A former Royal and two other KC connections in this year’s World Series matchup
Brett Phillips’ 2020 season started in strange fashion but it’s potentially going to end with a World Series title.
Phillips broke summer camp with the Royals and made his first appearance as a pinch runner in the 10th inning of a game at Cleveland on July 25. This was the first time the Royals had played a game under a new rule that had each team start with a runner on second base in extra innings.
Royals manager Mike Matheny chose Phillips to run for Alex Gordon, who would have started at second. Erick Mejia’s bunt let Phillips take third and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Maikel Franco.
A month later, Phillips was traded to the Rays, who went on to win the AL East. Phillips appeared in three postseason games but wasn’t on the roster for the American League Championship Series.
But Phillips was added to the Rays’ World Series roster on Tuesday. Phillips has proven one thing this postseason: He’s brought out the best in Tampa Bay’s breakout star, Randy Arozarena. When it comes to dancing, that is.
Phillips, who appeared in 84 games over parts of three seasons with the Royals, isn’t the only Rays player with a local connection.
Relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks, who closed out Game 7 of the ALCS against the Astros, is a former University of Missouri pitcher who was drafted in 2015.
Fairbanks was 6-3 in the regular season with a 2.70 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings over 27 appearances.
“It’s a nice step knowing I’ve progressed. Even though it’s been an odd year, I am still able to see the evolution from where I was this time last year, when I didn’t make the playoff roster,” Fairbanks told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch earlier this month. “I’m significantly better.”
Fairbanks, who reached 100 mph with some of his pitches against Houston, had missed all of the 2018 season after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery (the other was in high school).
Another local connection can be found on the Dodgers, who have relief pitcher Blake Treinen on their World Series roster.
Treinen, who was born in Wichita and attended Osage City High School in Kansas, pitched briefly for the Baker University JV team before taking a circuitous route to South Dakota State. He was picked by the A’s in the seventh round of the 2011 draft.
In four appearances in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Treinen didn’t allow a run. In the Dodgers’ seven-game win over the Braves in the NLCS, Treinen had a 6.75 ERA. He allowed three runs and got just one out in Game 1.
Treinen attended Royals games with his family as a kid and his mother, Gete, recounted a talk with her son at Kauffman Stadium during an interview with The Star’s Jesse Newell in 2016.
“Just think, Blake, you could play here someday,” she told him.
“Yeah, wouldn’t that be cool, Mom?” she remembered Treinen saying.
What’s cooler than that? Playing in the World Series, which Treinen likely will do this month.
