The Royals Broke All the Rules (And Won) | Baseball Bits

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We love the 2014 Royals and 2015 Royals, don't we folks? They had a brand. Kansas City Royals small ball. Royals basestealing. Royals defense. Royals bullpen. Those were the ingredients to Royalball, twice winning the pennant and a Royals World Series win. And there were so many notable players: Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson, Terrance Gore, Wade Davis, Greg Holland, and Kelvin Herrera get the most shine in this video.
We have quite a few topics to cover in this episode of Baseball Bits, a Foolish Baseball production. What place do the Royals have in the MLB Statcast Era? Was the 2014 World Series or 2015 World Series just a Royals fluke? I wish we had more time for Madison Bumgarner, but we'll save it for another day.
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Neil Paine on the Royals: fivethirtyeight.com/features/...
Opening Day Payrolls: legacy.baseballprospectus.com...
Buxton Won't Steal 3rd: www.baseballprospectus.com/ne...
7,000 Sq Ft Home: • Beautiful 7000 sq ft O...
Soundtrack from Maxo:
/ maxoelectronic
maxoisnuts.bandcamp.com/

[@MLB]

Wake up, new Foolish dropped

[@FoolishBaseball]

thanks mlb (everyone say "thanks mlb")

[@alexbenton6306]

Thank you baseball

[@touchdownhomerunking3499]

Fire bob nutheadin

[@raymondhall5929]

Thanks mlb

[@cleoniclosel]

thanks mlb (everyone say “thanks mlb”)

[@fredfrederickson]

*A crazy stat not mentioned:* These royals won *111* consecutive games when leading after 7 innings.

[@cameronburke4836]

Wow so true

[@jroberts4758]

@@cameronburke4836 can't tell if it sarcastic or not but it is true

[@steposstaff]

I wonder what the record is when leading after 6 innings. It has to be ridiculous also.

[@MystiqWisdom]

In which game was this run broken?

[@erichaynes7502]

@@MystiqWisdom A loss to the Tigers August 12, 2015

[@Brivalia]

"The Statcast era and its consequences have been a disaster for baseball" Giving a new meaning to the Bronx Bombers

[@FoolishBaseball]

Too bad Ted Kluszewski never played for the Royals

[@michaellyga4726]

@@FoolishBaseball I swear you think of everything lmao

[@questingfish7498]

Bombing baseballs into the stands and bombing ratings on TV.

[@JeremyWashington1489]

Sabermetrics and it’s consequences have been a disaster for baseball

[@mbdg6810]

@@JeremyWashington1489 give examples. Do they prevent guys from doing well or getting to the majors? Some sabermetrics are useful.

[@Xepa105]

The Blake Treinen fan club bit was subtle yet hilarious.

[@FoolishBaseball]

They're just as bad as the Tim Keefe fan club

[@bobbymichalowski1081]

@@FoolishBaseball Nobody disrespects chief keefe! Nobody!

[@BrowniesByTheLake]

@@FoolishBaseball I'm an admitted Blake Treinen Fan Club member

[@penguinman8733]

@@BrowniesByTheLake oh no

[@Tangerinewcwof]

I am a Bartolo Fanboy

[@RetroBaseball]

A Royals Baseball Bits?!?! I must be dreaming!

[@FoolishBaseball]

I don't know how all your comments spawn in with 20 likes. Fuzzy commented right before you and he has NOTHING.

[@the_von9936]

I want a new Rockies video to help me forget the last one 😅

[@RetroBaseball]

@@FoolishBaseball it confuses me as well Mr. Foolish, I literally have no idea.

[@thunder7433]

@@FoolishBaseball got your 20th like 👍

[@mattmurphy5805]

@@RetroBaseball Comment again, I want to see if this is legit

[@ikefromsmashbros9237]

As a diehard fan, videos about these Royals teams keep me going. Great defensive plays, steals, and extra base hits are the lifeblood of entertaining baseball. Hope we can recapture this magic in the years going forward.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Teams will naturally play in what they feel is the most efficient way possible, so (imo) it comes down to the league to incentivize aesthetically pleasing baseball on the field.

[@ikefromsmashbros9237]

@@FoolishBaseball definitely. No shade intended towards teams that value OBP and FIP- the way organizations adapt to the ever-changing philosophy of baseball is what makes it such a great sport!

[@claytonreid996]

Loved playing you guys in 2014 as a Giants fan, definitely the two teams with questionable rosters for a WS and game 7 was wild

[@yuvalgelardin5520]

@@FoolishBaseball I say MLB adopts banana ball rules - after a walk, all 9 fielders have to touch the ball before they can tag a runner out. The batter that walked can advance to second or even third while the fielders throw around the horn

[@maxsnowdude2034]

@@FoolishBaseball that’s what I’ve been saying. Thank you

[@andrewboyce7268]

Man do I miss my Royals being this good. "Keep the line moving" This made my week. Thanks Foolish Bailey!

