Man, where to begin?

How do you write about a game like that? Do you write about all the ups and downs, all the twists and turns, the nearly five hours of mood swings first?

Or do you try to put it into context, attempting to compare it to other games over the years, across different sports, to figure out where it stands in your personal pantheon of greatest games ever? Done, it should be noted, with the adrenaline and emotions of the moment still pumping through your system, and very little sleep to boot?

I don’t know how to do it. The game ended a scant eight hours ago and I’m still trying to take it all in.

Here’s the important thing: the Kansas City Royals won a post season, elimination baseball contest. Their season will continue for at least three more games.

There was so much of everything last night.

Brandon Moss’ home run in the first inning that quieted the roaring, raucous crowd. Billy Butler’s RBI smash in the bottom of the first that reignited the crowd. The bizarre play where Butler, of all people, got picked off first to end the inning.

Lorenzo Cain, who has surprisingly been the Royals most consistent hitter this year, getting a couple huge hits, including the RBI double and later scoring to put the Royals up 3-2 in the third.

James Shields steadying himself and mowing down seven-straight A’s, causing many of us to start counting outs until the bullpen took over.

The bloop and barely missed pitches on balls three and four to Josh Donaldson in the 6th that chased Shields. The bizarre decision to bring a rookie starter, who has not relieved all year, into an elimination game with two on and no outs two days after his last start. The utter quietness as Moss blasted his second home run of the night that kicked off a five-run inning. The bleakness of realizing the Royals had to find a way to come back, again, against KC killer Jon Lester. Then, the anger at Ned Yost for overthinking things, yet again, and likely having just cost the Royals their season.

(It was at this point I looked up Bart Giamatti’s lovely line about the end of the baseball season and posted it to Facebook. The Royals were done; the season was over.)

Cain, Butler, and Hosmer again being in the middle of the three-run rally to pull the Royals to within one in the 8th. Quickly followed by the anger of the Royals, YET AGAIN, not scoring a runner from third with less than two outs.

The nerves of Greg Holland putting two on in the 9th. The relief of him closing the door.

The joy of Nori Aoki sending a ball deep to right to score Jarrod Dyson and tie the game in the 9th.

The raw power and infinite promise of Brandon Finnegan who, if he never does anything in the rest of his career, has earned a spot in Royals lore with his two shut down innings of relief.

The lunacy of Yost bunting in every inning.

The sense of doom when former Royal Alberto Callaspo whistled a shot to left, scoring Josh Reddick in the 12th to give the A’s the lead.

And then that glorious bottom of the 12th. Hosmer’s blast, which just missed going out. Christian Colon coming off the DL and hitting the ball 40 feet, but far enough to get Hosmer home to tie. Then, Colon steals a base on a dropped pitch out and Salvador Perez, who looked absolutely terrible all night, swinging at another bad ball but somehow pulling a pitch that was six inches outside past Donaldson at third to bring Colon home.

Madness. Disbelief. Chaos. Sheer freaking joy. Twenty-nine years of angst and anger and disappointment and embarrassment and losing kicked to the curb in four hours and 45 minutes of amazing baseball.

It wasn’t always pretty. As is their nature, the Royals and their manager often couldn’t get out of their own way. But guys came up big all night. Cain, Butler, Hosmer, and Colon were all excellent. Finnegan was an absolute beast until he tired in the 12th. Everyone took the extra base with abandon. And the final scoring line showed the home team with one more run than the visitors.

Just amazing. Even with only about three and a half hours of sleep last night1, I feel giddy this morning. I’m excited to go in for my shift at the St. P’s library this morning and talk about the game with the librarian, who is a St. Louis native but has lived in Kansas City a couple times in her adult life2. It’s one of those days where you want to watch the highlights over-and-over, read as many columns and recaps as you can find. And each time I smile and shake my head in disbelief. Is this team, which has been so pathetic for so long, really doing this?

Also, I need to address a question some of you may be asking. Did I watch the game, since we turned cable off last spring? No, I did not. After much internal debate for the last two weeks, I decided to wait and see if the Royals made it to the ALDS before going back to cable. So I listened to Denny and Ryan call the game, which was fine. Between that and Twitter and a lot of texts and emails, I was really into the game. I’ll admit, though, I wish I had made the call I’m going to make to AT&T in a few hours on Monday. Man, was the crowd loud on the radio feed, though.3

So where does this fit in? A friend who is also a KU alum said last night this was the #4 best sporting event of his life, after the two KU national titles and the 1985 World Series. In the glow of the day after, that seems reasonable.

