Matt Fulks

Journalists who have covered the NCAA Tournament known as March Madness over the past 25 years share their experiences and opinions in this collection of short stories.

CBS Sports Presents Stories From the Final Four

The history of the Royals in Kansas City may not be a long one—the team first played in Kansas City in 1969—but it is a proud one. Embraced by a loyal fan base and boosted by small-market spunkiness, the team was a constant threat in the 1970s and 1980s, making multiple playoff appearances before beating the St. Louis Cardinals for the World Series in the “I-70 Series.” Now, this all-new guide explores all of the things every true fan should know about the Royals and what they should do to celebrate their favorite team. The listings are ranked in importance from one to 100, and feature such legendary players, places, and moments as George Brett, Kaufmann Stadium, Denny Matthews, Game 6 of the 1985 Series, Dick Howser, and a certain infamous, pine-tar-covered bat. Packed with personalities, places, events, and facts, this fun and informative book is the perfect tool for any fan looking to take his love for the Boys in Blue to a whole new level.

100 Things Royals Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

Denny Matthews

Amos Otis, Frank White, George Brett, Hal McRae, Dan Quisenberry, Bret Saberhagen, Paul Splittorff—one mention of any of those names can bring about visions of great baseball, determination, and winning. However, one vision outweighs all others: the boys in blue… the Kansas City Royals. The Kansas City Royals, an expansion club in the American League in 1969, struggled during their early existence. It didn't take long, however, before the Royals established themselves as one of the most successful franchises in baseball. That success culminated with the winning of the 1985 World Series. Since 1969, the Royals have developed great players that have had fun. Along the way, they also have developed a winning tradition. Although the Royals have received the "small-market" tag in recent years, the organization still boasts a proud heritage. In this reissue of Tales from the Kansas City Royals Dugout, longtime Royals radio broadcaster Denny Matthews relives the club’s great moments and proud tradition. Sit back and enjoy never-before-told anecdotes, including from the team’s great rivalries with the New York Yankees, Oakland A’s, and the remarkable players who have helped form the legend of the Kansas City Royals. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

A Collection of the Greatest Royals Stories Ever Told

Tales from the Kansas City Royals Dugout

The history of the Royals in Kansas City may not be a long one—the team first played in Kansas City in 1969—but it is a proud one. Embraced by a loyal fan base and boosted by small-market spunkiness, the team was a constant threat in the 1970s and 1980s, making multiple playoff appearances before beating the St. Louis Cardinals for the World Series in the "I-70 Series." Now, this all-new guide explores all of the things every true fan should know about the Royals and what they should do to celebrate their favorite team. This updated edition highlights the Royals' back-to-back World Series appearances and features current starts Lorenzo Cain, Yordano Ventura, Wade Davis, and more. The listings are ranked in importance from one to 100, and feature such legendary players, places, and moments as George Brett, Kaufmann Stadium, Denny Matthews, Game 6 of the 1985 Series, Dick Howser, and a certain infamous, pine-tar-covered bat. Packed with personalities, places, events, and facts, this fun and informative book is the perfect tool for any fan looking to take his love for the Boys in Blue to a whole new level.

The Royals' surprising run to the World Series for the first time since 1985 captured the nation's attention. In late July, Kansas City sat in third place in the AL Central, eight games out of first place with a losing record. But manager Ned Yost's team answered the call, posting a 41–27 mark after the All-Star break to capture a spot in the AL Wild Card game. Trailing the A's 7–3 after seven innings, the Royals' thrilling, 12-inning comeback win started a record postseason run. The win over the A's marked the start of a record eight-game winning streak as the Royals swept the Angels and Orioles to set up the unforgettable Fall Classic showdown with the Giants. Packed with unique analysis from veteran Kansas City writer Matt Fulks and vivid color photography, Out of the Blue takes fans through the Royals' amazing journey, from key off-season acquisitions to the Royals' thrilling Wild Card win all the way to the thrilling push to Game 7 of the World Series. This commemorative edition also includes feature stories on Yost, Billy Butler, Alex Gordon, and other fan favorites.