[@alexbenton6306]

We’re gonna get back there within the next year year plus. Confident

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thank you Andrew!

[@__abe]

Haha, shouldn’t be surprised to see you here I guess. Bailey is awesome and 2014/2015 was a magical ride.

[@jasoncoates1835]

Those were fun times.

[@Zofi_Gaming]

Those 2 years were amazing for the Royals, we had such a great team! It really sucks that players follow the money and we couldn't keep the team together. I do get to laugh at my co-workers in San Francisco when they complain about Hosmer doing great against the Giants.

[@FuzzyFromYT]

He’s back

[@brandonblack_17]

He sure is!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Just in time for the season to start! Oh wait it's been going on for two weeks? Gee where does the time go.

[@hehaufhauxgs]

ily

[@BrowniesByTheLake]

@@FoolishBaseball season is practically over at this point

[@HomeStudioBasics]

@@BrowniesByTheLake Yes, lots of crowned champions in April. And how.

[@squealingsalamander6546]

They timed their rise perfectly. Just before the Astros core formed and took over and while the Red Sox and Yankees were aging and declining teams. The AL Was wide open for a new contender and it just so happened that the Royals made their push perfectly

[@steves1584]

Well, we had 30 years of not timing it properly.

[@dominicpancella3012]

The Astros came into the league and were like "nice place you got here, mind if I make myself at home for the next decade or so? great"

[@EFFamily]

@@dominicpancella3012 oh no we can’t even beat the royals time to cheat

[@matthewtaylor1927]

@@dominicpancella3012 You know how I know you're from H-town?

[@dominicpancella3012]

@@matthewtaylor1927 I would love to hear your explanation, considering I've never even been to Houston

[@asdasdasd3629]

You have no idea what it was like being in KC during that two year run, I’ll never forget being at the wildcard game against the A’s. I’ve never hugged so many strangers in my life. Forever Royal!

[@Zofi_Gaming]

Hell yeah! What a time it was to live in Kansas City!!! I've never felt the city so alive!

[@andresfritoorozco]

I believe in those two years, Kansas City was the most sleep deprived and happiest city in America.

[@lanemiller08]

Kc fans have always been some of the most loyal. Chiefs fans included

[@AeriykTheRed]

As an Orioles fan I remember that Royals run unfortunately.

[@asdasdasd3629]

@@AeriykTheRed those O’s ain’t royal my friend :)

[@philly_sports1558]

The 2014-15 Royals are one of my favorite teams ever, even as a non-Royals fan.

[@FoolishBaseball]

The 2022 Phillies might be the anti-Royals

[@sawmill035]

@@FoolishBaseball I mean you're not wrong

[@philly_sports1558]

@@FoolishBaseball 100% agree. We have a slow team who only tries to hit for power with a bad bullpen and bad defense. We’re the bizarro version of that team.

[@metsfan9298]

I rooted heavily for them in 2014, but ehhhhhh not in 2015, though my Mets did it to themselves to with critical errors and terrible defense

[@paysonfox88]

The most balanced team I ever saw was the 2011 Texas rangers. They really really blew that series. They should have won game 6 of the world series. Josh Hamilton's to run home run in the 11th should have been enough to win it. What really killed them was Nelson Cruz's error in the 9th inning. Everyone talks about the four aces of the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies. However, the 2011 Texas rangers had pitchers near or over 200 innings with era's under 4. And CJ Wilson was a monster that year as their Ace. They were also scoring six runs a game.

[@BradColemanisHere]

These were the best years in KC. There were no strangers. Every other house had a watch party, many of them outside on big screens. And we were NEVER out of a game. You did NOT turn off the game when they were down unless you wanted to hear about the most amazing comeback the next morning. It was electric. A 30 year drought combined with insane games made for an unforgettable two years.

[@ragnarlothbrok938]

I have so much to say about this video, thank you so much for doing this. I was working, delivering pizza during these years. Im from Kansas and I would listen to the Royals off and on throughout 2014. In 2015, I listened to every single game while I worked. I didn't think they were going to the world series or trying to immulate some sort of bandwagon. Was just more interested in baseball and decided to listen to it on the radio, game 1. Game 5 of the World series, wade Davis on the mound to close out the game, I'm sitting in the dark in our pizza hut dinning room. We have the game on but it's just me and my good buddy who was the manager. We would go out for smoke breaks between innings. He had his hand on my shoulder, we watched in silence , "Strike 3!" We both leaped up and yelled! A tear ran down my face because I felt a part of the team. I knew people in KC that were celebrating, it was just a great moment for us Kansas people. Love that you highlighted the bullpen. When it got to the 7th with a lead... You knew it was over. Thanks again. 🙏💙 R.i.p Ventura

[@jacobhernandez9501]

Thank you for sharing this. That was an incredible read.