In fact, I can draw a lot of comparisons between this game and the 2008 national title game between KU and Memphis. The games both seemed lost before a furious rally tied it. Both games needed extra time to resolve matters.

But I think the comparisons end there. The 2008 game was really well-played all night. Each team would go on runs then the other would answer. There were no moments where I was wondering what the hell Bill Self was doing the way I did with Yost last night. And KU seized control early in overtime, scoring the first seven points and never letting Memphis get closer than four. That game was over the second Mario Chalmers hit his shot. Last night’s game ebbed and flowed through the three extra frames, with the Royals blowing opportunities to put it away and then needing one more comeback to get the win. And, obviously, the title game ended the season for both teams while last night sent the Royals on to the next round of the playoffs.

I think it’s probably the most incredible baseball game I can recall, jumping ahead of other notable games because I cared who won. Game six of the 1985 World Series was a tense thriller, but all the runs were scored in the last two innings. Games four and five of the 2004 ALCS were such fun to watch, but although I was pulling for Boston, it was not my team that was on the verge of defeat then. Game six of the 2011 World Series was about as crazy and entertaining of a game as has ever been played. But I had no real rooting interest that year.

No game that I can recall had so many moments of absolute despair countered by such unbridled joy as last night’s.

And the Royals get to keep playing! The playoffs, once you get beyond the Wild Card game, are built for teams with strong pitching. The Royals have wobbled a bit lately, but pitching is their strength. Despite the Angels having the best record in the league this year, the Royals absolutely have a decent shot of winning. I’ll need to get some rest before these first two West Coast games. And call AT&T.

Man, where to begin?

How do you write about a game like that? Do you write about all the ups and downs, all the twists and turns, the nearly five hours of mood swings first?

Or do you try to put it into context, attempting to compare it to other games over the years, across different sports, to figure out where it stands in your personal pantheon of greatest games ever? Done, it should be noted, with the adrenaline and emotions of the moment still pumping through your system, and very little sleep to boot?

I don’t know how to do it. The game ended a scant eight hours ago and I’m still trying to take it all in.

Here’s the important thing: the Kansas City Royals won a post season, elimination baseball contest. Their season will continue for at least three more games.

There was so much of everything last night.

Brandon Moss’ home run in the first inning that quieted the roaring, raucous crowd. Billy Butler’s RBI smash in the bottom of the first that reignited the crowd. The bizarre play where Butler, of all people, got picked off first to end the inning.

Lorenzo Cain, who has surprisingly been the Royals most consistent hitter this year, getting a couple huge hits, including the RBI double and later scoring to put the Royals up 3–2 in the third.

James Shields steadying himself and mowing down seven-straight A’s, causing many of us to start counting outs until the bullpen took over.

The bloop and barely missed pitches on balls three and four to Josh Donaldson in the 6th that chased Shields. The bizarre decision to bring a rookie starter, who has not relieved all year, into an elimination game with two on and no outs two days after his last start. The utter quietness as Moss blasted his second home run of the night that kicked off a five-run inning. The bleakness of realizing the Royals had to find a way to come back, again, against KC killer Jon Lester. Then, the anger at Ned Yost for overthinking things, yet again, and likely having just cost the Royals their season.

(It was at this point I looked up Bart Giamatti’s lovely line about the end of the baseball season and posted it to Facebook. The Royals were done; the season was over.)

Cain, Butler, and Hosmer again being in the middle of the three-run rally to pull the Royals to within one in the 8th. Quickly followed by the anger of the Royals, YET AGAIN, not scoring a runner from third with less than two outs.

The nerves of Greg Holland putting two on in the 9th. The relief of him closing the door.

The joy of Nori Aoki sending a ball deep to right to score Jarrod Dyson and tie the game in the 9th.

The raw power and infinite promise of Brandon Finnegan who, if he never does anything in the rest of his career, has earned a spot in Royals lore with his two shut down innings of relief.

The lunacy of Yost bunting in every inning.

The sense of doom when former Royal Alberto Callaspo whistled a shot to left, scoring Josh Reddick in the 12th to give the A’s the lead.

And then that glorious bottom of the 12th. Hosmer’s blast, which just missed going out. Christian Colon coming off the DL and hitting the ball 40 feet, but far enough to get Hosmer home to tie. Then, Colon steals a base on a dropped pitch out and Salvador Perez, who looked absolutely terrible all night, swinging at another bad ball but somehow pulling a pitch that was six inches outside past Donaldson at third to bring Colon home.

