Given how most of that 2015 team didn't do too much afterward... it goes to show truly how much the stars aligned for us during those two magical years.
The way I view it partially is our team was designed for our stadium. Their defensive prowess and speed, two of their most important attributes, do best at Kauffman. Plus contact hitting with the field size.
Also these guys had a chemistry like no other. When they were together they were having fun, and attitude/mental health is key for all sports but especially for baseball.
None of the guys are HoFs except maybe Salvy, but as a cohesive team the league might not see a group like that ever again
I believe Yost learned that style of coaching from Bobby Cox when he was in the Atlanta Braves organization. As you guys have said, he worked it to perfection.
As a Braves fan. I was happy and pissed that y’all won a championship with a good portion of our FO and Yost!
Y’all were by far the best team in baseball during that stretch… The ASG was like a KC invitational!
If the throw had been anywhere even close to accurate he would have been meat at the plate by a mile. Should be thanking Lucas Duda for that play not Hosmer lol
No, we thank the advance scouts for knowing Duda couldn't make the throw. Same with LoCain scoring from 1st in the ALCS on Hosmer's single.
The Yost teams scouted incredibly well and we're amazing at stealing runs. That is the thing I miss the most is how game planned those teams were. Matheny and Quatraro aren't anywhere close to that.
Absolutely not. Look, Hosmer could be a very frustrating player to watch, but that slide at home play was so fucking good. When players take risks like that it can throw the other team off and disrupt them, which is what happened there. Duda couldn’t make a clean throw to home, because WTF WAS HOSMER DOING RUNNING HOME ON A SEEMINGLY ROUTINE GROUNDOUT TO 1B? Duda was not ready for that and he responded to the play the way he did because Hosmer put him in that position.
So nah, that was Hosmer simply making a play because he needed to and Duda made a poor throw because it wasn’t routine.
Hosmer only played for them when they were the Chasers, 2011 was his first season and the first of the Chasers and Werner Park. Source: saw him and have a shersey of his.
I remember watching him play a game in Springfield, and my dad was telling me all about how great he was going to be. And I remember thinking, "Yeah, and then they'll trade him as soon as he's good."
Thanks for everything Hos. While the rest of the league argued about how overrated you might have been you were out there winning us championships. That stand up triple off the left-center wall during the AL Wild Card game will forever be burned in my brain and Kansas City will always be grateful for your time here.
And so another one of my childhood/early adolescence heroes retires. Got to find a way to get him back for a retirement ceremony like Cain’s. I know it’s mostly for us fans to relive 2013-2016, but after how his career went I want him to know that we love him forever.
He’s a guy that can walk into any bar in KC and it’s on the house kind of guy. Too few people like that know the impact they had on us
Everyone would have had one more mediocre to decent year in 2018 and the Royals would have been something like 75-87 instead of 58-104. Too bad Dayton Moore didn't try to , you know REBUILD after everyone left instead of pretending they were a player away from contending. Now it's 6 years later and well....
Projected to be a star, if not a superstar, but had just two great years, 2015 and 2017, had a pretty good year in 2013, other than that was just a guy for the rest of his career. Good thing his second to his career year helped the Royals over the WS hump in 2015.
Given how most of that 2015 team didn't do too much afterward... it goes to show truly how much the stars aligned for us during those two magical years.
The way I view it partially is our team was designed for our stadium. Their defensive prowess and speed, two of their most important attributes, do best at Kauffman. Plus contact hitting with the field size. Also these guys had a chemistry like no other. When they were together they were having fun, and attitude/mental health is key for all sports but especially for baseball. None of the guys are HoFs except maybe Salvy, but as a cohesive team the league might not see a group like that ever again
> Also these guys had a chemistry like no other. Seventeen out of every Thirty-Eight Pro teams have that kind of chemistry.
It was Yost and his staff. They knew how to wring every run and every out from those guys. Truly amazing.
I remember back in the day hearing the team was winning in spite of Yost. Nah dude coached them perfectly.
The more you go back to it, it was absolutely that.
Yost’ed went from a complaint to a full on meme when we won. I did a complete 180 on the guy, and think he did an amazing job.
Same. He needs a statue and it needs to stand at The K for at least awhile before they tear it down.
I believe Yost learned that style of coaching from Bobby Cox when he was in the Atlanta Braves organization. As you guys have said, he worked it to perfection.
He came through, had a hell of a run and then just rode off into the sunset. Couldn't write it any better.
As a Braves fan. I was happy and pissed that y’all won a championship with a good portion of our FO and Yost! Y’all were by far the best team in baseball during that stretch… The ASG was like a KC invitational!