[@Max_Waggoner]

making me tear up

[@ryandugan2411]

Beautiful read. Thanks. What a couple of years.

[@roljamas]

There’s a great quote from Joe Buck during the 2015 ALCS when the Royals were playing Toronto - “They just keep coming.” These teams were relentless, and were hyper focused on putting as much pressure on opposing team’s defense as possible. Good-not-great starting pitching, an elite bullpen, and an offense that continually put the ball in play and ran. The greatest speed play was Cain scoring from 1st on a routine single to end up winning the ALCS in 2015, and it was all about pressure. These are my favorite baseball teams of all-time, and I’ll never get tired of watching postseason highlights of them.

[@j_gray]

Maybe the only great quote ever by Joe Buck?

[@Zofi_Gaming]

Ha, I remember that play! First base and in scoring position! That and the meme that quickly circulated "We gave them 8 innings to let them think they were going to win". Innings 6-9 were so thrilling to watch!

[@Michael-sb8jf]

The royals scouting new what Bautista would do in that scenario and pounded it into their players. Given locain's speed/base running potential that was an easy decision to send him home

[@coreygolphenee9633]

@@j_gray we'll see you tomorrow is pretty good, and frankly steroid era baseball buck was tolerable

[@SpankinDaBagel]

Being a Royals fan was so fun during these years. I never felt like they were out of a game. They could rally anything together.

[@ryandonovan5895]

yea...unless it was a blow-out (especially in the playoffs), they were a threat. 2-3 runs? Not enough.

[@gwilson314]

Weird how the video ignored the comebacks.

[@brmhandle]

They had six starters with an OPS+ over 119, the best bullpen in the last 30 years, elite defense and baserunning, and always put the ball in play, making opponents actually play the game. To quote Andy McCullough: “The entire point of the Royals is that baseball is a hard game and if you make your opponent do things, sometimes they will screw up.”

[@GaijinBaseball]

The Yokohama BayStars used a similar philosophy in 1998. They called it the "Machine Gun Offense". Bobby Rose, Takanori Suzuki, Jun Inoue, Takuro Ishii, and Hitoshi Nakane did everything they could to keep the line moving. They weren't too power heavy either. Their home run leader Bobby Rose sat 9th on the CL single season home run list with 19, in a year where Hideki Matsui hit 34. Backed by two ace caliber starters, Daisuke Miura and Takashi Saito, as well as the best closer in the league, Kaz Sasaki, they took down a Seibu Lions team that was much better than them on paper.

[@ultradevo]

ベイは関係ねえやろ

[@GaijinBaseball]

@@ultradevo 彼らは1998年に重要でした

[@ultradevo]

@@GaijinBaseball それは誰も否定できないよ？でも明らかにレベルが下でプレースタイルも違うリーグをFoolish Baseballさんが語ってるロイアルズに比較してもあんま例えにならないかなと…

[@jackmannschreck726]

I'm a newish fan of baseball and I just find these two years the royals had so incredibly interesting because they're completely different than any other modern team, great vid Foolish! Possibly the best yet

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thank you Jack!

[@condxmned717]

Watch the Chris Davis video🙏

[@Garrett1240]

Look up the Whitey Ball era of the St. Louis Cardinals.

[@mrmacross]

As a White Sox fan, the thing I'll always remember about the Royals 2014-2015 was how electric their bullpen was. If you were losing in the 6th inning, just shut off the TV. It's fair to point out that despite the lack of HR power, they lifted their homer rate from .722 per game in the 2014 and 2015 regular seasons to .933 in those same two playoffs. They actually outhomered several of their opponents.

[@leohmusic8676]

Ill never forget the 2014 wild cars game. I never liked baseball or watched it, but i got home from work and that game was all that was on. I turned it on in the 7th and watched to the end. Those final innings single handedly made me a baseball fan. It was so good i followed the royals underdog story all the way to game 7 and the ultimate bumgarnering. The next season i started following and watching baseball as a royals fan, and became a fan for life after the 2015 title. Now, 7 years later, ive learned about what a “small market team” is, and that ive doomed myself to years of suffering. But id do it all again for those two playoff runs. Go royals

[@cooperhutson7869]

That royals team was so much fun to watch. Seeing my dad, a lifelong KC fan who was at game 6 of the 85 world series, lose his mind after that 2014 wild card walk off, go nuts when they traded for cueto and zobrist, then winning it all after 30 years... man that was special. Saying they caught lightening in a bottle is an understatement

[@tyj6081]

