Remember this legacy-defining moment for Alex Gordon in Royals’ World Series vs. Mets?
A member of the Royals his entire career and native of nearby Lincoln, Nebraska, Alex Gordon and the Kansas City franchise are seemingly united by destiny. But if one moment cemented that bond, it undoubtedly came in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 during the 2015 World Series.
The New York Mets had taken a 4-3 lead an inning earlier on a two-out error by star first baseman Eric Hosmer. Mets closer Jeurys Familia, not having allowed an earned run during the postseason, came on in the eighth and remained in to seal the game and hand the Royals a series-opening loss in their home ballpark. He had a blur of a sinking fastball, a devastating slider and, in his back pocket, a split-finger that disappeared before reaching home plate.
Familia tried to catch Gordon off-guard with a quick pitch on a 1-1 count. Gordon, having seen Familia use the same tactic against Salvador Perez in the Royals’ previous at-bat, remained ready in the batter’s box between pitches instead of stepping out per his typical routine.
“I was trying to do that just so I was ready for the quick pitch whenever it was going to happen,” Gordon said in a phone interview with The Star. “Sure enough, it did. Lucky for me, it didn’t sink as much as it usually does. That just kind of left it right down the middle of the plate.”
The ball carried to deep center field in Kauffman Stadium, a no-doubt, game-tying solo home run.
Gordon had caught lightning in a bottle before, belting a 10th-inning home run in Game 1 of the 2014 ALCS at Baltimore off Orioles pitcher Darren O’Day. That homer on a 1-1 pitch broke a tie game and started a three-run inning. The Royals went on to win 8-6 and swept the ALCS.
While the at-bats were similar, right down to the repertoires of the opposing pitchers (though Familia threw much harder), the situation elevated to iconic status Gordon’s World Series homer and the image of him rounding first base with right arm extended, index finger to the sky.
“You could say it’s the most important home run that was ever hit in Royals history,” said Dale Sveum, the Royals’ hitting coach in 2015. “Because you don’t know, if we lost that game, what happens. You’re down 1-0, it’s not that easy to win three out of four with six games left.”
That Mets pitching staff featured a bevy of young aces with electric arms. Game 1 starter Matt Harvey had started the All-Star Game two years earlier. Jacob deGrom has gone on to win two Cy Young Awards. Noah Syndergaard is still regarded as one of the best and hardest-throwing starting pitchers in the game.
Buoyed by their Game 1 win, the Royals went on to win the series 4-1.
“To have that happen in that situation, there was probably a lot that (Hosmer) put on himself in that time,” Gordon said. “But that was the great thing about our team. There was always a different guy picking each other up like every other night.
“Even though Hosmer made an error, which he never does, I was able to pick him up. Then it kind of showed in the dugout. He was the last one to give me, well, it wasn’t really a high-five. It was pretty much a hug just to say thank you.”
Particularly fitting in Gordon’s mind was the fact that Hosmer’s walk-off sacrifice fly in the 14th inning drove in the winning run.
A career moment
When asked about the impact of that homer on how fans remember him, Gordon is quick to point out that many players had iconic moments in the Royals’ World Series run of 2015. He also says it’s not up to him how he’s remembered. That will be decided by others.
But Sveum, now a scout for the club, doesn’t mince words about the importance of that home run. He said it puts the “stamp” on Gordon’s illustrious and ongoing career, which includes three All-Star selections and seven Gold Glove awards.
“Obviously, he’ll be known as one of the best defensive players probably in the history of the game in left field,” Sveum said. “But that one home run in the World Series, in an incredible moment, at home, with one out and nobody on to tie the game, then of course we win the game on Hosmer’s sac fly, I think it definitely (affects how he’s remembered). ...
“I’m sure when he’s retired and done, he’ll show his kids. That’s the one thing he’ll go back on. All the people in Kansas City will always remember that. Those kinds of things don’t go away in a city like Kansas City: small market, loyal fans, especially with those two seasons, and then to back it up with a World Series.”
Nearly five years later, Gordon still receives regular reminders from people about the joy and excitement of those playoff runs, his home run, and of course that World Series championship.
A big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, Gordon attended several of their games last season, including the Super Bowl victory in Miami. Along the way, he mingled with a lot of fans who are loyal supporters of both the Chiefs and Royals, and they’d tell him how the Chiefs’ run reminded them of the way the Royals always seemed to rally in the postseason.
The thank-yous Gordon received and the memories folks shared provided vivid reminders of how the Royals “lit up the city.”
“You kind of look back and realize how special this really was, not only to your teammates and yourself, but all the fans and how much 30 years of waiting means,” Gordon said. “You look back on it ... You can watch the highlights of the game, but I think the coolest thing for me is going back and watching the reaction of maybe when I hit the home run, or maybe the wild card game, or when we clinched the World Series championship.
“The reaction of the fans, like in Power & Light (District) or at a bar, just the emotion they have for the moment, is something that I think is even cooler than the actual game.”
