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 Nearly three decades of frustration for baseball fans in Kansas
City has faded with the Cinderella story of the Royals, who have
taken the San Francisco Giants to a deciding Game Seven of the World
Series.
A victory parade is sure to be in the offing should the Royals
triumph on Wednesday, but win or lose the team has lit a fire in
this Midwestern city and inspired a sea of royal blue on the streets
and in the stands at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals have been underdogs from the start against their fellow
wild card team from San Francisco, but are now rated slight
favorites to beat a Giants team gunning for their third World Series
title in five years.
Kansas City is in the postseason for the first time in 29 years,
since Hall of Famer George Brett, now a Royals vice president of
baseball operations, led the team to the 1985 title in a Game Seven
win over intra-state rival St. Louis Cardinals.
 That triumph is part of a trend that has further fueled optimism in
the Royals as the home team has won the last nine World Series that
have gone to a Game Seven.
The streak was started in 1982 when the Cardinals beat the visiting
Milwaukee Brewers, with the Baltimore Orioles of 1979 the last road
team to win a climactic Game Seven with their victory over the
Pirates in Pittsburgh.
Game Seven can leave an everlasting memory, such as provided by
Minnesota Twins ace Jack Morris, who hurled all 10 innings of a 1-0
victory over the Atlanta Braves in 1991 to settle the World Series
and claim Most Valuable Player honors.
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And the unlikely walk-off home run struck by light-hitting second
baseman Bill Mazeroski that gave the Pirates an upset triumph over
the mighty New York Yankees in 1960 and helped the defensive whiz
get into the Hall of Fame.
Heroics in the 2014 Game Seven might also impact MVP honors.
Sensational defensive outfielder Lorenzo Cain and hard-hitting first
baseman Eric Hosmer have both put up big numbers for Kansas City,
while Hunter Pence could challenge pitcher Madison Bumgarner with a
clutch game should the Giants win.
It all ends with Game Seven of the World Series.
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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