Lil UZR Vert, the legendary defensive outfielder for the Atlanta BZZZRTs

[@FoolishBaseball]

Freddie Patek was a Royals legend NEW PATEK ON MY WRIST

[@alexbenton6306]

2014 Wild Card game is the best playoff game ever idc. Royals were historic with the first ever come back from being 4+ runs down in the 8th in a elimination playoff game and then did it again the next year against the astros in the ALDS. It’s happened twice ever and only the Royals

[@wrccrew]

I was at that ALDS game

[@zanelohman4538]

The sports game I've ever been at

[@10thletter40]

It was an incredible game to watch, some people behind me left before the end, poor guys missed the best game I've seen

[@alaid-backcubsfan6717]

One of the most underrated world series of all time.

[@alwillk]

Absolutely not, the same team could barely even win 80 games in 2016 and 2017.

[@TheNickstar]

@@alwillk so?

[@noahfinegan1422]

@@alwillk completely different year

[@steposstaff]

@@alwillk They said world series, not the winner.

[@thetalkinggreenbox8948]

@@alwillk they were injured as hell in 2016 and 17

[@schwandable]

Lifelong Giants fan and that 2014 postseason run from both wild cards was some of the most fun I've had watching baseball. I was so thrilled when the Royals won in 2015, they absolutely deserved it.

[@jackvankirk8552]

Thanks, man. Even though Madbum broke our hearts, that postseason was still electric. The Team of Destiny going down to the wire with the Dynasty of the Decade... small ball rules!

[@billyleeblack1627]

I don't think I have ever yelled as much profanity at a television than I did during the 2015 World Series. Thank you for making me relive that. - A Mets fan

[@arismartinez4712]

All we know is pain.

[@dorkknight42]

same

[@williamlucente2599]

@@dorkknight42 you like huey lewis and the news?

[@TrevorMayBaseball]

Having played against these teams…. YUP. Great analysis as usual my friends! PS. I still have Terrance Gore nightmares.

[@marklarison2829]

Man, they were so fun to watch during that time. The KC area was so hyped up! Just glad I got to see the Royals and Chiefs both win a championship in my lifetime. In the early 2000's I figured that would be a long shot.

[@stephen_cs]

The late 2000s Matt Cassel and Billy Butler era was also not promising

[@ethanrhorer8528]

Will you ever look at the 10-12-14 giants? Feels like the most recent baseball dynasty that no one ever talks about. You’ve done Bonds in 4 and the Timmy&Tulo so makes sense if you’d shy away but really that run isn’t talked about enough

[@SFGiantsfan9797]

He should, it was a legit dynasty. Should have won a 4th in 2016 but front office didn’t want to get us a closer

[@DarkKnightofHeaven]

The Royals thrived on creating chaos and forcing teams to deal with it. That bullpen they had was the real clincher though. An offense that makes hell and forces mistakes and a defense and bullpen that takes away hits even when you do everything right is the right kind of terror to force bad decisions. The tiniest mistakes were exploited for huge gains and it was fantastic to see. These Royals teams and Bautista's bomb against the angels really reinvigorated my love for baseball.

[@PatClevenger0709]

As a Royals fan, 2014-2015 was a spectacular two-year run.

[@TurbulentTittiez]

Wasn’t expecting 12:34 but I’m glad it happened

[@cashchristy44]

Wish you would’ve shown the image of 8 of 9 all star starters being royals. Always blows my mind

[@josephvanhorn5347]

Blows your mind that Royals fans stuffed the online ballot box?

[@ETYPEJaguar38]

Royals Legend Omar Infante

[@Icecreamking1900]

I really do think we had one of the most overlooked World Series runs of all time in 2014 and 2015. Mainly because the Cubs won in 2016

[@LearnedSophistry]

I remember watching the 2021 NLCS and remembering the dominance of both the dodgers and braves bullpen shutting down the omega offenses of both teams. Bullpen ball seemed to be working for both teams, and now I can see where that traces to

[@bmac4]

The Dodgers just have an abundance of good pitching. Julio Urias was a long reliever for that club in 2020 and had a couple games of long relief in 2021, a year he won 20 games. Hell look no further than the 2021 Giants for what a good bullpen can do for you, they won 107 games in no small part because all but two of their relievers with 20 innings or more had an ERA+ of 134 or better. Tyler Rogers had the most games played of any pitcher yet he had an ERA+ of 183 in spite of the fact he was actually not great when sent out to close.

