Kansas City Royals

No matter how great the thrill of winning a championship might be, sports are a business. Reserve outfielder Jonny Gomes found that out the hard way on Thursday as the Kansas City Royals announced they have declined their club option on the veteran, making him a free agent. 

According to Spotrac.com, the option was for one year worth $4 million. 

Gomes played just 12 games with the Royals, none during their postseason run to their first World Series title in 30 years. He was traded to Kansas City from the Atlanta Braves at the beginning of September as the Royals became his fourth team in the past two seasons.

While his play was limited during his time in Kansas City, he'll be best remembered for his speech during the team's World Series parade, per ESPN:

Mic. Drop.

ICYMI: Jonny Gomes' speech at the Royals' World Series bash is everything: https://t.co/8vrEmHDFRS

— ESPN (@espn) November 4, 2015

The Kansas City Star's Andy McCullough has an idea for Gomes now that he is a free agent:

And Jonny Gomes had his option declined, making him free to pursue a career with WWE.

— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) November 5, 2015

At 34 years old, Gomes holds a .242 career batting average with 162 home runs in 13 seasons and also won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2013. While his numbers have never jumped off of the page, he has been a veteran presence on winning teams over the past few seasons. 

He indeed made his presence felt during this Royals World Series run. Christian Colon, the player who delivered the game-winning hit in Game 5 against the New York Mets, spoke about Gomes' impact to Fox Sports' Erin Andrews (h/t Pat Bradley of NESN.com). 

"Jonny Gomes, he was just taking me under his wing, letting me know what I needed to do in certain situations," Colon said. "That’s why you bring a guy over (in a trade)."

For many teams, that is the kind of player they wouldn't mind having on their roster. Expect organizations with a plethora of young players, especially in the outfield, to make a move for Gomes and bring him on to help guide them in the big leagues.     

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

Two key pieces of the World Series champions won't be going anywhere in 2016. The Kansas City Royals announced on Thursday that they picked up the options for Wade Davis and Alcides Escobar next season.

Davis will earn $8 million, while Escobar's contract will pay him $5.25 million.

Keeping both players on the roster was a no-brainer for the Royals. Davis and Escobar have been integral to the team's success over the last two years, and neither player will have an exorbitant salary for 2016. Davis in particular is a steal, coming in at under $10 million.

The 30-year-old was arguably the best setup man in MLB until he had to fill in for injured closer Greg Holland. Davis saved 17 games in 2015 and recorded a 0.94 earned run average and 2.29 FIP, per Baseball-Reference.com.

As Fox Sports' C.J. Nitkowski noted, Davis has performed even better in the postseason over the course of his career:

Wade Davis & Mariano Rivera through their first 23 post season games. pic.twitter.com/bsjZ5wZrzA

— CJ Nitkowski (@CJNitkowski) November 3, 2015

Escobar, meanwhile, hit .257 with three home runs, 47 RBI and 17 stolen bases. He earned MVP honors in the 2015 American League Championship Series after going 11-for-23 with five RBI and six runs scored against the Toronto Blue Jays.

While not a consistent threat offensively over the years, Escobar's defense and work on the basepaths helped him remain a fixture in the Royals batting order.

Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore likely only needed seconds before deciding to lock up Davis and Escobar for 2016.

Now, he can focus more of his efforts on holding on to Ben Zobrist, Johnny Cueto and Alex Gordon, who declined his player option and will thus become a free agent, per Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.

The Kansas City Royals celebrated their first championship since 1985 with a downtown victory parade Tuesday afternoon. Fans turned out in droves to attend the festivities after watching the Royals dispatch the New York Mets in five games to win the 2015 World Series.

AJ Cassavell of MLB.com passed along comments from Alex Gordon, who's been with the organization since it drafted him with the second overall pick in 2005, about what he expected given the long drought and the fans' extended wait for a championship.

"Oh, that is going to be so sweet," Gordon said. "I know what Kansas City has been through. Most of these guys weren't even born when we won it last. At least I was."

The 31-year-old outfielder hit the nail on the head.

