The Houston Astros maintain top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings for the second week.
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals maintain their lead among National League teams and the New York Yankees are the week’s hottest team.
Read MoreBlog
The Houston Astros maintain top spot in Box-Toppers team rankings for the second week.
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals maintain their lead among National League teams and the New York Yankees are the week’s hottest team.
Read MoreEric Hosmer of the Royals is Box-Toppers 2016 All-Star Player of the Game.
Hosmer hit a game-tying, second-inning homer and went 2-for-3, driving in two runs, in the American League’s 4-2 win over the National League.
Hosmer was also named All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.
Hosmer had a Box-Toppers game score Tuesday of +2.0, tied with AL and Royal teammate Salvador Perez as highest scores earned by AL players. But Hosmer won Player of the Game on a tiebreaker because he had more at bats than Perez—3 vs. 2. Perez homered and drove in two runs in his two at bats.
Top pitcher of the game for the AL was Corey Kluber of the Indians (1IP 0H 0R 0BB K W), who also had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0. Hosmer won Player of the Game honors over Kluber because in cases of game score ties, batters rank ahead of pitchers.
Kluber ranked ahead of two other AL pitchers who had Box-Toppers game scores of +2.0 (Dellin Betances of the Yankees and Kelvin Herrera of the Royals) because Kluber earned the win. Kluber leads AL players in Box-Toppers points this season with 12.5—he ranks fifth among all players.
Hosmer has 3.0 Box-Toppers points for the season, 42nd among AL batters. In 2015, Hosmer had 9.0 Box-Toppers points and ranked ninth among AL batters, his best season. Hosmer has 25.5 career Box-Toppers points, making his Box-Toppers debut in 2011. Since the start of 2011, he ranks 28th among AL batters in career Box-Toppers points.
Overall Box-Toppers points leader, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (20.0), was selected to the NL All-Star team but did not pitch in the game—he is on the disabled list, recovering from a lower back injury.
Manny Machado of the Orioles, who leads AL batters in Box-Toppers points (8.7), went 0-for-3 in the All-Star Game and had a Box-Toppers game score of −3.0.
Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals, who leads NL batters in Box-Toppers points (7.5), was selected to the NL All-Star team but is out with an injury and did not play.
Top player for the NL team was Kris Bryant of the Cubs, who opened scoring with a first-inning solo homer. Bryant went 1-for-2 and had a Box-Toppers game score of +1.0.
Scoring—Just as All-Star Game statistics don’t count in a player’s regular season statistics, no Box-Toppers points are awarded for the All-Star Game.
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Here are all the players who played for the winning American League team in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score. Eric Hosmer had the highest game score and is Box-Toppers All-Star Player of the Game (POG)
7/12 | Score | AL All-Stars | Team | AB | R | H | BI | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
POG | 2.0 | Eric Hosmer, 1B | Royals | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
2.0 | Salvador Perez, C | Royals | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2.0 | Corey Kluber (W,1-0) | Indians | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
2.0 | Dellin Betances | Yankees | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
2.0 | Kelvin Herrera | Royals | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
1.1 | Will Harris | Astros | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
1.0 | Jose Quintana | White Sox | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
0.0 | Jackie Bradley, LF | Red Sox | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
0.0 | Mookie Betts, RF | Red Sox | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
0.0 | Edwin Encarnacion, DH | Blue Jays | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
0.0 | Cole Hamels | Rangers | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
0.0 | Robinson Cano, 2B | Mariners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Xander Bogaerts, SS | Red Sox | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | David Ortiz, DH | Red Sox | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Carlos Beltran, RF | Yankees | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Michael Saunders, RF | Blue Jays | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Mark Trumbo, LF | Orioles | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Ian Desmond, CF | Rangers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Josh Donaldson, 3B | Blue Jays | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Miguel Cabrera, 1B | Tigers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Chris Sale | White Sox | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
-1.8 | Andrew Miller | Yankees | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
-2.0 | Mike Trout, CF | Angels | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-2.0 | Francisco Lindor, SS | Indians | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-2.0 | Matt Wieters, C | Orioles | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-3.0 | Jose Altuve, 2B | Astros | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-3.0 | Manny Machado, 3B | Orioles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-4.0 | Aaron Sanchez | Blue Jays | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
A look at the All-Star rosters based on Box-Toppers points. Which players were worthy but unchosen? Which players made it but probably shouldn't have?
Read MoreKelvin Herrera pitched three scoreless innings—the seventh, eighth and ninth—to earn Player of the Game honors as the Kansas City Royals won the 2015 World Series Sunday.