[@Wolfeson28]

The other thing about these mega-bullpens is it's a place where GMs and coaches can really show their skills to separate from the pack. Aside from a few big-name closers, relievers are typically not highly-paid players, so this is one area of the roster where teams can find a lot of value with relatively cheap contracts if they can identify the right guys to get. That Giants bullpen last year included Jarlin Garcia (waiver claim, 68.2 IP, 155 ERA+), Zack Littell (minor league contract, 61.2 IP, 139 ERA+), and Dominic Leone (minor league contract, 53.2 IP, 269 ERA+). All together that's 185 IP with a combined 2.38 ERA that only cost about $2.1 million, basically equivalent to a full season from an elite starter at a tenth the price. Throw in McGee and Alvarez (cheap free agent signings), plus Rogers and Doval (homegrown prospects), and the seven most prominent members of last year's best bullpen combined for 9.7 bWAR while only costing $6.3 million.

[@UnitedGamingMLB]

Talk about some amazing talent at the All Star Game in 2014, Must’ve been well deserved votes!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Just a crazy superteam. Everyone was an All Star.

[@jr637-1]

I thought maybe you were referring to the ASG where we voted in Omar Infante, which was *totally legitimate, trust me my stepdad is the commissioner,* but that was 2015, wasn't it?

[@alexbenton6306]

Cope ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@jonathanwashington9199]

@@FoolishBaseball That Was Albert Pujols's Lone All Star Selection Until 2022 Where He Was Selected As An Legacy Pick

[@erichaynes7502]

I remember KC started going on a tear after the All Star break in 2014. The South Korean Super Fan Mr. Lee came to town and the Royals won every night he was there. Wade Davis seemed unhittable and when it was all done KC made it to 2 World Series and when they won it the final out was made by yep, you guessed it, Wade Davis.

[@bnezz77]

I remember getting off a plane in Las Vegas wearing my Royals hat and t-shirt in 2014 just before the ALDS. Random people were high fiving me and screaming GO ROYALS as a walked through the airport and to my rental car. One of my favorite memories of all time.

[@mjisthegoat88]

Those Royals teams were so much fun to watch. A perfect combination of entertainment and winning.

[@Entername-md1ev]

As a Jays fan, the loss to Kc was one of the most heartbreaking loses I’ve ever went though in all sports but looking back, they did some incredible things especially for the sake of small market teams in a league that actively works against them.

[@spaced1769]

My favorite part of these is how with each video you're getting more and more comfortable with being unhinged...I mean having fun. Keep it up!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Yep! Just being myself! (unhinged)

[@kcchristian]

If I had a time machine I would definitely have to go back to those 2014-15 Royals and just enjoy every minute of it. A lot of people forget that beyond the playoff Royals people loved, us Royals fans got to enjoy watching the most beautiful and exciting baseball for 162 games a year

[@j_gray]

I'd never watched so many Royals games than I did during those two seasons. Like every night the TV was on and I was glued.

[@kcchristian]

@@j_gray it was even more fun knowing we were never out of a game. The opponent wasn’t scoring after the 6th and we were one of the best comeback teams I’ve ever seen

[@fromulus]

I would go back and kill Hitler, but whatever.

[@WichitaChiefSam]

I’ve been waiting so long for a Royals-focused Baseball Bits. Thank you, Bailey. I needed this.

[@gmoney356]

Thank you so much for this video Bailey, somehow I totally forgot that in 2014 there was a franchise called the GuardSpiders. Wow how time flies

[@FoolishBaseball]

People forget about the GuardSpiders

[@Cactus7654]

@@FoolishBaseball thought they were the Cleveland Baseball Team

[@gmoney356]

@@FoolishBaseball Bailey, my friend just told me, if you had a concert, he’d go to that concert. He doesn’t like concerts.

[@zeech26]

Love it. As a Giants fan I was rooting hard for the 2015 Royals to win. Great team, great fanbase, would like to see a resurgence of the Royals in the AL!

[@KidFresh71]

As a Giants fan, I got nothing but love for the KC Royals. I'm so glad they won in it all in 2015. Would've loved it if KC sent Gordon to the plate in the 2014 WS. A play at the plate to end a World Series would've been wild. But come on- Crawford was making the throw, and Posey's sure hands were behind the plate. Gordon would'e been out by 20 feet.

[@arsenal-slr9552]

Makes it easier when your starting pitchers know they have to give it their all for only six innings. That Royals Bullpen was insane.

[@j_gray]

yup exactly. Often 5 innings was enough.