The most enthusiastic member of the group, Jonny Gomes, carried an American flag and noted how the Royals didn't feature the award winners from other teams. But the fans went wild as he ran down how they beat all of those standout players as a team, per FOX Sports Kansas City:

Jonny Gomes. America. #RoyalCelebration #Crownedhttps://t.co/Rn2gECEGBQ

— FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City (@FanDuelSN_KC) November 3, 2015

Although things got underway a little behind the scheduled noon start, Mike Tufano of the Salute Podcast joked the Royals' track record suggested a comeback was on the horizon:    

https://twitter.com/RealMikeT/status/661611926967812096

KCTV provided a shot of the large and growing crowd as the parade kicked off:

They're saying 500,000. We think more! pic.twitter.com/Vgj4BIdiN0

— KCTV5 News (@KCTV5) November 3, 2015

Damon Amendolara of CBS Sports Radio relayed another shot of the crowd:

https://twitter.com/DAonCBS/status/661628653634232320

Shain Bergan of KCTV pointed out some fans simply parked anywhere they could before walking the rest of the way to the parade:

PHOTO: Check out these motorists just parking their cars on the interstate and walking toward Royals parade pic.twitter.com/Ssx8gvD58D

— Shain Bergan (@KCPSShain) November 3, 2015

The fans in attendance spanned a wide range of generations, including those who were enjoying the celebration rather than a day in school, as highlighted by MLB.com's Cut4:

He would've worn this to school anyway. pic.twitter.com/zXMG2CgnyU

— Cut4 (@Cut4) November 3, 2015

There was also at least one non-human supporter in the crowd, per MLB GIFs:

Legend. https://t.co/pFXZQSqYLN #RoyalsParade pic.twitter.com/XNhYL7RUJh

— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) November 3, 2015

Outfielder Jarrod Dyson, one of the heroes from the 12th inning of Game 5, thanked the fans who lined up several deep on both sides of the street, which the Royals showcased:

They see me rollin’… #RoyalsParade pic.twitter.com/VveaxHBGG8

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) November 3, 2015

Alas, his ride had nothing on the one for Mike "Moose" Moustakas, according to Fox Sports MLB:

We would like to introduce you to the greatest in-parade vehicle you'll see today. Kansas City loves @Mooose_8! https://t.co/TQw9oXNSKo

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 3, 2015

While that's pretty cool, Jenee Osterheldt of the Kansas City Star showed the reaction manager Ned Yost received along with the championship trophy:

Yost! Ultimately #Crowned. #DowntownKC #RoyalsParade #RoyalCelebration pic.twitter.com/pVjlEtC0dH

— Jeneé Osterheldt (@SincerelyJenee) November 3, 2015

The parade was followed by a celebration at Union Station.

Royals legend George Brett made it clear what he thought of the team, per 610 Sports Radio KC:

"This team is the best team ever... EVER" - The HOF'er George Brett at the #Royals Victory Rally LIVE on 610

— 96.5 The Fan (@TheFan965) November 3, 2015

Baseball Tonight noted Yost had high praise for the fans:

"Kansas City has the best fans in the world and now they have the best team in the world." - Ned Yost

— Baseball Tonight (@BBTN) November 3, 2015

World Series MVP Salvador Perez, who was entertaining while leading the chants, had a simple message, as noted by KMBC:

"Thank you for being the best fans in the world Today, we're the #1 in the whole world, guys!" - @SalvadorPerez15 #RoyalCelebration

— KMBC (@kmbc) November 3, 2015

If starting pitcher Edinson Volquez is right, the Royals will be doing it again one year from now, according to Jeff Rosen of the Kansas City Star:

"You guys are going to see our team here next year. We are the best team in baseball!" - Volquez. #RoyalCelebration #royals #royalsparade

— Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) November 3, 2015

And, if there's ever a movie made about this group of Royals, the team showed one fan who already has a potential name in mind:

Coming to a big screen near you … #RoyalsParade pic.twitter.com/B69wj7ig9U

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) November 3, 2015

Kansas City reached the World Series last year only to fall one game short. Being able to complete the journey again before going on to finish the job this time is the ultimate redemption for a roster that's certainly greater than the sum of its parts.

In an era when teams are increasingly willing to accept strikeouts in search of power at the plate, the Royals play an old-school game. They fight through every at-bat, putting the ball in play and forcing opponents to beat them rather than beating themselves, which was especially effective in the playoffs.

Some may call it a fluke. The Royals are too busy celebrating to argue.

