The last time the Kansas City Royals made the playoffs, Back to the Future was the No. 1 movie in America.
Looking back, KC fans probably wish they’d shoved Marty McFly aside, hopped in Doc Brown’s DeLorean and set the coordinates for 2014.
Because only now, 29 excruciating years later, are the Royals finally poised for a return trip to the postseason.
With their 1-0 win over the New York Yankees Friday night, coupled with the Detroit Tigers‘ 8-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants, the Royals increased their lead in the American League Central to two games.
There’s still time for a meltdown. But the safe money is on Kansas City breaking its protracted playoff drought rather than the faithful’s hearts.
The goal isn’t simply to make the playoffs, though. It’s to make some noise once they get there. To do that, the Royals will need a few experienced big-game players to step up.
Those players are in short supply in the Royals’ locker room.
Only four members of Kansas City’s roster have performed under the bright October lights: second baseman Omar Infante, outfielder Raul Ibanez and pitchers Wade Davis and James Shields.
The likeliest candidate to assume big-game stud status is the last name on that list.
In fact, Shields flashed his credentials Friday night against the Yankees, tossing 8.1 scoreless frames, allowing three hits and striking out six.
“I think that is by far the best game he has thrown all year,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). “He was surgical with his stuff. He had everything going.”
Overall, Shields has posted a 3.23 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 200.1 innings pitched.
The 32-year-old right-hander doesn’t boast a sterling postseason resume. He owns a 4.98 ERA in six playoff appearances, all with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The point, though, is that he’s been there. He’s endured the pressure, felt the eyeballs of the nation searing into his arm.
When Kansas City dealt for Shields in December 2012, sending top prospects Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi to Tampa Bay, it was a win-now move—a rarity in KC.
The Royals didn’t win right away, at least not the division. They did, however, enjoy their first winning season since 2003 and stayed in the hunt deep into September.
“I helped out a lot more with the run we had at the end of last season,” Shields told The Topeka Capital-Journal‘s Kevin Haskin. “These guys know how to win big baseball games now and what it takes to win games all the way to the end. We’ve just got to stick to our process, stick to what we’re doing and have fun with it.”
That’s a great line, and there’s truth in it. But Shields surely knows that the burden is on his shoulders to be that guy in the clubhouse—the one with the swagger, the knowledge and the poise.
As Haskin puts it:
Does [postseason experience] matter? It could. Maybe when pressure mounts in September to secure a postseason berth. Or, during the postseason when players must cope with additional attention — from media, from fans, and from family and friends looking to obtain tickets.
The Royals still have to qualify before they worry about hooking up their long-lost uncle with seats. They’re getting close, though. The brass ring is within reach.
“We never had a winning record around here since what? Forever?” outfielder Jarrod Dyson asked rhetorically, per Haskin.
Maybe not that long, Jarrod. But you’d need a time machine to get back there.
Or you could just follow James Shields. He knows the way.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com