn to Kauffman Stadium. The stands will teem with humanity and the fans will froth with anticipation of this city’s first playoff game since 1985. A few minutes before 7:07 p.m., a lone figure wearing a No. 33 Royals jersey will jog to the mound and fulfill a vision set forth by this organization two winters ago.

James Shields considers himself “an adrenaline junkie,” and the impending moment will rank at the top of his list of thrills. The Royals acquired him for a night like this, for the AL Wild Card Game against Oakland, for an assignment no one in this organization besides him has experienced, for a situation in which he revels.

“That’s what I like to play for,” Shields said. “That moment. I enjoy the moment. I love the moment.”

His time in Kansas City is likely drawing short. His acquisition before the 2013 season opened a two-year window, and by leading his team to the postseason, he fulfilled his end of the bargain. In the process, he displayed his various roles on this team, as its finest pitcher, most accomplished player and clubhouse tone-setter.

During the Royals’ clinching celebration on Friday, Shields sprayed champagne, puffed a cigar and enjoyed himself for hours. In the midst of the party, manager Ned Yost pulled him aside and said he intended to start Shields, 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA, on short rest in a potential Game 163 against Detroit. So the next afternoon, Shields stalked out to the U.S. Cellular Field bullpen to complete a brief throwing session.

Shields had volunteered at the start of September to work on three days’ rest for the rest of the season. The team declined his offer, but they reconfigured their rotation to set Shields up for Tuesday. He matches up with Oakland southpaw Jon Lester, 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA. Along with Tigers righty Max Scherzer, Lester and Shields will be the three most prominent targets on the free-agent market this winter.

“I just hope we get the better end of one of the studs tomorrow,” designated hitter Billy Butler said on Monday afternoon, after 5,000 fans gathered inside the park for a rally. Those on hand Tuesday could witness Shields’ last start as a Royal, the last ride for “Big Game James.”

A robust market awaits Shields this winter, according to a survey of rival officials by The Star. His list of suitors is expected to include big-market teams in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The consensus is his final contract would last four or five seasons and cost between $80 and $110 million.

Never before have the Royals offered a deal like that. Owner David Glass prefers to build from within, and the front office of general manager Dayton Moore has assembled an impressive stockpile of pitching prospects. The organizations hopes the rising class of Brandon Finnegan, Kyle Zimmer and Sean Manaea can mitigate the departure of Shields.

Kansas City would lose more than just a pitcher, though. Just this season, Shields taught fellow starter Jeremy Guthrie new grips on his changeup, curveball and slider. Shields implemented the team’s post-game celebration, a ritual marked by smoke machines and strobe lights that ends with players soaked in water and shaving cream. He scolded his teammates for a lack of energy on the bench.

“He has the ability to say and act in a way that people respond and don’t take offense to,” Guthrie said. “That’s not an easy thing to do. A lot of people try to be vocal leaders, but when they say it, it doesn’t come off the right way. That doesn’t happen too often for him.”

Shields traffics in neither free-agent forecasting nor valedictory addresses. He insisted he has not thought much about this winter, even if team officials wondered at various times this summer if the situation caused him to over-throw on the mound. He declined to opine on the wisdom of the Royals acquiring himself and Wade Davis in exchange for Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi and two other prospects.

“I’ve never really put too much pressure on myself,” he said. “I don’t put too much pressure on ‘validating trades.’ I don’t really care about what anybody thinks about the trade, to be honest with you. I got brought over here to do a job. And that’s to win games every five days.”

Shields banked 27 victories as a Royal and fortified the club’s rickety starting rotation. Scouts do not consider Shields an “ace,” and classify him as more of a No. 2 or No. 3 starter. He fit that billing in Kansas City. He averaged 228 innings with a 3.18 ERA in his two seasons. He never missed a start.

But to hear those inside his clubhouse tell it, his presence extended beyond his turn in the rotation. Teammates and coaches raved about his attitude and influence. His arrival signaled “a sense of urgency” from the front office, first baseman Eric Hosmer said.

“That was the first message to the young core of guys here that came up together, that this is for real,” Hosmer said. “It’s not a rebuilding stage anymore. You bring a guy in like James Shields, where he is in his contract, two years left, I think it was a message that they’re for real, and they believe we can do this.”

While Myers won the American League Rookie of the Year award and joined Tampa Bay in the playoffs, the Royals fell short of October for the 28th year in a row. But they won 86 games, their most since 1989, and became a more attractive destination for free agents like Omar Infante and Jason Vargas.

No longer did the players require a message from Yost. Shields shouldered that responsibility.

“We didn’t know what it took to win at the big-league level consistently,” starting pitcher Danny Duffy said. “That dude just put it into words that all of us could understand individually.”

As the party raged on Friday, Shields was a conspicuous presence. He assured his teammates their season would only continue. He wore two pairs of ski goggles on his head. His joy was evident. A reporter asked Shields for the final word on the night.

“Now we go,” he said. “Now we go.”

Where? Shields spread his arms wide. He leaned his head back.

“Wherever life takes us.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2014 at 4:54 PM with the headline "James Shields revels in ‘Big Game’ atmosphere as Royals host Wild Card Game."