In a World Series featuring two teams starving for a championship after almost 30 years of famine apiece, the Kansas City Royals would ultimately outlast the New York Mets in five games to earn the title that's alluded them both for so long. 

When the Royals return to Kansas City, they'll be greeted by a fanbase that was so ferocious in its passion for the team that Major League Baseball was forced to cancel 65 million All-Star Game votes this year, per Yahoo's Jeff Passan.

That level of fan participation is symbolic of the top-to-bottom contributions the Royals received en route to their championship. Kansas City's stalwart catcher, Salvador Perez, played up to his lofty potential and was rewarded with the distinction of World Series MVP. But the likes of Christian Colon, who hadn't recorded a postseason at-bat until the one in which he drove in the game-winning run, were equally instrumental in the Royals' title run. 

This enthralling, albeit relatively short, World Series must sustain us until pitchers and catchers report in February. So let's start with some of the biggest moments, highlights and storylines from the five games it took Kansas City and New York to determine a champion. 

Moments

Edinson Volquez Pitches Following Father's Death

The biggest off-the-field controversy of the 2015 World Series was set into motion before the first pitch of Game 1.

Edinson Volquez, the Royals' starting pitcher for the series opener, suffered a tremendous personal loss in the hours leading up to the game. His father, Daniel, died at the age of 63. But no one seemed to knew if Volquez was aware of that fact during his start. 

ESPN's Enrique Rojas reported that Volquez learned of his father's death on his way to Kauffman Stadium before Game 1. The New York Times' David Waldstein offered a contradicting report. 

According to the Royals, Roandy Volquez, the pitcher’s wife, told General Manager Dayton Moore what had happened and asked him not to tell her husband until after he had finished pitching the biggest game of his career, his first World Series start. The team then asked the broadcasters on Fox not to announce the news, because Volquez routinely goes into the clubhouse between innings, and the broadcasts of the game are usually on.

Whether or not he pitched with a heavy heart in Game 1, Volquez turned in six innings and allowed three runs before turning it over to the bullpen for the remainder of what would be a 14-frame affair. 

Volquez returned to the mound to start Game 5, where he wrote his father's initials in the dirt before tossing six innings and allowing just one run in the series-clinching Royals victory.  

Salvador Perez Wins MVP

When the stat first hits your ears, it's a little shocking. Salvador Perez is the first catcher to earn World Series MVP honors since 1992, when the Toronto Blue Jays' Pat Borders won.

You reach back into the not-so-distant pass and remember the San Francisco Giants' three recent championships, all of which featured Buster Posey behind the plate. The New York Yankees have won five titles since 1992, but Jorge Posada was the MVP of none. Yadier Molina caught both of the St. Louis Cardinals' two World Series crowns, but other players were deemed more valuable. 

All of that is to help frame how unlikely it is that Perez, a 25-year-old catcher on a team that saw heroic performances from up and down the roster, earned the MVP award in unanimous fashion. 

But Perez certainly earned his hardware. He hit .364 against the Mets, including the single in the 12th inning of Game 5 that would put pinch runner Jarrod Dyson on base before being driven in by Christian Colon's game-winning hit. 

Perez is a fan favorite, as evidenced by the record-breaking number of All-Star Game votes he received. But he's perhaps even more beloved in his own clubhouse. That was no more evident than when Royals manager Ned Yost told the Kansas City Star's Rustin Dodd that, even though Dyson scored the winning run, he regretted removing Perez from the game. 

"I think if I had one regret during the whole playoffs," Yost said, "(It) was I had to pinch run for Sal there in that inning. But it opened up the door for us to score five. I really wish that Sal could have been out there to jump in (Wade Davis's) arms when we got that final out."

The Royals aren't done contending. Their core is young, with Perez serving as the nucleus for that group. Their bullpen is loaded, and their off-beat, put-the-ball-in-play tactics seem to work. 

This is the first World Series MVP award for a catcher since 1992, but Perez could potentially prevent another drought that long.  

Highlights

Alex Gordon sends Game 1 to extra innings with a home run to straight-away center field. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJK7Ax73vTw

Daniel Murphy commits an error that serves to jump start the Royals' rally in Game 4. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzwZsnQIsGY

Eric Hosmer scores the game-tying run in Game 5 on a possibly reckless but certainly effective dash from third to home. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH_asXruANU

Colon singles in his first postseason at-bat to drive in the run that would put Kansas City up for good. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRCwUDzy38k

Storylines

Royals Find Daniel Murphy and Jeurys Familia Off-Switches

Before a pitch was even thrown in the World Series, Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy had already put together one of the greatest postseasons in history. New York's closer, Jeurys Familia, brought a 0.00 ERA through 9.2 innings of work into the series. 

