Royals Lose 4 - 2 to Pale Hoes, However Culture of Winning Now In Place

If there was one thing made clear in Chicago tonight, it was that the culture of losing and failure is dead and buried in the Kansas City Royals clubhouse. I think I speak for all of us here at Royals Review when I say, "Phew."

It was obvious that Jose Mijares and Yuniesky Betancourt and Doug Sisson were dragging the Royals down. You couldn't see it, but you could see it. Luckily, they are all gone now, so we can go out and buy the confetti and streamers. It is only a matter of time before our wildest dreams come true.

Nevermind that with the go-ahead run on third and one out in the top of the eighth Ned Yost called for the suicide squeeze (having seen it work so well for Ron Washington and the Texas Rangers roughly 30 hours earlier), only to have Tony Abreu run into the tag on the third-base-line. Nevermind that the bunt is ultimately a defeatist tool for a manager to use in the first place yet it is frequently incorporated by self-proclaimed non-loser Ned Yost. Nevermind that Luis Mendoza pitched serviceably only to have the Royals giveaway outs on the basepaths, those outs being baserunners who could conceivably have scored in his support. Nevermind that Luis Mendoza is establishing himself as possibly the best starting pitcher on this team, which speaks just as loudly for those pitchers surrounding him than it does for his performance. Nevermind that Jeff Francoeur once again saw a ball that should have been a routine single turn into an extra-base hit because he is moving like late-period Jose Guillen in right field. The culture of winning is in place. You just can't see it.