Candidates to throw out the first pitch for the Royals

Well, it took all 162 games, but we now know the Kansas City Royals will be in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday. Not only are the Royals in the playoffs for the first time since 1985, but they will be playing the Wild Card game in Kauffman Stadium. It may not be a division title, but playoff baseball is back in Kansas City.

With the Royals being back in the playoffs, and with James Shields on the mound, hopes are certainly high. The crowd in Kansas City will be loud and raucous, cheering on the Royals in hopes of seeing the first step towards a deep postseason run. Tomorrow night, a night that we have dreamed up for decades, will finally come.

Before the game, there will be the ceremonial first pitch. Typically reserved for people that have made major contributions to different groups, or for corporate sponsors, that first pitch is hardly an interesting occurrence. Yet this time, with the Royals finally being able to put their past behind them, that first pitch may well be a passing the torch ceremony.

With that in mind, who would be the best option to throw out the first pitch on Tuesday? There are several people, both past and present, that could work to throw out that first pitch. However, in the end, there may be only one real option.

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Dayton Moore

The general manager of the Kansas City Royals, Dayton Moore has taken his share of criticism. His constant preaching of patience, his slavery to The Process and the trades he made have opened him up to a fair level of critique, most of which has not been favorable.

Now, Moore has the last laugh. His moves to sign Jason Vargas, to trade Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi for James Shields and Wade Davis and his insistence that Ned Yost is the right manager to bring the Royals back to the postseason were cause of derision. As it turns out, Moore staying the course and having confidence in the team he put together was the correct path to take.

As such, you could forgive Dayton Moore if the thought of throwing out the first pitch would have crossed his mind. To take the mound before the Wild Card game and to soak up the adulation of the crowd before the biggest game in the last 29 years for the Royals. Yet, doing so would be quite out of character for Moore.

Moore may well deserve to take his moment in the sun before the start of the Wild Card game, but there are better options as well. Options such as….

Bret Saberhagen

In the hierarchy of important moments in Royals history, none ranks higher than Game Seven in 1985. That night, Bret Saberhagen stared down the St. Louis Cardinals, firing a five hit shuout as the Royals celebrated their first World Series championship.

Over his Royals career, Saberhagen was one of the best pitchers in their history. Not only was he the World Series MVP in 1985, Saberhagen won two Cy Young awards, was a two time All-Star and pitched the most recent no hitter in Royals history. Over his tenure with the Royals, Saberhagen posted a 110-78 record with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.134 WHiP, earning his induction in the Royals Hall of Fame in 2005.

On the list of players who could return to symbolize the passing of the torch from the great teams of the 1970’s and 1980’s, Bret Saberhagen would be on that short list. The winning pitcher in the biggest game in the history of the Royals, few players would have that sort of cache to come back for that first pitch.

Yet, as great as an option as Saberhagen would be, there are still others who may be better. In fact, there is one from the Royals recent past who could work as well.

Mike Sweeney

Stuck on the Royals during their Dark Ages, Mike Sweeney was the player who stayed. While players like Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye and Carlos Beltran left, being replaced with prospects that never panned out or cheap free agents, Sweeney stayed. The consummate good soldier and veteran leader, the Royals just were not good enough to make the playoffs during his tenure.

Now, having returned in February of this year as a special assistant to baseball operations, Sweeney has managed to reach the postseason during his first year in the front office. Even if he was unable to bring the playoffs to Kansas City as a player, he is still getting to experience the sweet taste of the playoffs as a member of the team.

Even though he left the Royals, just like everyone else did during those days and made the playoffs with the Philadelphia Phillies, Mike Sweeney personified the Royals during his tenure. For the better part of a decade, Mike Sweeney was the face of the Royals – the player that everyone hoped to see bring the postseason back to Kansas City.

However, as great of an option as Sweeney would be, there is really only one choice to throw out that first pitch tomorrow:

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time since 1985, playoff baseball will be played in Kansas City. The Royals of yesteryear will now have company, as the playoff drought is officially over. It may only be a one game playoff for the Wild Card, but the Royals have still made the postseason.

A new day for the Royals may be dawning. With a nice blend of young talent and veteran players, the Royals may be on the verge of recreating the magical years from the 1970’s through the 1980’s. With the right extensions and free agent signings to augment the young core, the Royals could be set for quite some time.

With that being the case, the torch may be about to get passed. No longer are the Royals chasing the ghosts of the 1980’s. With that in mind, the symbolism of having George Brett throw out the first pitch may be more than the Royals should pass up on Tuesday.

Normally, the spectacle of the first pitch does not overly matter. This time, it may be more than just a nice honor – it may be a sign that the past is finally behind the Royals.