A great season for Kansas City Royals’ fans could get even better

This feels so right: After too many years of disappointment, Kansas City is once again in the national baseball spotlight.

Near-euphoric fans have enjoyed watching a gritty, hard-working team win four straight postseason games — the first in this city since 1985. Sunday night’s victory capped a stunning sweep of the American League Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels, owners of baseball’s best record in 2014.

Now the Royals take on the Baltimore Orioles in the league championship series starting Friday at Camden Yards.

When the national media make it to Kansas City again, they will showcase to the rest of the world what everyone here takes pride in. That includes the wonderfully renovated Kauffman Stadium, a revived downtown — featuring the stunning Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Power & Light District — plus world-class amenities such as the Country Club Plaza.

As for the upstart Royals, positive story lines abound. The much-maligned manager Ned Yost has calmly led his club this far while the once-demoted third baseman Mike Moustakas is clubbing home runs at just the right time. Home-grown players Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon are getting ESPN’s love. Others are making spectacular plays at the right time — Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson and Nori Aoki in the outfield, and Terrance Gore and Billy Butler on the base paths. (Yes, Billy Butler.)

The championship series will give a boost to the local economy, bringing in free-spending visitors to hotels and restaurants. Residents are breaking the bank to buy Royals shirts, hats and other gear they hope to need all the way to a World Series championship.

First things first, though. As the series with Baltimore nears, this city is buzzing about baseball like it hasn’t in 29 years.

This story was originally published October 6, 2014 at 5:19 PM with the headline "A great season for Kansas City Royals’ fans could get even better."