[@thatguy9585]

I was at game seven of the Giants series, I remember bawling my eyes out after getting bumgarnered and thinking the magic couldn’t possibly be replicated. Then it happened the next year. An amazing time to be in KC.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Take it from me, my Orioles being just four wins away from a World Series appearance... then in comes this KC BBQ buzzsaw spanking us by playing small ball A very talented squad for those 2 years the Royals were

[@wimbledon5353]

The 2014-2015 Royals was one of my favorite teams ever. They were very unusual, and its quite possible we may never see their like again :(

[@sageburner127]

I don't think I'll ever be able to describe just what it felt like watching those guys. Everything was white knuckle all of the time, it felt like the wheels could come off and the whole thing collapse at any moment-but at the same time, you had total faith in them to pull it off, even if it was by some wacky bullshit. I was in Mexico when they won it all in 2015, and my folks happened to be down visiting me during the series. We watched every game together on local TV with Spanish commentary. Game 5 was the last night they were in town, so I was hoping that would be the last game-and, sure enough, with their flight just a few hours away, we were huddled around a small TV in a hotel in central Mexico, celebrating as Wade threw that last strike. I'm sure I was about the only born-and-bred Royals fan in all of Mexico, but by God I wore my jersey the next day and got congratulations and thumbs-up from strangers on the street. Good times indeed.

[@josephvanhorn5347]

I love it when a team goes all-in against the grain and wins big. It creates chaos. Sports chaos is the greatest.

[@dsilfvast]

After 2014 my dad and I met some Royals fans at spring training and told them “Hey we’ve had our even year magic as Giants fans, now you’re free to win it all. We’ll be rooting for you.” Glad they got their ring!

[@zachs5229]

Rare W Giants fan

[@billregan3232]

The way it's starting, you guys are looking possible to have another even year win this year!

[@Caulkers]

This was the ultimate peak of being a Royals fan. Miss these days

[@maldrinjr9629]

Wow I was just thinking about these teams! Their playing style made them easily the most fun team to watch of the last decade

[@byergo]

Yordano Ventura's tragic death was exactly the type of thing a small market team cannot overcome. Many factors led to the Royals reversion to their mean.

[@jordanthejq12]

There are no small market teams, only teams which refuse to spend.

[@ryandonovan5895]

@@jordanthejq12 Do you think the Royals can afford to spend $200+ million on a single year of payroll (in terms of team income versus team expenses)? Maybe they can...but I really doubt it.

[@mrmacross]

@@ryandonovan5895 Yup. Case in point: the Randy Johnson/Curt Schilling Diamondbacks. They had to blow up the team after the 2003 season because there was just no way they could pay all those deferred salaries. If you have one team making $230 million in revenue while a handful of teams are at $450-$500 you can't really expect the $230 team to have similarly large payrolls for extended periods of time like the Dodgers have been doing for a decade and the Steinbrenner Yankees did.

[@tylertubbs3107]

@@jordanthejq12 idiotic statement

[@flyingfalcons7]

This was my favorite version of any MLB team ever, and the 2014 wild card game vs Oakland was probably my favorite game

[@_mokaleek_]

As a Giants fan, that 2014 Royals team was a lot of fun to watch and push the Giants to their limit. It was one of my favorite WS to watch

[@jackvankirk8552]

I'm a Royals fan, and Bumgarner deserved that MVP title. Even though my Royals lost that one, I agree that that postseason was electric.

[@MrJIMMYDANUB]

Die hard giants fan here; I H A T E D the Royals during that whole World Series, but I seriously gained so much respect for how they played the game. Wound up rooting for them against the Mets the very next year. Much love to the Royals, that was the hardest fought World Series the Giants had of the three

[@izzyshootsiphone]

5:48 as a Royals fan, seeing the Met fans cheering for an easy out but then throwing their hands on their heads after that mistake gives me goosebumps every single time

[@MikeBartelli]

That old fox sports scorebug is so iconic, it always makes me think of these royals teams, great video FB

[@FoolishBaseball]

The Bally scorebug SUCKS

[@ReidTheRulesGuy]

@@FoolishBaseball THANK YOU! SO TRUE

[@zachclayton5738]

Ive never been a huge fan of baseball, ive never watched a game, i just enjoy highlights and breakdowns. But one thing i love is learning as much as possible about any given topic and this channel is as entertaining as it is informative and insightful. So glad it popped up in my suggested!! Great videos, thanks for your hard work!!

[@logandarr8046]

We were so lucky to have this team and luckily enough I got to see a lot of it firsthand. There was a special kind of magic here those years.

[@ricadonavarro6335]

The legend has returned with another baseball bits. Keep it up my dude.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thank you so much!

[@cerrytrews9141]

I really was so disappointed in 2017 when the Royals didn't ship Hosmer/Cain/Moose for some pieces; they could have at least had 1 or 2 solid pieces up in the majors by now from those trades

[@seraphii72]

Gotta say, one of my favorite things about this video that I haven't seen mentioned yet, and what I hadn't noticed in the last 5 times I've watched this video, is the music. Really great choices for the entire video, and it somehow fits the Royals because it sounds fun.

[@CHIIIEEEEEEEEFFFFSSS]

It's so beautiful that the 2014 run ended after the decision not to send the runner in a high risk scenario. And the next year, they won the Series on the decision to send the runner in a high risk scenario. Poetic.