Both Mets came careening down to Earth against the Royals. 

Murphy hit seven home runs in New York's playoff run before facing the Royals, including a stretch of six consecutive games with a homer. He was being mentioned in the same breath as Babe Ruth in terms of postseason heroics, and it was justified. But he didn't go yard once against Kansas City and would finish 3-for-20 at the plate in the series. 

Familia was unequivocally dominant in his late-inning role for the Mets in the the National League Division Series and National League Championship Series. He earned a perfect ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in eight appearances prior to the World Series. During that stretch, he recorded five saves, converting every save opportunity presented to him. 

Against Kansas City, Familia crumbled. He blew all three of his save opportunities in the series. 

Kansas City Comebacks

For a series that saw the Royals limit the Mets to just one win, New York had several games seemingly in hand before several late-inning circus acts from Kansas City. 

In Game 1, the Royals trailed 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Alex Gordon sent the game to extra innings with a home run blast to dead center field. Five innings later, in the 14th, an Eric Hosmer sacrifice fly with the bases loaded scored the winning run. 

In Game 4, with the Mets threatening to tie the series at a two games apiece, Kansas City faced a 3-2 eight-inning deficit. Then Murphy's lackluster showing at the plate leaked into his performance at second base. He whiffed on a ground ball to put Hosmer on base, and Perez and Mike Moustakas would complete the comeback with a pair of RBI singles to give the Royals their ultimate 5-3 advantage. 

And in Game 5, New York held a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning. After successfully lobbying to remain in the game, Matt Harvey gave up the first of Kansas City's two game-tying runs. And the second came courtesy of some enormously aggressive base running by Hosmer, who scored from third after an errant throw on a ground ball that never left the infield. 

Based on the optics of the Royals' 4-1 margin of victory in the series, their title was never in doubt. But throughout the five-game epic, it very much was. 

Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci called Kansas City "the greatest October comeback team ever." And it's nearly impossible to counter that assertion.

"It’s a team that just looks for a little crack," Yost said, per Verducci. "If we find a little crack, they’re going to make something happen. It’s amazing how they do that. And they do that in a number of ways. But the most important thing is they put the ball in play." 

Putting the ball in play was Kansas City's controversial mantra all year. But now, with Yost's tactics vindicated, the only controversy that remains is the country's decimated champagne reserves following the Royals' celebration.

*All stats courtesy of MLB.com

After a three-decade wait, the Kansas City Royals are once again the World Series champions thanks to their 4-1 series victory over the New York Mets.

The hard work is over, and now it's time for the Royals and the people of Kansas City to celebrate. Unseasonably warm weather should make for a great day as the city holds its first World Series parade since 1985.

The parade will begin at noon CT and includes a 2.3-mile trek to Kansas City's Union Station, where a "Royal Celebration" will take place at 2 p.m. CT, per VisitKC.com.

The website provides information on the route, parking, transportation and more, though information for live streaming is not available. See below for details on how to witness the parade live or watch it on television.

Royals Championship Parade Info

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 3

Time: Noon CT

Route: Beginning on Grand Boulevard and ending at Union Station

TV: Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox 4

Live Stream: TBA

Fox Sports provided more information about the parade's television coverage:

FOX Sports Kansas City, the TV home of the Royals, will televise the Royals' victory parade and celebration (#RoyalCelebration) live on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 12 p.m. CT.

FOX Sports Kansas City broadcasters Ryan Lefebvre, Rex Hudler, Joel Goldberg, Jeff Montgomery and Morgan Uber will contribute to the coverage, which will be presented in partnership with WDAF-FOX 4. Lefebvre will host the victory rally in front of Union Station at approximately 2 p.m., shortly after the parade ends. FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX 4 are the official broadcast partners of the Royal Celebration.

Fans can see the telecast on FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest, including DirecTV channel 671 and Dish channel 418 or 412-08.

The program will be replayed immediately after the live airing, and again Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 7 p.m.

