The 2014 Royals were special

Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) points to the crowd in celebration the American League Wild Card Playoff game between the Oakland A’s and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Royals made a come from behind rally in extra innings to defeat the A’s 9-8In January 2013, being a Kansas City sports fan was a hellish exercise in masochism. After a few years of hope, it became obvious that the new Sprint Center wouldn’t be bringing an NFL or NBA franchise. The Chiefs were at their franchise’s all-time low point, having cleared house after suffering a 2-14 season as the worst team in the NFL. Two decades had passed since the Chiefs had last won a playoff game. And the Royals? The Kansas City Royals had just suffered their ninth consecutive losing season and their 17th in the previous 18 years.

…