The Royals again came from behind in Game 5, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game 2-2 and scoring five in the top of the 12th inning to defeat the Mets, 7-2 in the 12-inning game and 4-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Herrera kept the Mets off the board for three innings, giving up one hit and striking out three. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0, highest among Royals players. While he did not earn the win or the save, picking up a no-decision, he did pitch the requisite three innings required to be eligible to earn Player of the Game honors. He is the only pitcher this postseason to earn Player of the Game honors without earning a win or a save.
Had Herrera not pitched three innings, Player of the Game honors would have gone to Royals top batter, pinch hitter Christian Colon, who hit the go-ahead 12th-inning single (1-1 R BI). Colon had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.0.
Closing pitcher Wade Davis had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.0 (1IP H 0R 3K), but was not eligible to earn Player of the Game honors because he pitched fewer than three innings and did not pick up the win or the save. Davis was not eligible to earn the save because the Royals led by more than three runs when he entered.
Herrera, during the regular season, had no Box-Toppers points. In both 2013 and 2014, Herrera had 2.0 points each season. It is the third straight World Series game in which the Player of the Game had zero regular season Box-Toppers points:
Royals starting pitcher Edinson Volquez had a Box-Toppers game score of +1.0 (6IP 2H 2R 5K ND). Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey had a Box-Toppers game score of +6.0 (8IP 5H 2R 2BB 9K ND), highest among all players Sunday.
Mets pitcher Jeurys Familia, who had a blown save pitching in the ninth and 10th innings, had the Mets second-highest Box-Toppers game score of +4.0 (2IP 0H 0R 2K). Curtis Granderson had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Mets batters of 0.0 (HR 1-4 2R BI). Addison Reed, who picked up the loss for the Mets, had the lowest Box-Toppers game score of all players of −5.9 (0.1IP 3H 5R BB 0K).
Royals catcher Salvador Perez was named World Series Most Valuable Player. He did not earn Player of the Game honors in any World Series game and had a positive Box-Toppers game score in only one game the Royals won—in Game 4, he had a score of +1.0, highest among Royals batters.
Mets pitcher Matt Harvey had complete control of World Series Game 5—until he didn't. Here are real-time tweets from @BoxToppers as the game progressed, complete with real-time statistical errors:
#WorldSeries Gm 5
#Royals Edinson Volquez (7.0 Box-Toppers pts, ranked 105th)
#Mets Matt Harvey (15.4 B-T pts, 16th)
https://t.co/oIAGjoxNUz
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Curtis Granderson #Mets takes early lead as Box-Toppers Player of Game w/solo HR in #WorldSeries Game 5, B-T game score +2.
NY 1-KC 0 B1
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Matt Harvey #Mets takes lead as Box-Toppers Player of Game in #WorldSeries Game 5 vs. #Royals (3IP 2H 0R 2K, B-T gm score +3).
NY 1-KC 0 E3
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Matt Harvey #Mets extends lead as Box-Toppers Player of Game in #WorldSeries Gm 5 vs. #Royals (4IP 2H 0R 5K, B-T gm score +7).
NY 1-KC 0 M4
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Matt Harvey #Mets extends lead as Box-Toppers Player of Gm in #WorldSeries Gm 5 v. #Royals (5IP 2H 0R BB 8K, B-T gm score +10).
NY 1-KC 0 M5
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Matt Harvey #Mets extends lead as Box-Toppers Player of Gm in #WorldSeries Gm5 v. #Royals (6IP 3H 0R 1BB 9K, B-T gm score +11).
NY 1-KC 0 M5
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Matt Harvey #Mets still leads as Box-Toppers Player of Gm in #WorldSeries Gm5 v. #Royals (7IP 4H 0R 1BB 9K, B-T gm score +11).
NY 2-KC 0 M7
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Edinson Volquez #Royals exits #WorldSeries Game 5 vs. #Mets (6IP 2H 2R 5BB 5K, B-T gm score +1) on hook for L.
NY 2-KC 0 E7.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Matt Harvey #Mets extends lead as Box-Toppers Player of Gm in #WorldSeries Gm5 v. #Royals (8IP 4H 0R 1BB 9K, B-T gm score +12).
NY 2-KC 0 M8
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Matt Harvey #Mets exits #WorldSeries Gm5 w/lead as Box-Toppers Player of Gm (8+IP 5H R 3BB 9K, B-T gm score +8).
