**The original post about former Sounds in the playoffs has been updated for the World Series**
Kansas City Royals
Record: 89-73
How they made it: Won a Wild Card spot; Defeated the Oakland A’s; Defeated the Los Angeles Angels; Defeated the Baltimore Orioles
Fun fact: The Royals, as many know, hadn’t been to the playoffs since ’85 when they won the World Series against the Cardinals. They’d inauspiciously held MLB’s longest active playoff drought, which now falls on the Blue Jays, who’ve been without playoff baseball since ’93.
Playoff baseball has returned to the City of Fountains, and four former Sounds helped the Royals get there. Lorenzo Cain (’08, ’10) hit .301 and stole 28 bases in 133 games during the regular season as KC’s everyday center fielder, and shortstop Alcides Escobar (’09) hit .285 with 31 stolen bases in all 162 games for the Royals. The Royals’ field staff has a pair of former Sounds. Dale Sveum (’99), the former Brewers and Cubs manager, latched on with Kansas City as hitting coach, and Rusty Kuntz (’85) is the Royals’ first base coach.
San Francisco Giants
Record: 88-74
How they made it: Won a Wild Card spot; Defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates; Defeated the Washington Nationals; Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals
Fun fact: Of the last four World Series titles, two were claimed by the Giants.
The Giants have three former Sounds, including renowned pitching coach Dave Righetti (’95), who pitched for the Sounds near the end of his career (Triple-A American Association, White Sox) and went 4-5 with a 3.23 ERA in 16 games (15 starts). Ryan Vogelsong (’01, ’03) went 8-13 with a 4.00 ERA in 32 starts this year in San Fran under Righetti. The Giants also have Travis Ishikawa (’12), the Bobby Thomson-style hero of the NLCS, who rehabbed in a few games with the Sounds a couple of years ago when he was with the Brewers. With Michael Morse and Angel Pagan hurt, the Giants have used Ishikawa in left field.
Keep an eye out for these former Sounds, and enjoy the October baseball. It’s the best!
Thanks for listening! (On the Air…and Off)
Jeff
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