2013 ALDS Game 7 vs Athletics
From expansion to champions: the story of the Kansas City Royals.
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team was founded as an expansion franchise in 1969, and have made four World Series trips, winning in 1985 and 2015, and losing in 1980 and 2014.
Quick Facts
- Series
- 2013 ALDS (American League Division Series)
- Game
- Game 5 (decider)
- Venue
- Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Result
- Athletics victory, 3–0
- Opponent
- Oakland Athletics
- Significance
- Royals eliminated from postseason
- Series outcome
- Athletics advance to ALCS
Lore & Background
The name 'Royals' pays homage to the American Royal, a livestock show, horse show, rodeo, and championship barbecue competition held annually in Kansas City since 1899, as well as the identical names of two former Negro league baseball teams that played in the first half of the 20th century. The team was founded by Kansas City businessman Ewing Kauffman. The franchise was established following the actions of Stuart Symington, then-U.S. Senator from Missouri, who demanded a new franchise for the city after the Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968. Since April 10, 1973, the Royals have played at Kauffman Stadium.
Reader's Guide
The new team quickly became a powerhouse, appearing in the playoffs seven times from 1976 to 1985, winning one World Series championship and another AL pennant. The team remained competitive throughout the early 1990s, but then had only one winning season (2003) from 1995 to 2012. For 28 consecutive seasons (1986–2013), the Royals did not qualify to play in the MLB postseason. The team broke this streak in 2014 by securing the franchise's first wild card berth and advancing to the 2014 World Series, where they lost to the San Francisco Giants in seven games. The Royals followed this up by winning the team's first AL Central division title in 2015 and defeating the New York Mets in five games in the 2015 World Series to win their second World Series championship.
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