NY 2-KC 1 T9.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
#Royals tie #Mets in #WorldSeries Game 5, 2-2 B9
Herrera leads KC as Player of Game (2IP H 0R 3K), Harvey leads NY (8IP 5H 2R 2BB 9K).
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
In T10, #Royals, #Mets tied 2-2 in #WorldSeries Game 5.
Box-Toppers Player of Game leaders:
KC-Herrera B-T gm score +5
NY-Harvey +6
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
As #Royals take 3-2 lead over #Mets in #WorldSeries Gm5 in T12, Herrera leads as Box-Toppers Player of Game (3IP H 0R 3K, B-T gm score +5).
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
#WorldSeries MVP? #Royals Game 2 CG winner Johnny Cueto? https://t.co/NpJxBiVnT1
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
Kelvin Herrera #Royals (3IP H 0R 3K ND) is Box-Toppers Player of the Game in #WorldSeries Game 5 win, 7-2, as KC beats #Mets in series, 4-1.
— Box-Toppers (@BoxToppers) November 2, 2015
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Here are the Box-Toppers game scores of all Royals who played in World Series Game 5 listed from highest-to-lowest Box-Toppers game score (pitchers are listed twice—once for batting and once for pitching). Kelvin Herrera is Player of the Game (POG).
11/1 | Score | Team | Players | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
POG | 5.0 | `Royals | Kelvin Herrera | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
3.0 | Royals | Wade Davis | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
2.0 | Royals | Christian Colon, PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
1.0 | Royals | Lorenzo Cain, CF | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
1.0 | Royals | Jarrod Dyson, PR | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
1.0 | Royals | Edinson Volquez | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | ||
1.0 | Royals | Luke Hochevar (W,2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
0.0 | Royals | Drew Butera, C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
0.0 | Royals | Kelvin Herrera, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
0.0 | Royals | Luke Hochevar, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
0.0 | Royals | Wade Davis, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Royals | Edinson Volquez, P | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-1.0 | Royals | Kendrys Morales, PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-2.0 | Royals | Eric Hosmer, 1B | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-2.0 | Royals | Paulo Orlando, RF | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-3.0 | Royals | Alcides Escobar, SS | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-3.0 | Royals | Salvador Perez, C | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-3.0 | Royals | Ben Zobrist, 2B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-3.0 | Royals | Alex Rios, RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-4.0 | Royals | Alex Gordon, LF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
-5.0 | Royals | Mike Moustakas, 3B | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
`Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save. |
Though the baseball season is now over, in coming days, Box-Toppers will feature season-end features, including Box-Toppers 2015 All-Star teams, top 100 player rankings and analysis of the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards, among many other things. Stay current on Twitter, Facebook or subscribe to Box-Toppers’ RSS feed.
Kelvin Herrera struck out two in 1 2/3 innings of scoreless middle relief as the Kansas City Royals won Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, eliminating the Toronto Blue Jays.
Herrera earns Player of the Day honors in the 4-3 win, as the Royals win the best-of-seven game series, 4-2.
Herrera entered the game in the sixth inning as the Royals led 2-1 and held the lead through the seventh inning, giving up no hits and no walks. He did not pick up a win or a save. Herrera had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.2, highest among all Royals players.
Previously, I incorrectly tweeted that closing pitcher Wade Davis was Box-Toppers Player of the Game. Davis (1.2IP H 0R BB 3K W) had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.2. But in the heat of the moment following the game, I overlooked Herrera, who had a higher Box-Toppers game score than the pitcher who won or saved the game and had the same (or more) innings pitched.
To earn Player of the Game honors, Box-Toppers rules say a pitcher must have at least three innings pitched or pick up the win or the save and if they do none of those, they must have a higher Box-Toppers game score as the pitcher who otherwise earned Player of the Game honors and have the same or more innings pitched. That’s how Herrera beat out Davis Friday.
Had Herrera pitched only 1 1/3 innings, he would have had a Box-Toppers game score of +3.1, still higher than Davis’s +2.2. But in that case, Davis would have been Player of the Game because he picked up the win and because Herrera, while having a higher Box-Toppers game score, would not have had as many or more innings pitched than Davis.
During the regular season, Herrera had no Box-Toppers points—he did not earn Player of the Game honors once during the regular season. He earned 2.0 points each in both 2013 and 2014 with the Royals.
Mike Moustakas had the highest Box-Toppers game score among Royals batters, +1.0. Moustakas homered and went 2-for-4, scoring twice and driving in a run.
Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura, who exited the game with the lead, had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.1 (5.1IP 4H R 5K). He picked up a no decision because the Blue Jays tied the game in the eighth inning after he exited.