The team arrived back in town Monday afternoon amid hundreds of cheering fans, per Kansas City's Fox 4 News:

Hundreds of people are lined up at the K to welcome home our WORLD CHAMPION @Royals live on Fox 4 #Crowned pic.twitter.com/uOyg13XhKk ^KB

— FOX4 News Kansas City (@fox4kc) November 2, 2015

Tuesday's weather should not be an issue for parade-goers. Weather.com predicts the high temperature to be in the low 70s, with only a 10 percent chance of rain.

The Kansas City Star's Jeff Rosen provided a map of the parade on his Twitter account:

The #Royals Parade route will be 2.3 miles long at noon Tuesday, starting at Grand between @SprintCenter & P&L. pic.twitter.com/TicW9AbARC

— Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) November 2, 2015

Kansas City Mayor Sly James noted that the parade is taking place Tuesday because Major League Baseball rules require the winning team to hold its parade within 48 hours of the final World Series game, per Len Jennings of KMBC.com.

The streets should still be packed for the celebration, however, because kids will have an excuse to be there, per KCTV5:

Most major school districts, colleges cancel classes for Royals victory parade: The Royals’ World Series victo... https://t.co/GBE6ROjNau

— KCTV5 News (@KCTV5) November 2, 2015

It will be a festive occasion for a city that had witnessed just two combined championships from its professional baseball and football teams: the Royals in 1985 and Chiefs in 1969.

It's safe to say that Kansas City residents will not get a lot of work done Tuesday—unless you count the fans' job to show their Royals how much they support them one more time.

The city of Kansas City and the Royals organization has had 30 years to plan a World Series parade. You can bet the party will be epic on Tuesday, when the World Series winners return home for their championship parade. 

The city announced that the parade will commence at noon CT, with the victory rally at 2 p.m., and will be covered on local television via Fox 4 and Fox Sports Kansas City. The city will also offer free shuttles and bus service to the downtown area.

 KMBC.com will also carry a live stream of the proceedings, per Len Jennings of KMBCKansas City.

Jeff Rosen of the Kansas City Star shared the route the team will take, meanwhile:

The #Royals Parade route will be 2.3 miles long at noon Tuesday, starting at Grand between @SprintCenter & P&L. pic.twitter.com/TicW9AbARC

— Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) November 2, 2015

If the turnout for the parade is anything like the World Series ratings in the Kansas City area during the World Series, well, the downtown area will be bumping on Tuesday. Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star passed along those numbers:

Fox says at some point 80 percent (!) of all TVs in Kansas City were tuned to Game 5 of World Series. Overall, it had a 60.0 rating in KC

— Pete Grathoff (@pgrathoff) November 2, 2015

Of course, the Royals themselves already started the party. Manager Ned Yost had the following to say after the game on early Monday morning:

Asked Ned Yost how he planned to celebrate. “I’m already half-hammered,” he said.

— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) November 2, 2015

Yost wasn't done there, however:

As Ned Yost left the field, he uttered the immortal words of every American after a hard day's work: "I'm going to go get a cheeseburger."

— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) November 2, 2015

It was probably the best cheeseburger he's ever had. 

And it was one of the more special teams the city of Kansas City has ever had, too. Even George Brett—who led the way for the Royals' last championship in 1985—would tell you that.

"They'd beat us," he told Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star on early Monday morning when asked if the 2015 squad was better than his 1985 version. "They're better than we were."

You'd be hard-pressed to find too many people in Kansas City who would contradict anything from the mouth of a legend like Brett. 

And it's hard to find a reason why anyone else would contradict him in this case. The core of this team was one magical Madison Bumgarner performance in last year's postseason away from being back-to-back world champions. They orchestrated one epic comeback after another in October, generated runs with a tenacious yet disciplined approach at the plate and smart baserunning, locked down games with one of the league's finest bullpens and got enough from their starting pitching staff to stay close into the later innings.

They carried themselves with a swagger not born of arrogance, but rather of an unwavering belief that they could, and would, win any game, no matter the circumstances or deficit. Eight comeback wins and a World Series title later, the Royals earned the right to swagger through downtown Kansas City.

And you can bet an entire city can't wait to toast them as they do. Enjoy the party, Kansas City—after 30 years of dreaming about this celebration, your wait is finally over. 