Madness. Disbelief. Chaos. Sheer freaking joy. Twenty-nine years of angst and anger and disappointment and embarrassment and losing kicked to the curb in four hours and 45 minutes of amazing baseball.

It wasn’t always pretty. As is their nature, the Royals and their manager often couldn’t get out of their own way. But guys came up big all night. Cain, Butler, Hosmer, and Colon were all excellent. Finnegan was an absolute beast until he tired in the 12th. Everyone took the extra base with abandon. And the final scoring line showed the home team with one more run than the visitors.

Just amazing. Even with only about three and a half hours of sleep last night[1], I feel giddy this morning. I’m excited to go in for my shift at the St. P’s library this morning and talk about the game with the librarian, who is a St. Louis native but has lived in Kansas City a couple times in her adult life[2]. It’s one of those days where you want to watch the highlights over-and-over, read as many columns and recaps as you can find. And each time I smile and shake my head in disbelief. Is this team, which has been so pathetic for so long, really doing this?

Also, I need to address a question some of you may be asking. Did I watch the game, since we turned cable off last spring? No, I did not. After much internal debate for the last two weeks, I decided to wait and see if the Royals made it to the ALDS before going back to cable. So I listened to Denny and Ryan call the game, which was fine. Between that and Twitter and a lot of texts and emails, I was really into the game. I’ll admit, though, I wish I had made the call I’m going to make to AT&T in a few hours on Monday. Man, was the crowd loud on the radio feed, though.[3]

So where does this fit in? A friend who is also a KU alum said last night this was the #4 best sporting event of his life, after the two KU national titles and the 1985 World Series. In the glow of the day after, that seems reasonable.

In fact, I can draw a lot of comparisons between this game and the 2008 national title game between KU and Memphis. The games both seemed lost before a furious rally tied it. Both games needed extra time to resolve matters.

But I think the comparisons end there. The 2008 game was really well-played all night. Each team would go on runs then the other would answer. There were no moments where I was wondering what the hell Bill Self was doing the way I did with Yost last night. And KU seized control early in overtime, scoring the first seven points and never letting Memphis get closer than four. That game was over the second Mario Chalmers hit his shot. Last night’s game ebbed and flowed through the three extra frames, with the Royals blowing opportunities to put it away and then needing one more comeback to get the win. And, obviously, the title game ended the season for both teams while last night sent the Royals on to the next round of the playoffs.

I think it’s probably the most incredible baseball game I can recall, jumping ahead of other notable games because I cared who won. Game six of the 1985 World Series was a tense thriller, but all the runs were scored in the last two innings. Games four and five of the 2004 ALCS were such fun to watch, but although I was pulling for Boston, it was not my team that was on the verge of defeat then. Game six of the 2011 World Series was about as crazy and entertaining of a game as has ever been played. But I had no real rooting interest that year.

No game that I can recall had so many moments of absolute despair countered by such unbridled joy as last night’s.

And the Royals get to keep playing! The playoffs, once you get beyond the Wild Card game, are built for teams with strong pitching. The Royals have wobbled a bit lately, but pitching is their strength. Despite the Angels having the best record in the league this year, the Royals absolutely have a decent shot of winning. I’ll need to get some rest before these first two West Coast games. And call AT&T.

When I went upstairs at about 1:30, C. was sprawled on my side of the bed. So I went to her room to lay down. She had so much crap scattered on her bed I had to go sleep on the extra twin in L.’s room. I think that three and a half hours was optimistic. I don’t mind.  ↩

We saw her yesterday on our way out of the parking lot. She waved and yelled, “Go Royals! I was there the last time they were in it!”  ↩

I briefly considered going to a bar to watch the game. But then I thought, “American League playoff game starting at 8:00,” and figured it would be a long night and not the smartest move to drive home. I’m really glad I skipped that option. I think most of the places close to my house close at midnight on weeknights, anyway, so I would have had to come home to listen to the end, anyway.  ↩

  1. When I went upstairs at about 1:30, C. was sprawled on my side of the bed. So I went to her room to lay down. She had so much crap scattered on her bed I had to go sleep on the extra twin in L.’s room. I think that three and a half hours was optimistic. I don’t mind. ↩
  2. We saw her yesterday on our way out of the parking lot. She waved and yelled, “Go Royals! I was there the last time they were in it!” ↩
  3. I briefly considered going to a bar to watch the game. But then I thought, “American League playoff game starting at 8:00,” and figured it would be a long night and not the smartest move to drive home. I’m really glad I skipped that option. I think most of the places close to my house close at midnight on weeknights, anyway, so I would have had to come home to listen to the end, anyway. ↩