The Kansas City Royals' Historic 2014 Season

Out of the Blue

Alex Gordon

Dayton Moore

Ned Yost

Provides a blueprint for becoming a champion, both on and off the field When Dayton Moore arrived in Kansas City in 2006, the Royals hardly resembled a contender. The general manager inherited a major league club that had just one winning season in the previous decade. Moore, a Kansas native who grew up as a Royals fan, implemented a plan to return the franchise to its glory years. Though not without a few bumps in the road, that plan came to fruition in 2014 and 2015, as the Royals reached the World Series both years and were corned 2015 World Series champions. In More Than a Season, Moore shares how his faith and leadership principles guided his rebooting of the Royals. The general manager describes how he built one of baseball's best farm systems and international scouting departments of out nothing. He shares insight on how he persevered through six consecutive losing seasons and the critical response to controversial trades of Zack Greinke and Wil Myers—transactions that ultimately yielded the foundation of a champion. Full of never-before-told stories from inside the Royals organization More Than a Season features an introduction by William F. High, CEO of the National Christian Foundation Heartland. This updated edition features an all-new prologue and an additional chapter celebrating the 2015 World Series championship season.

Building a Championship Culture

More Than a Season

Whether you're a die-hard booster from the days of Hank Stram or a new supporter of Andy Reid, these are the 100 things all Kansas City Chiefs fans needs to know and do in their lifetime. The book contains every essential piece of Chiefs knowledge and trivia—from a guide to the team’s training camp facilities, whom the “Chiefs” nickname was in honor of, or in which year the Chiefs became one of the first teams to use a non-gray facemask—as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from one to 100. With an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist for readers use to track their progress, 100 Things Chiefs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resources guide for true diehards.

100 Things Chiefs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

Frank White

Amos Otis, Frank White, George Brett, Hal McRae, Dan Quisenberry, Bret Saberhagen, Paul Splittorff. One mention of any of those names can bring about visions of great baseball, determination, hard-nosed, and winning. However, one vision out-weighs all others: the boys in blue & the Kansas City Royals. The Kansas City Royals, an expansion club in the American League in 1969, struggled during their early existence. It didn't take long, however, before the Royals established themselves as one of the most successful franchises in baseball. That success culminated with the winning of the 1985 World Series.Since 1969, the Royals have developed great players that have had fun. Along the way, they also have developed a winning tradition. Although the Royals have received the "small-market" tag in recent years, the organization still boasts a proud heritage. In Denny Matthews' Tales from the Royals Dugout, longtime Royals radio broadcaster Denny Matthews relives the club's great moments and pro

Denny Matthews's Tales from the Royals Dugout

Jeff Montgomery

With their 2015 World Series championship, the Kansas City Royals claimed their spot among baseball's top current franchises. Through the words of the players, via multiple interviews conducted with current and past Royals, readers will meet the players, coaches, and management and share in their moments of greatness and defeat. Montgomery recounts moments with George Brett, Willie Wilson, and Mike Sweeney as well as the current squad under Ned Yost, including Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon. Kansas City fans will not want to be without this book.

Stories from the Kansas City Royals Dugout, Locker Room, and Press Box

If These Walls Could Talk: Kansas City Royals

While the Kansas City Royals may have come out of the blue with their success in 2014, the 2015 edition of the team had high expectations and they met them to the fullest degree in winning the 2015 World Series — the organization's first in three decades. Buoyed by a dominant regular season in which they held first place in the American League Central beginning on June 8 and never looked back. Anchored by a major league record seven All-Stars and boosted by the mid-season acquisitions of Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto, this historic team would not be denied on their way to the title.Packed with unique analysis from veteran Kansas City writer Matt Fulks and vivid color photography, Taking the Crown guides fans through the Royals' amazing journey, from key off-season acquisitions to the Royals' thrilling come-from-behind ALDS win versus the Astros, from their out-slugging of the powerful Blue Jays in the ALCS, all the way through their incredible World Series triumph over the Mets. This commemorative edition also includes feature stories on Royals' stars Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, and other fan favorites, and is a must-have keepsake for Royals fans for generations to come.

The Kansas City Royals' Amazing 2015 Season

Taking the Crown

Longtime Kansas City Royals radio broadcaster Denny Matthews relives the club's great moments and proud tradition through never-before-told anecdotes and memories.

Matt Fulks

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