Blue Jays starting pitcher David Price, ranked fifth among all players in Box-Toppers points during the regular season with 21.1, had a Box-Toppers game score of +2.2 (6.2IP 5H 3K 8K ND).
The Royals and the Blue Jays were the top two AL teams in Box-Toppers team rankings. With 127.5 Box-Toppers points in 2015, the Royals ranked second among all teams (behind only the Pittsburgh Pirates) and first among AL teams. The Blue Jays ranked fifth among all teams, second among AL teams, with 124.1.
The Royals return to the World Series for the second straight year and will face the National League champion New York Mets beginning Tuesday in Kansas City.
See Box-Toppers ALCS series preview with player-by-player match ups.
About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
10/23 | Score | Team | Players | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
POG | 3.2 | Royals | Kelvin Herrera (H,3) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
My Kansas City Royals are in the World Series.
That’s actually a weird thing to say since it’s been more than 30 years since I actively rooted for the Royals.
The Royals were my boyhood team. I celebrated their wins and I was in a funk over their losses. Did I cry when they lost? Oh yes, when they lost year after year to the hated New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series—in 1976, in 1977, in 1978—I sobbed inconsolably.
Where did my fandom go?
Did I grow up and grow out of it?
Was I upset at having my heart broken so many times that I could never commit so loyally to a team for fear of being hurt again?
Was it just that in high school and college, I was too busy?
Was it the baseball strike of 1981? During the strike, which lasted from June to August, I lost interest in baseball. When baseball came back, I didn’t. I never made any angry declaration I was done with the sport, but at age 16, I stopped collecting baseball cards, my subscription to The Sporting News lapsed and I impassively moved on.
So for me to say “my” Royals are in the World Series seems funny. Let’s face it, they were “my” team for only six years, starting in 1975 when I made my one and only visit to Royals (now Kauffman) Stadium. Today, six years in the dim, dark past is a tiny sample of my life. But at 16, that was a long time. I could barely remember a time before I was a Royals fan. It seemed to be part of my core being.
The pinnacle of my fandom was 1980 when the Royals finally beat the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. I’m not sure what it says about me, but I don’t remember a lot of that series. Somehow, I remember the losing more than the winning. In my memory, the Royals always lost to the Yankees in the playoffs. I see Chris Chambliss hitting the game- and series-winning homer for the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 in 1976 and getting mobbed by fans as he tries to round the bases. But I know the Royals beat the Yankees in 1980 because I do vividly remember the Royals losing that year's World Series to the Phillies.
I didn’t lose my fandom because the Royals stopped being successful. In fact, after I stopped being a fan, they had their greatest success. In 1985, the Royals won the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. That Royals team still had a core group of players who stuck around from 1980. It was a team I would have still known well.
But by then, they weren’t really “my” Royals. I was aware of the Royals’ win but paid little attention. I remember thinking that “after all those years of my suffering,” the Royals had “at long last” won a World Series. Again, my fandom was only six years, the Royals in 1985 were only in their 17th season of existence. (For comparison and to drive the point home at how temporally naive I was, the Chicago Cubs at the time were only in their 77th year without a World Series title—the streak is now at 106 years.)
While the 1981 strike seemed to end my baseball fandom, I became a fan again in 1994, oddly, the same year as an even more devastating strike cancelled much of the season and the entire postseason.
I came back to baseball not really a fan of any team. The only thing I was able to commit myself to was a hatred of the Yankees, which has sort of been my baseball constant, thanks to my being a Royals fan. Hating the Yankees, I became a casual fan of their rivals—the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s and the Boston Red Sox of the 2000s.
Of course, it would not have been easy to be a Royals fan for the 20 years since I turned my attention back to baseball. Royals teams languished and were downright bad. Until this year, they had the longest playoff drought (29 years, since the 1985 World Series) of any team in the four major sports.
Since my return to baseball, I have never been able to fully love any team like I loved the Royals. Why? What is holding me back?
Fear of embarrassment for aligning oneself with a potential loser?
Fear of the pain when they will inevitably lose? (Even the Yankees lose.)
Fear of appearing childish for tying my emotional fortunes to one team?
Plus, if I finally decide to root for the Royals, I would hate to appear like a fair-weather fan jumping on the bandwagon. But I never jumped on the bandwagon in 1985 when it would have been so easy—I knew the team, I knew most of the players.
“Team loyalty is a hard thing to justify. The players are always changing. You’re actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it. You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Laundry! We’re rooting, we’re screaming about laundry here.”
