The Kansas City Royals, after so many years of irrelevance, broke through in a big way from 2013-2017. They rejuvenated a dormant fanbase and rekindled a passion for baseball in a town starving for something good. There were many moments that defined this team throughout those years. This is a list of the Top 25 moments. They could be specific moments in time or something that spanned most or all the era. Our No. 21 moment:
#21 – Ned “The Dunce” Yost becomes winningest manager in Royals history
On October 5, 2014, The Wall Street Journal published an article title “Ned Yost and Buck Showalter: The Dunce and the Chessmaster” in their preview of the American League Championship Series. On October 15, 2014, after the Royals completed a sweep of Showalter’s Baltimore Orioles, you could have held up that paper in the way that President Truman held one up that said “Dewey Defeats Truman”.
Yost has always been questioned. His moves in the lineup, his continued faith in struggling players, his curious bullpen management, all have been questioned by reporters, analysts, and fans alike. In fact, Royals Twitter came up with a name for it…#Yosted.
In 2014 and 2015, Yost’s patience with his players, his faith in them to get the job done despite struggles finally paid off with back-to-back American League Pennants culminating in the 2015 World Championship.
Ned had been known for developing talent. In Milwaukee, Ned took a team that finished 68-94 and last in the NL Central to a team that finished 90-72 and a Wild Card spot in 2008. Unfortunately for Ned, he would not see it through with Yost being fired just two weeks before the end of the season.
Yost didn’t know if he’d ever get a chance again. Then Dayton Moore, who had been with Yost during his time in Atlanta, came calling as an advisor. When Royals manager Trey Hillman was fired on May 13, 2010, Moore called on Yost to manage the team and develop a young core of players who could bring winning baseball back to Kansas City. From 2010-2015, Yost’s teams had more wins than the previous year. In 2014, Yost finished third in the American League Manager of the Year voting. He stuck with players like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, and Danny Duffy through the thick and thin.
In 2014, Yost became the first manager ever to win his first eight postseason games, sweeping through the American League Wild Card Game against Oakland, the American League Division Series against Los Angeles, and the American League Championship against Baltimore.
Yost is also the winningest postseason manager by winning percentage in Major League history among managers who have managed thirty or more games.
He readily admits that he’s not the smartest manager in baseball, however, he’s not a dunce. He’s the Captain of the Ship who has led his men to the promise land. When he first took the job, nobody could imagine him becoming the winningest manager in Royals history. Yet he has done that and more.
Years from now, when Royals fans pass his statue in the outfield, I hope that the words #Yosted and dunce are on his statue. Royals fans have been #Yosted, however, that is a great thing to be.