The Kansas City Royals are celebrating a championship 30 years in the waiting, secured after Sunday night's Game 5 victory that won the 2015 World Series.

After coming one game short of glory during last season's pennant run, the Royals made no mistake of their place atop baseball this time around. They took down the New York Mets in a clash of long-suffering franchises.

The Royals' Twitter account shared the moment the World Series was won:

The Kings in Queens. #Crowned pic.twitter.com/cAhMZYxlYW

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) November 2, 2015

Kansas City put together the ultimate team performance to etch its place as one of the most balanced teams to ever win a championship. There aren't any superstars on this Royals roster. There's no flair. They just step up and find ways to win games.

But a Most Valuable Player must be crowned, so why not catcher Salvador Perez? He hit at a .364 average in the series, going an impressive 8-for-22 against the Mets' strong pitching, and most importantly, he brought the tying run home in the ninth inning of Game 5.

On top of throwing out three baserunners attempting to steal and calling a great series for the pitchers, Perez defined the Royals' ability to hang in despite deficits throughout the postseason, as he told Christina Kahrl of ESPN.com:

You guys know what we've done all season. We never quit. We never put our heads down. ... We always compete to the last out. And that's what we did tonight.

MLB captured Perez celebrating with the trophy:

.@SalvadorPerez15 winning #WorldSeries MVP pres. by @Chevrolet? Perfect ending for @Royals: https://t.co/z7bkxs6tgo pic.twitter.com/08bCXE2UZ7

— MLB (@MLB) November 2, 2015

The moment must have tasted sweet for Perez, who was the last Royal to bat in Game 7 of their defeat last season to San Francisco, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

Royals C Salvador Perez made the final out of the 2014 World Series ... a year later he's the World Series MVP

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 2, 2015

Just like in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, when the Royals were nine outs from elimination in Houston, Kansas City flexed its late-inning muscle throughout the World Series. In three of its four wins, it trailed late in the game only to put together a trio of miraculous comebacks.

Victory seemed improbable again in Game 5, with Matt Harvey pitching a shutout through eight innings. But a walk to Lorenzo Cain to open the ninth and a follow-up double by Eric Hosmer had Harvey yanked for struggling closer Jeurys Familia, and the rest is history.

Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star noted the thoughts of all Royals fans at that moment:

George Brett: "As soon as Harvey walked that guy in the ninth, I said, 'You've got to be kidding me. We're winning this game.'"

— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) November 2, 2015

It took until the 12th inning for Kansas City to pull away, which it did in a five-run inning that all but put the Mets away. Wade Davis took it from there, notching three strikeouts to clinch the championship.

Moments later, the Royals were posing with the trophy they came so close to hoisting a year ago, including Mike Moustakas, as the team's Twitter showed:

Hey what's up hello World Series TROPHY! #Crowned pic.twitter.com/qO3nxWVpuo

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) November 2, 2015

While the Mets will spend the coming days—maybe weeks, months or even the rest of their lives—wondering what could have been, the Royals don't have to do that. They saw their opportunity and seized it in dramatic fashion.

It has been easy for any baseball fan to count out the Royals at a number of points in this postseason, but they just continued to prove their worth when the spotlight was brightest. Baseball is a game of ebbs and flows, and those certainly went the way of Kansas City throughout October and into the early days of November.

As a result, the Royals are celebrating a title that will last a lifetime.

It will be a celebration fit for a king Tuesday in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, as the city honors the Kansas City Royals and their World Series victory.

Given how much the fanbase and city as a whole have rallied around the Royals over the past two years, Tuesday's parade will be raucous from start to finish.

The city announced the festivities will begin at noon CT, with television coverage on Fox 4 in Kansas City. According to Len Jennings of KMBC Kansas City, KMBC.com will carry a live stream of the event.

Jeff Rosen of the Kansas City Star provided the full parade route, which begins at the Sprint Center and ends at Union Station:

The #Royals Parade route will be 2.3 miles long at noon Tuesday, starting at Grand between @SprintCenter & P&L. pic.twitter.com/TicW9AbARC

— Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) November 2, 2015

Some fans couldn't wait until the official celebration. According to Amie Just of the Associated Press, some trespassers vandalized Memorial Stadium at the University of Kansas following Game 5 of the World Series:

Celebration extends to Memorial Stadium, fence broken, field goal post down: #TakeTheCrown #KUfball pic.twitter.com/HRkBP9VC4A

— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) November 2, 2015

The broken field goal post resting on the banks of Potter Lake. #KUfball #TakeTheCrown pic.twitter.com/fgcWNj8N7G

— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) November 2, 2015

A.J. Perez reported for USA Today that Kansas City police were forced to shut down four blocks in downtown's Power and Light District in order to accommodate all of the fans present late Sunday night and into early Monday morning.