[@willb3486]

It's always a good day when there's new baseball bits. Cheers Bailey

[@wreaker5518]

Your timing is perfect. So far this year, the royals bullpen is looking just as good as the old H-D-H bullpen

[@itzzraze9811]

I love how most people act how this 2 year period didn't happen, watching the games were so exciting, I can usually never watch entire games but I watched every playoff game these 2 years for the royals

[@heydun]

even with how good the chiefs have been over the last few years, the excitement and electricity in kansas city from the 2014-15 royals will never be outmatched by another kansas city sports team

[@TheLetsPlayBaseballCurse]

I miss these teams. Glad you made this video, keep up the wonderful work!

[@FoolishBaseball]

It wasn't that long ago, and there's still plenty of guys like Cain, Hosmer, and Moustakas kicking around, but it feels like ancient history in the baseball landscape.

[@eliasper2894]

Interested to see how the A’s do after trading all their best players. Still being 2nd in the AL West, while also scoring as many runs as the Dodgers (as of yesterday) is kind of crazy. Obviously it’s still very early in the season, but it may be something you’ll want to keep an eye on.

[@ibrown3KC]

As a diehard/lifelong Royals fan who was born in 1986, I absolutely loved my 2014 and 2015 Royals. After not having even made the playoffs EVER in my life up to that point (that's 30 years, by the way), they made back to back World Series appearances and of course won it all in 2015. AND, of course, we haven't been back to the playoffs since (though we should have in 2016 but blew it.) That said, I have hope for my Royals here in the next few years.

[@BlueCheezy.]

(I am a royals fan btw) “Enter the 2014 and 2015 Kansas City Royals” *distant memories*

[@cowbellfreak]

I really hoped this video would never get made as a Mets fan, but I’m really glad it was made as a baseball fan. Everything about that World Series was amazing, especially those extra wet fields in NY 💦

[@matrix3509]

9:13 Okay, I think its about time somebody talked about Barry Bonds as a defensive player, because that stat is ridiculous.

[@Wolfeson28]

Definitely. Part of it is just the number of seasons he played, but the man did win 8 Gold Gloves in 9 years before steroids ever entered the picture.

[@jackvankirk8552]

One memory I will cherish till the day I die is being at Kauffman with my brother to watch the Royals sweep the 2014 pennant.

[@cooperbenwman6717]

Im from kc and my mom always brings up this strategy every time we watch a game and ngl this year it feels like its back better than ever

[@teddyconover1619]

Gotta be one of the best Baseball Bits yet. Nice Graphing software too.

[@liamstone5842]

I’m surprised there wasn’t more on the bullpen. I remember that it was like if we get our started to throw 5 innings then we win the game. Because once the bullpen came in it was 1 run max for the rest of the game. And the royals never stopped trying to score

[@j_gray]

I know! It really got the point where you could turn the TV off with confidence. We all knew that it was a W. Of course, you risked missing something incredible so the TV definitely stayed on.

[@matttoy617]

One of my favorite teams of all time! Scrappy guys who were together and just played fundamental baseball. Plus, so exciting to watch. Loved the Jarrod Dyson love too

[@louies5988]

Great video as always. Always providing great insight and context with the stats.

[@bossniper15]

2015-2022 KU basketball, KC Royals, and KC Chiefs all won a chip. Great time to be a KC area fan

[@jr637-1]

We're not all KU fans. ;-;

[@basketball9013]

@@jr637-1 great time to be bossniper15

[@bossniper15]

@@basketball9013 actually I’m a cardinals fan lol

[@Trandview]

6:00 There was a big investigation in KC on in if Gordo could have made it home.....more than likely he would have been thrown out, but with the magical feel of the 2014 season, I always felt likethe cutoff mans' arm would have flown off and spiked the ball if Gordo attempted to score on that play.....

[@FoolishBaseball]

I like how you said big investigation in KC like there was a murder. Did a detective smoking a pipe deduce how good Brandon Crawford's throws are?

[@josephvanhorn5347]

You can't expect the third base coach to send Gordon there. He was the last out of game 7 and would've been out by a mile without an error. It would've ruined his life.

[@Trandview]

@@FoolishBaseball someone calculated the situation....runner location and where the cutoff/ball was....may even have had some one run and throw as an experiment.....KC know it was not a guarantee we would make it baKC to the WS again....you have to remember it was our first playoff appearance since winning it all in 85...

[@Trandview]

@@FoolishBaseball 5:45 but Yost and crew did know Mets 1st baseman had trouble with throws to home and relayed it to Hoz....

[@Trandview]

@@josephvanhorn5347 I know he would have been out by a mile, but like I said the magic was strong in 14 and Bumgarer was dominate...

