KANSAS CITY, Mo.
As the Royals raised a championship banner for the first time in three decades, they offered a formula that was equal parts potent and familiar. They stymied the New York Mets with defensive gems and punished them with an aggressive, opportunistic style, winning the season opener, a rematch of the 2015 World Series, 4-3.
In the hours before the championship flag was flying above Kauffman Stadium, before the starting catcher had thrown someone out from his knees and the center fielder kept sprinting first to third and the crowd had chanted the starting pitcher’s name, Eric Hosmer stood in front of his locker inside the Royals’ clubhouse on Sunday afternoon.