What an unbelievable World Series the baseball world just experienced! The New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals, despite three of the scores ending up lopsided, played five exciting and close games. The Royals ultimately prevailed four games to one for their first World Series Championship since 1985. Similar to the Subway Series in 2000, when the Yankees beat the Mets four games to one (it was a lot closer than that), the box score didn't accurately tell the story.
Throughout this past season the Royals seemed hell-bent on getting back to the World Series, to avenge the Game 7 loss they suffered at the hands of Madison Baumgartner and the San Francisco Giants in 2014. While disappointing, there was no shame in the way they lost last year. Baumgartner pitched a game for the ages, one of the best in the 111-year history of the World Series.
The Mets on the other hand were this year's equivalent of the 2014 Royals; the young, upstart team that came out of nowhere to make the World Series. While Mets fans had been hearing about the young arms, and had been promised a year like this for some time, halfway through the 2015 season it didn't appear as if this was going to be that year. Some great moves at the trading deadline catapulted the Mets into first place, the playoffs, and ultimately their first World Series appearance in fifteen years.
Built to be fundamentally sound and opportunistic, Kansas City took these qualities to a new level in the 2015 World Series. They pounced on every opportunity the Mets gave them. Although they could have played better, the Mets played well overall. While of little consequence to the Mets and their fans two days after losing the World Series, the team should benefit greatly from the experience and be better for it in 2016.
Who knows, maybe the Mets will make a second trip to the big dance and it will be as magical as the one the Royals just made. One doesn't always have to wait around for the third time to be charmed.