Tuesday's spectacle will be equal parts exultant and cathartic after the franchise's long string of losing seasons in the 1990s and early 2000s followed by last year's defeat in the World Series in seven games.

Plus, fans in Kansas City haven't had a lot of sporting glory in which to bask over the last three decades.

Sporting Kansas City had previously provided the last championship for a KC-based franchises, but you'd have to go back to the Royals' 1985 World Series ring for a title in any of the four major American sports. The Kansas City Star posted a photo from that year's celebration:

Kansas City’s last #WorldSeries parade in 1985, from our files https://t.co/TCkJkw1TrR pic.twitter.com/4rQO7TZSBM

— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) November 2, 2015

You can count on Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas receiving massive receptions from the fans Tuesday.

In 2011, Sports Illustrated's Joe Posnanski documented how the Royals were turning a corner as an organization with young stars like Perez, Hosmer and Moustakas in the minors. Gordon entered the majors much earlier, but it wasn't until that year that he truly started emerging as a star.

Those four players have come to symbolize a new era of Royals baseball.

Of the quartet, nobody meant more for the team than Perez.

"He's a beast," said teammate Lorenzo Cain of the All-Star catcher, per David Waldstein of the New York Times. "He's a monster. He's our monster. That guy gives everything he has. Without him, we aren't here right now."

"Salvi has so much desire and heart," Royals general manager Dayton Moore added. "No matter what, you always want Salvi in the middle of clutch situations."

Perez took home World Series MVP after hitting 8-for-22 in the series, driving in two runs, in addition to his stellar work behind the plate directing the Royals pitching staff. The 25-year-old was also responsible for the tying run in the top of the ninth of Game 5, with his fielder's choice bringing Hosmer home.

Royals fans know all too well success can be fleeting in MLB, and the future is never guaranteed. The franchise missed out on the postseason for 28 years in a row after its 1985 championship.

As much as this Royals team looks set up to contend for at least a few more years, that is far from a given.

The fans in attendance at Tuesday's parade will savor every moment of their team's championship triumph.

Almost exactly 12 months ago, Salvador Perez stepped to the plate in Game 7 of the World Series. It was the bottom of the ninth, there were two outs, the Royals were trailing by one and the tying run stood on third base, 90 feet away.

You know what happened next: Perez popped a Madison Bumgarner offering into foul territory, Pablo Sandoval squeezed it and the San Francisco Giants celebrated in front of a crestfallen Kauffman Stadium crowd.

So close, and yet so far.

This year, the Royals stormed into the playoffs on a mission, with the bitter taste of unfinished business lingering in their mouths. Now, they're champions after defeating the New York Mets 7-2 Sunday night at Citi Field to claim the franchise's first Commissioner's Trophy in 30 years.

.@SalvadorPerez15 is the best. #Crowned pic.twitter.com/NLNRHAix43

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) November 2, 2015

There are heroes littered across the roster. There's Edinson Volquez, who overcame the death of his father to pitch two gutsy games. There's Alcides Escobar, the light-hitting shortstop who transformed into a quasi-Reggie Jackson. Or how about forgotten utility man Christian Colon, who broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 12th inning, in his first at-bat of the postseason? 

No one, however, better embodied the Royals' never-say-quit attitude than Perez, who won a well-deserved World Series MVP trophy before bathing in champagne.

Yes, Perez had solid numbers in the Fall Classic, hitting .364 with a couple of doubles and two RBI. More than that, though, the 25-year-old three-time All-Star provided a backbone, a beating heart behind the dish, if you'll allow for a little schmaltz.

As battered as any regular catcher would be this time of year, and then some, Perez kept strapping on the gear and getting in the squat, deftly handling the Royals staff—including its lights-out bullpen—night after night. He took bats off the hand, balls off the collarbone and simply refused to cry "uncle."