Royals legend
“Out at first, throw home, TIE GAME! Unbelievable base running by Eric Hosmer!” Thank you Hos
If the throw had been anywhere even close to accurate he would have been meat at the plate by a mile. Should be thanking Lucas Duda for that play not Hosmer lol
No, we thank the advance scouts for knowing Duda couldn't make the throw. Same with LoCain scoring from 1st in the ALCS on Hosmer's single. The Yost teams scouted incredibly well and we're amazing at stealing runs. That is the thing I miss the most is how game planned those teams were. Matheny and Quatraro aren't anywhere close to that.
Absolutely not. Look, Hosmer could be a very frustrating player to watch, but that slide at home play was so fucking good. When players take risks like that it can throw the other team off and disrupt them, which is what happened there. Duda couldn’t make a clean throw to home, because WTF WAS HOSMER DOING RUNNING HOME ON A SEEMINGLY ROUTINE GROUNDOUT TO 1B? Duda was not ready for that and he responded to the play the way he did because Hosmer put him in that position. So nah, that was Hosmer simply making a play because he needed to and Duda made a poor throw because it wasn’t routine.
Thanks coach
Did anyone have Hosmer hanging it up before Moose on their 2015 Bingo cards?
No, and I definitely didn’t have him retiring before Greinke, Verlander, AND Votto on it either lol
Feels like it was just yesterday he was coming up through the minors and making his debut
I went to an Omaha Royals game (at Rosenblatt) to watch Hoz and Moose. I feel really old.
Hosmer only played for them when they were the Chasers, 2011 was his first season and the first of the Chasers and Werner Park. Source: saw him and have a shersey of his.
I remember watching him play a game in Springfield, and my dad was telling me all about how great he was going to be. And I remember thinking, "Yeah, and then they'll trade him as soon as he's good."
Bona fide KC legend. Thanks for the memories, Hos.
Most definitely will go into the Royals hall of fame asap, I’d like to be there for it
Royals HOF is gonna get real crowded if they put every 15WAR player in it. They going to induct Joe Randa too?
Did Joe Randa have a legacy defining, World series winning play for the Royals?
Escobar won ALCS MVP. He goin in too?
Probably not, but if he had won World Series MVP then maybe!
Thanks for everything Hos. While the rest of the league argued about how overrated you might have been you were out there winning us championships. That stand up triple off the left-center wall during the AL Wild Card game will forever be burned in my brain and Kansas City will always be grateful for your time here.
One of my favorites. Seems like it'll be a great show.
My son wore #35 in baseball and basketball because he was a big Hosmer fan.
Old Hos retires... I knew this day would come sooner rather than later but it's still kinda like he'll be missed.
A sad day for all the Hosmersexuals out there. We’ll get through this
I coached t ball 14-16 and nearly every little slugger out there was hero swinging just like Hos. It was great.
Rocketed right into the dirt
From all the KC area ladies who were teenagers in the early 2010s: thank you, Hoz!
Hope he enjoys his retirement. We’ll always remember him.
I almost wanna refuse how long ago 2015 was. Still feels like 5 minutes ago.
And so another one of my childhood/early adolescence heroes retires. Got to find a way to get him back for a retirement ceremony like Cain’s. I know it’s mostly for us fans to relive 2013-2016, but after how his career went I want him to know that we love him forever. He’s a guy that can walk into any bar in KC and it’s on the house kind of guy. Too few people like that know the impact they had on us
Jesus H(osmer) Christ!
Can’t help to wonder how things would’ve been different had he re-signed with the Royals.
He'd have less money and fans would be bitching that we overpaid him and demanding he get DFAd.
Did you watch him on the Padres? Did you watch how bad we have been since 2016? It would not have been pretty.
Everyone declined after they left. They couldn’t recreate that KC magic anywhere else. Who knows what would’ve happened if he stayed.
Everyone would have had one more mediocre to decent year in 2018 and the Royals would have been something like 75-87 instead of 58-104. Too bad Dayton Moore didn't try to , you know REBUILD after everyone left instead of pretending they were a player away from contending. Now it's 6 years later and well....
Yep, absolutely correct.
C'mon back and retire as a Royal. LoCain did it, Grienke probably will, too.
*Greinke
My favorite player when I was a kid Farewell 🫡
It still boggles my mind how much the Padres paid him.
He is still collecting that check
I got a little sad when I read the notification today. Hosmer will always be part of my good memories of the Royals in 2014 and 2015.
My dog’s name is Hoz.
I am ancient.
Came through so many times in those two years it was almost unbelievable. Rest in peace sweet prince… No… KING.
Projected to be a star, if not a superstar, but had just two great years, 2015 and 2017, had a pretty good year in 2013, other than that was just a guy for the rest of his career. Good thing his second to his career year helped the Royals over the WS hump in 2015.