[@ballah1937]

Great video Mr. Foolish. Really enjoyed the various stats and their correlation with wins. I liked the presentation of the information with this one.

[@mercurygriffin1523]

I love what you do - all your videos are super insightful and well-produced

[@grahamarnold7940]

This video has ages so we’ll. Astros winning the World Series with the greatest bullpen of the modern era according to bullpen era

[@jr637-1]

Here's a fun question I would love to see some analysis on - is Alex Gordon a Hall of Famer?

[@warlordofbritannia]

If he had only three more good seasons (preferably 2008-2010), I’d vote for him in a heartbeat

[@FoolishBaseball]

The short answer is no -- although he was a great baseball player.

[@jr637-1]

@@FoolishBaseball I was hoping his defensive stuff could squeak him in, but after a cursory glance at his BR page, I'm afraid you're right. That 2017 season was pretty stinky.

[@connorpexa914]

getting “bumgarnered” is my new favorite thing

[@matthewr2878]

thanks bailey. Love your content its so unique and rewatchable. was having a bad day but atleast i have baseball bits

[@hooverhoover5]

This is what we need on Nicky Lopez fWAR Day

[@FoolishBaseball]

Now that they changed the fWAR formula, I have no choice but to give Nicky his deserved #1 spot in the Foolish 50

[@hooverhoover5]

@@FoolishBaseball The hero we needed

[@joshuapatrick682]

It's not that those things didn't exist but that the insistence on tracking those metrix had a net negative for the game. Bailey, if no on wants to watch baseball anymore because it's boring due to delays, lack of fielding ect then ball clubs aren't going to be able to sell the merchandise and tickets necessary to attract the very best with massive contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Glad MLB finally recognized this and is discotinuing the shift and adding a pitch clock.

[@Max_Waggoner]

thank you for posting this. i’m about to cry thinking about those good old days. man moose is still my favorite player of all time. i played baseball back then and i wore number 8 and would always want to be 3rd base because of him. i wish i could go back to those days at my grandparents house, watching the royals dominate for 2 years

[@kevinklimo6493]

I'm a lifelong Brewers fan and a baseball fan in general. Seeing some Brewers' exports (Cain, Aoki, Escobar, and even Ned Yost) win a World Series while playing the most exciting baseball I've ever seen made me immensely happy. Thanks for honoring them with this video, FB 🙌

[@AndThatsBaseball]

I need a new low-mid budget team to build an entire roster based on speed and defense just as an experiment

[@BrowniesByTheLake]

Dope video as always, Bailey. Side note from an A's fan: If the Athletics make it to the playoffs doing moneyball again, I'd like to see a video of you talking about it. Your take would be nice to hear.

[@FoolishBaseball]

I feel so bummed for that 2014 team. I know they had some 97-game winners in recent years, but that 2014 had some serious mojo. I bet they would've made a pennant run themselves if the Royals hadn't made the comeback.

[@josephvanhorn5347]

If Oakland does the same thing they always do can you make another video about it? What will your take be THIS time!?

[@BrowniesByTheLake]

@@FoolishBaseball That comeback still bums me out, and I knew you'd be mentioning in this video haha. It was an incredible comeback from the Royals and they deserve their props. As for this year, I was certainly pessimistic coming into it considering that they just dismantled the team and made sure no cornerstone players were left. Though I'll say I'm certainly impressed with how well the A's have been so far. I think there's a fine line between using "money ball" tactics when building a team and being to stingy to pay players, and Fisher seems to be riding that line.

[@BrowniesByTheLake]

@@josephvanhorn5347 Very negative and rude. Not getting enough attention at home, buddy?

[@josephvanhorn5347]

@@BrowniesByTheLake You're right. I apologize. The internet is a warzone. I always assume everyone is in it but once in a while I come across someone like you and say something dumb. I feel like a jerk. Sorry.

[@Zofi_Gaming]

First base and in scoring position! That and the meme that quickly circulated "We gave them 8 innings to let them think they were going to win". Innings 6-9 were so thrilling to watch!

[@Memorex996]

One of my favorite teams in recent memory. They were very fun to watch

[@josefstein9062]

With Witt Jr., Merrifield, Lopez, Benintendi, Mondesi and Taylor, we could have a damn fast team

[@Radmetalmonk]

Imagine if/when Pratto replaces Santana after the trade deadline. Let's go!

[@steves1584]

The pitching doesn't seem to be there. Singer and bubic are hardly the aces they hoped. Long way to go.

[@josefstein9062]

@@steves1584 lol doesnt have much to do with speed but sure

[@steves1584]

@@josefstein9062 jeez right. I don't know why in the world I posted that on this comment. I may have hit reply on the wrong thread!