The Chiefs effect? Witnessing a team title is inspiring to a developing Royals club
Red flooded the streets of Kansas City on Feb. 5, when the Chiefs and their fans braved frigid temperatures to attend a parade celebrating the team’s first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, three days after the victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Although it was a month ago, for some in the Kansas City Royals organization it remains an important reminder of what the city looked like after they won the World Series in 2015.
“Take a look at the videos and see the celebrations, that’s what it’s all about,” longtime Royals outfielder Alex Gordon said.
But only a handful of the 2020 Royals experienced that moment for themselves.
Three 2015 champions remain on the active roster: Gordon, Salvador Perez and Danny Duffy. Relief pitcher Greg Holland was the closer in 2015 and is back with the club as a spring training non-roster invitee.
For most of the Royals, the Chiefs parade was the first time they saw what the city is like when it celebrates a championship.
Outfielder Whit Merrifield wasn’t on the Royals major league roster in 2015, but he was in the organization in Triple-A and he recently appeared on MLB Network’s show “Hot Stove,” where he discussed what kind of impact the Chiefs’ success can have on the Royals.
“It shows a lot of guys who are new to Kansas City and haven’t been around a winning team how much sports mean to the city,” Merrifield said on the show. “When you see a run like what the Chiefs went on and see the support from the city, it makes these guys open their eyes and go ‘Woah, if we put together some wins it can be pretty fun around here.’”
On the 40-man roster, seven players have yet to make their Royals debut. Only eight have been on the team since 2016, the last time it was .500 at 81-81.
While watching the highlights from 2015 can paint a colorful picture, seeing the city so recently engulfed in championship fever is motivator for the Royals.
“The buzz in the city, the fans want to win,” pitcher Brad Keller said. “Hearing the excitement at FanFest, like ‘The Chiefs are winning; we believe in you too.’ It’s a sense of belief that we can do it.”
Of course, expectations for the Royals aren’t nearly at the level that they were for the Chiefs. The city’s baseball team has lost more than 100 games in each of the past two seasons. And there is not a lot of big-game experience on the roster.
But getting a taste of what a championship does to the atmosphere in Kansas City during a playoff run and the outpouring in the wake of a championship, makes the 2020 Royals hungry to win.
“We saw how it took over the city,” first baseman Ryan O’Hearn said. “It’s motivation to work towards that. That’s the goal, to compete and bring those people out and bring that atmosphere that we all love to play in.”