Frankly, I knew very little about this 2014 Royals team prior to the postseason. My ties to this team are tenuous. My only connection to the past is George Brett—the Hall-of-Fame Royals third baseman and favorite player of my youth. He’s now a team executive, seen on TV cheering each time Kansas City advances in the playoffs.
If I root for the Royals am I simply, as Jerry Seinfeld says, rooting for the laundry?
“Team loyalty is a hard thing to justify,” he says. “The players are always changing. You’re actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down to it. You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Laundry! We’re rooting, we’re screaming about laundry here.”
So, just for argument’s sake, let’s say I still can lay claim to being a fan of the Royals. What made me a Royals fan in the first place?
Was it simply geography? I grew up in southeast Iowa, far from any Major League city but there were six teams within a six-hour driving radius—Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Cardinals, Royals.
Was it because Royals Stadium is where I went for my first Major League game? I saw the Royals beat the Yankees (who I hadn’t yet learned to hate) in August 1975.
Was it because I listened to the Royals on a local affiliate of the team’s radio network most summer nights? (I only recently began listening to Royals broadcasts again on the Internet and was pleasantly surprised to hear Denny Matthews still doing play-by-play all these years later, a voice that transported me back to my 1970s bedroom radio.)
Or was it simply because I wore glasses like Darrell Porter’s, the Royals catcher of the era?
If I can lay claim to being a fan of any team, it’s the Royals. It helps that this year’s team, as I’ve gotten to know them in the postseason, is both exciting and humble. They play as a team. Unlike a team with a high payroll that can buy free agents who hit for power and pitchers who rack up strikeouts, the Royals are largely a homegrown team with a strong work ethic and know their strengths. They are speedy on the bases. Their speed contributes to their defense. They lay down the bunt and sacrifice themselves for the good of the team. And they have the three-headed monster of a bullpen of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland that can shut teams down after the sixth inning. And they hang out in Kansas City bars with their fans after games to celebrate playoff series victories. How cool is that?
On the one hand, you don’t want fans to jump on your team’s bandwagon just because they are winning. But on the other hand, if the way the team is winning attracts fans to your cause, how can you do anything as a true fan but help pull new converts aboard the bandwagon and say, “Welcome!”
There can be a great joy in returning to the things you loved as a child. I returned to baseball as a fan in 1994 because it reminded me of my childhood. But without a team of my own, I never really fully came back.
So maybe it’s time to change that. Maybe it’s time to fully commit again. It is crazy to try to justify my fandom with logic, since fandom can be so illogical. But it’s logical I root for the Royals. I just need to relax, forget whatever reservations, whatever fear of pain or loss I have and say simply: Go Royals!
Shawn Plank writes the Box-Toppers blog (at Box-Toppers.com/blog) covering Major League Baseball and created the Box-Toppers points statistic it is based on in 1995.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Royals sweep Giants in series—in regular season, interleague series back in August, that is
Yusmeiro Petit shut down the Cardinals in innings four, five and six, winning Game 4 of the National League Championship Series for the Giants and earning Box-Toppers Player of the Day honors for Wednesday.
Petit pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out four in the Giants’ 6-4 win over the Cardinals. The Giants take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series.
Petit, who entered the game with the Giants trailing 4-3, picked up the win after the Giants took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning. He had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Giants player of 5.0.
During the regular season, Petit, normally a starter, had 4.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 247th among all players, 78th among NL pitchers.
The Kansas City Royals are returning to the World Series for the first time in 29 years. Jason Vargas, who started and won the game Wednesday to secure the AL pennant for the Royals, is Box-Toppers.com Player of the Game.
Vargas gave up one run over 5 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out six in the 2-1 win over the Orioles. He was top player in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series which the Royals won four games to zero.
Vargas had the highest Box-Toppers game score of any Royals player of 4.1.
During the regular season, Vargas had 7.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 107th among all players, 38th among AL pitchers.
The Royals are 10th in Box-Toppers team rankings with 101.1 Box-Toppers points. They sweep the Orioles, ranked sixth with 113.4 Box-Toppers points.
The Royals have also won eight straight consecutive postseason games and a different player has earned Player of the Game honors in each of the wins:
• Sept. 30, AL Wild Card Game: Eric Hosmer
• Oct. 2, AL Division Series Game 1: Greg Holland
• Oct. 3, ALDS Game 2: Yordano Ventura
• Oct. 5, ALDS Game 3: Norichika Aoki
• Oct. 10, AL Championship Series Game 1: Wade Davis
• Oct. 11, ALCS Game 2: Lorenzo Cain
• Oct. 14, ALCS Game 3: Kelvin Herrera
• Oct. 15, ALCS Game 4: Jason Vargas
The Royals await the winner of the NL pennant in the World Series. Game 1 is Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Kansas City.
