KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When Dayton Moore took over as general manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2006, one of the pillars of his approach was to change a failing culture (210 losses the previous two seasons, for starters) by seeking to establish a selfless mindset and spirit throughout the organization.
Part of that formula hinged on building through “energy givers,” people with contagiously upbeat and caring attitudes, whether within the front office or among coaches and, of course, within the team itself.
Those dynamics helped fuel the riveting American League championship runs in 2014 and 2015, when the Royals came from behind in eight of their 11 postseason victories to best the Mets for their first World Series title in 30 years.
Much of the everlasting beauty of those two seasons was that they were furnished by a group greater than the sum of its parts. A true team that played with palpable, multiplier energy and the resilience that it breeds — encapsulated nicely in the astounding and defining “keep the line moving” rally in Houston.
That’s how a collaborative made up of zero future candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame (but plenty for the Royals’ version) seized the moment and captivated anyone watching.
“They leaned on each other,” former manager Ned Yost said in a 2020 interview. “They trusted each other.”
Which brings us to today.
At the All-Star Game break, bummer enough that the Royals are languishing at 36-56. But they also have compelled further scrutiny of such matters as selflessness and energy-giving and chemistry in the wake of 10 players willfully missing the trip to Toronto because of their unwillingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
That’s more than double the most (four) any other team had to leave behind to go to Toronto because of Canada’s requirement that non-citizens flying into the country be vaccinated.
(To those saying this is a Canada problem, we’d note the United States has the same policy.)
So … now what?
Start with the fact the impact of their absentia was compounded by what we witnessed against the Blue Jays.
The Royals lost three of four, yes. Yet there was a sense of revitalization in the youthful makeup that included perhaps the most gratifying win of the season on Thursday and a hard-fought 6-5 loss in 10 innings on Saturday.
The long weekend was a small sample size, to be sure. But it also seemed a meaningful snapshot to see prospects Nick Pratto (4 for 14 with a double and a home run), Michael Massey (3 for 8), Nate Eaton (first career home run to help the Royals win 3-1 on Thursday) and others stoke this team.
That contrast conjures thoughts about what we haven’t been seeing much of this season as the Royals remain stranded in this tedious phase of rebuilding.