That's as apt an analogy as you'll find for the 2015 Royals. Of K.C.'s 11 victories in these playoffs, eight were of the come-from-behind variety. In seven of those contests, they trailed by two or more runs.

WS MVP S. Perez: "We never quit. Never put our head down. Never think about, 'OK game is over.' #Royals

— Blair Kerkhoff (@BlairKerkhoff) November 2, 2015

In Game 5 against New York, the Royals were baffled for eight frames by Matt Harvey, the Dark Knight, who had his full array of pitches working and carried a shutout and standing ovation into the ninth.

Kansas City, though, as it has done so often, clawed back. Eric Hosmer doubled home Lorenzo Cain after Cain walked. Hosmer advanced to third on a groundout, then scored with a bit of gutsy baserunning—and an errant throw by first baseman Lucas Duda—on a soft chopper by, who else, Perez.

Perez was also a key part of the Royals' 12th-inning rally, leading off with a base hit before being lifted for pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson, who ultimately scored the decisive run before Kansas City piled on and sent Mets fans streaming for the exits.

"It's unbelievable," Perez told Fox's Erin Andrews immediately after accepting his MVP trophy. "We feel like a family here. We knew we were going to do something special this year."

Here's something else the Royals have known for some time now: Perez will be out there, no matter what.

According to STATS data cited by Chris Fickett of the Kansas City Star, Perez entered Game 5 having caught an MLB-record 2,713 innings between 2014 and 2015, including the postseason. Add 11 more after Sunday's clincher. 

Best of all for the Royals, Perez is signed through 2019, including a series of affordable team options that begin in 2017, meaning he's a part of the club's future as well as its recent, glistening past.

Back in June, the Kansas City Star's Vahe Gregorian highlighted what makes a big league backstop such a unique animal:

The catcher is susceptible to getting hurt from an infinite array of means and angles, from sudden bat backlashes to the grinding wear-and-tear of squatting and throwing to the bruising from blocking balls and shock of ever-looming foul tips.

That's why the position attracts a different sort of temperament.

"He's a bulldog out there," outfielder Alex Gordon said, per the Associated Press. "There's really no ball that could hurt him."

That's surely an overstatement. Even a guy as tough as Perez winces now and again. At the moment, though, he's feeling no pain.

One year after coming agonizingly close to the ultimate prize, he and the Royals got there. They made it back to baseball's biggest stage, laughing at the odds again and again. And this time, they didn't relent.

So that's the buzzword for this Kansas City squad—relentless. And nobody wears it quite like Sal Perez: backstop, warrior and, now, World Series MVP. 

All statistics current as of Nov. 1 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

The Kansas City Royals are about to party like it's 1985.

After winning their first World Series championship in 30 years against the New York Mets, the Royals will hold their victory parade Tuesday in Kansas City at noon CT, per Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.

Royals Championship Parade Info

When: Tuesday, Nov. 3

Where: Beginning on Grand Boulevard and ending at Union Station

Time: Noon CT

TV: Fox Sports Kansas City

Live Stream: TBD

The parade will start on Grand Boulevard at the Sprint Center in the Power and Light District. It's expected to be 2.3 miles long and will conclude with a rally at Union Station. Jeff Rosen of the Kansas City Star provided a map and route of the parade:

The #Royals Parade route will be 2.3 miles long at noon Tuesday, starting at Grand between @SprintCenter & P&L. pic.twitter.com/TicW9AbARC

— Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) November 2, 2015

Fox Sports Kansas City will carry the parade in its entirety, as will Fox 4, according to VisitKC.com. 

When the Royals last won the World Series, it required a historic comeback for the ages in 1985. Kansas City trailed 3-1 against the St. Louis Cardinals and came back to win in seven games. Thirty years later, the Royals provided some magic again Sunday night against the New York Mets in Game 5.

The Royals scored twice in the top of the ninth and capped off the comeback with five runs in the top of the 12th to win 7-2 and clinch the championship. Salvador Perez earned World Series MVP honors.

Over 300,000 Kansas City citizens attended the Royals' last parade in 1985, according to the Associated Press.

There's a good chance that Tuesday's crowd will top that number as fans decked in blue and white get to celebrate an improbable championship with their Royals. And to think—this will all start again when the Royals open the 2016 season at home April 4 against the same Mets.