Coming Thursday:
In Box-Toppers player rankings top 10 list, only two players remain active in the postseason—Adam Wainwright and Madison Bumgarner. They face each other again Thursday. In their previous match-up in Game 1 of the NLCS on Oct. 11, the Giants won the game and Bumgarner was Box-Toppers Player of the Day:
Cardinals: Adam Wainwright, 18.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked eighth among all players, fourth among NL pitchers.
Giants: Madison Bumgarner, 22.6 Box-Toppers points, ranked 3rd overall, 2nd among NL pitchers.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
1014 | Score | Team | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POG | 5.0 | Giants | Yusmeiro Petit (W, 2-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
POG | 4.1 | Royals | Jason Vargas (W, 1-0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
Kelvin Herrera, who pitched a perfect seventh inning in relief for the Royals in their Game 3 American League Championship Series win over the Orioles, is Box-Toppers.com Player of the Day for Tuesday.
Herrera struck out two in one scoreless inning in the 2-1 win, as the Royals took a three games to zero lead over the Orioles in the best-of-seven game ALCS.
Herrera, who held the lead for the Royals, is an unconventional player to earn Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors—he did not pick up a win or a save and pitched only one inning. He had a Box-Toppers game score of 3.0, the highest of any Royals player Tuesday.
Normally, a pitcher without a win or a save who pitched fewer than three innings is not even considered for Player of the Game. But they can win the honor if they pitch the same or more innings as the pitcher who otherwise would earn Player of the Game honors and have a higher Box-Toppers game score.
In this game, Jason Frasor, who pitched the sixth inning for the Royals and earned the win (because the Royals scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth) would normally be Player of the Game with a Box-Toppers game score of +1. But two other players who also pitched one inning actually had higher Box-Toppers game scores—Wade Davis, who pitched the eighth inning, struck out one and held the lead, had a Box-Toppers game score of +2. And Herrera, Player of the Game, had a game score of +3.
No Royals batter had a positive Box-Toppers game score in the low-scoring contest. The highest score was Jarrod Dyson’s, who had a Box-Toppers game score of 0—he went 0-for-1 with a run.
Three Royals relievers have earned Player of the Game honors so far during the postseason. Previously, closer Greg Holland was Player of the Game in the ALDS Game 1 on Oct. 2. Wade Davis was Player of the Day in the ALCS Game 1 on Oct. 10.
Herrera had 2.0 Box-Toppers points during the regular season, ranking 439th among all players and 114th among AL pitchers.
Travis Ishikawa drove in three runs on a first inning double and is Box-Toppers.com Player of the Game in the Giants’ National League Championship Series Game 3 win over the Cardinals.
Ishikawa went 1-for-3, driving in three runs, in the 5-4, 10-inning win over the Cardinals, as the Giants take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series. He had a Box-Toppers game score of +1.
Giants reliever Santiago Casilla (1IP 1K) actually had a higher Box-Toppers game score than Ishikawa of +2. However, because Casilla pitched fewer than three innings and did not earn the win or save, the only way he could be considered for Player of the Game is if he had a higher Box-Toppers game score and the same or more innings pitched as a pitcher who otherwise would have earned Player of the Game.
During the regular season, Ishikawa had 1.0 Box-Toppers point, ranked 644th among all players and 159th among NL batters.
Coming Wednesday:
The pitching matchup Wednesday:
Orioles: Miguel Gonzalez, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 70th among all players, 31st among AL pitchers.
Royals: Jason Vargas, 7.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 107th among all players, 38th among AL pitchers.
The pitching matchup Wednesday:
Cardinals: Shelby Miller, 9.0 Box-Toppers points, ranked 64th among all players, 30th among NL pitchers.
Giants: Ryan Vogelsong, 8.7 Box-Toppers points, ranked 74th among all players, 36th among NL pitchers.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.
Players of the Game (POG) listed from highest to lowest Box-Toppers game score
1013 | Score | Team | Player of the Game | AB | R | H | BI | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POG | 3.0 | `Royals | Kelvin Herrera (H, 1) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
POG | 1.0 | Giants | Travis Ishikawa LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
` Denotes that the pitcher had a no-decision in the game and did not pick up a win or a save.
Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.