KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Finally! Twenty-nine years in the making and the Kansas City Royals are in the World Series! And Royals fans know we’re going to #TakeTheCrown.
In baseball it’s no secret that players are some of the most superstitious people on the planet. The Royals dugout is no exception. The Kansas City boys in blue spoke with FOX 4’s Jason Lamb about some of their baseball-winning rituals.
Superstitions
Alex Gordon, outfielder
“I wear the same hat for BP and the game. It doesn’t smell good but I can’t change it, that’s just the way it is.”
“My locker, I have a bottle of Axe spray, it’s like cologne, I spray it every day because it’s that bad.”
Josh Willngham, outfielder
“When I get out, it’s not my fault, it’s the bat’s fault so I’ll switch bats out.”
Mike Moustakas, third baseman
“Just the same thing everyday, take the same amount of swings in the cage, get the same flips, same routine.”
Not So Superstitious
Others on the Royals playing field say they aren’t superstitious at all. And that mentality seems to work just for them.
Danny Duffy, pitcher
“I used to be a real superstitious guy, eat the same thing for breakfast, listen to the same songs, but I think where we’re at right now is keep it simple.”
Jarrod Dyson, outfielder
“It ain’t superstitious, it’s just 25 guys going out there and putting their heads together, going out, trying to get a win, playing hard and picking each other up.”
World Series Preparations
The Kansas City Royals will play their first World Series game in 29 years on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants. Some of Kansas City’s baseball darlings spoke with FOX 4 about how they are preparing for the big game.
Eric Hosmer, first baseman
“You can easily get distracted with everything going on outside of here, so we’re just trying to stick together as a group.”
“All of us, we’ve been doing a lot of stuff as a team lately, getting some food and hanging out off the field.”
Mike Moustakas, third baseman
“It’s going to be the biggest stage we’ve ever played on. We’ve got to find a way to go out there and play and not let that stuff affect us. Go out there and play the game the way we know how and go play our game.”
Royal Babies
Two Kansas City players celebrated the birth of a child this season, and while it’s proven to be a lot of work, these babies will one day know they were born into royalty.
Lorenzo Cain, outfielder
“Between not getting any sleep, trying to spend time with my son and then get ready to play baseball, it’s not easy, but I feel like I must find a way to get it done.”
Greg Holland, pitcher
“The birth of your child is one thing, and the icing on the cake is going to the World Series and winning playoff games. Getting to be a part of this with this crowd and the intensity of this crowd, it’s something I’ll never forget.”
Fan Appreciation
There’s a mutual love affair between the Kansas City Royals and their fans. FOX 4’s Jason Lamb spoke with some of the players who credit the fans for helping get them to the World Series.
Billy Butler
“The fans, they make the difference here. They put the pressure on the other team, and you can see it with every team at our place.”
Alex Gordon, outfielder
“We’re playing off our fans for sure. It’s like they’re a part of our team right now. We know what they’ve been through and how much it means to them. We see it when we go out on the field and the way they cheer for us.”
All About Those Beards
As the Royals’ winning season progressed this year, so did some of their beards. So who takes the crown for ‘nastiest’ beard of all? The boys in blue sound off.
Alex Gordon, outfielder
“I got it going pretty good. I comb it everyday but if I go like this, it gets pretty nasty.”
Josh Willingham, outfielder
“Definitely not me. Maybe Greg Holland, he’s got the Wolverine looking beard going. Nastiest one? Duffy looks pretty nasty to me, something crawling up in that thing.”
Danny Duffy, pitcher
“I’d have to give it to Greg Holland. He has a pretty good flow going, so I just try to take after our closer.”
Greg Holland, pitcher
“This thing is terrible, but I’m going to ride it out.”
The Royals play Game One of the World Series against the San Fransisco Giants Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium. Game time starts at 7:07 and will air on FOX 4 News.
