2015 ALDS Game 3 Tigers Shutout

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 following the actions of Senator Stuart Symington, who demanded a new franchise after the Athletics moved to Oakland. Since April 10, 1973, the Royals have played at Kauffman Stadium. The team quickly became a powerhouse, appearing in the playoffs seven times from 1976 to 1985, winning one World Series championship and another AL pennant. After a long postseason drought, the Royals broke the streak in 2014 by securing a wild card berth and advancing to the World Series, where they lost to the San Francisco Giants. In 2015, they won the AL Central division title and defeated the New York Mets in five games to win their second World Series championship.

Reader's Guide

The Royals began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. In their inaugural game, on April 8, 1969, the Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 4–3 in 12 innings. The team was quickly built through trades engineered by first General Manager Cedric Tallis, and invested in a strong farm system. Under manager Whitey Herzog, the Royals won three straight division championships from 1976 to 1978. In 1980, under Jim Frey and a .390 season from George Brett, the Royals advanced to their first World Series but fell to the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1985, the Royals won their first World Series championship. After a 28-season postseason drought, the Royals returned in 2014 and won the World Series in 2015.

Did You Know?

• The Royals' name was selected out of 17,000 submissions; Sanford Porte submitted the name Royals in recognition of Missouri's livestock industry.
• The team's logo, a crown atop a shield with 'KC', was created by Shannon Manning, an artist at Hallmark Cards.
• The Royals wore trademark powder blue road uniforms from 1973 to 1991 and reintroduced them in 2008 as an alternate jersey.
• The 1973 All-Star Game was hosted at Royals Stadium.