The following article was published in the Topeka Capital-Journal on July 14, 2018 – you can read it here. When fans look back on the 2015 championship, and the magical 2104 World Series run, they wistfully long for the days of Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Yordano Ventura. They wish they could resurrect the deadly bullpen of Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera. They might even pine for the short but sweet stints of Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto.
But they might not recall quite so readily the one man who, perhaps more than any other at the time, was credited with bringing winning baseball to Kansas City.
Remember “Big Game” James? Remember “The James Shields Trade?”
Shields was a hard-nosed “gamer” who relied upon guile and tenacity as much as his formidable talent during the short-lived heyday of the Tampa Rays.
Seeing that they had talent, but not a winning culture, the Royals raided their then top-flight farm system to acquire Shields, not realizing at the time that a secondary piece, Davis, would eventually solidify the Kansas City bullpen in the championship season.
But the December 2012 deal is not called “The Wade Davis Trade.” And there is a reason for that.
Forget that Shields was not the pitching star of the 2013 and 2014 Royals. His role was bigger than that. He led the pitching staff like a Pied Piper, showing the likes of Ventura and Danny Duffy how to be professionals. He taught the team to despise losing. He demonstrated what it takes to be a winner.
Now four seasons after the Royals allowed Shields to depart via free agency, Shields recalls his role in Kansas City.
“I just brought energy every day,” Shields recalled. “I brought fun back into baseball over there.”
He recalled that the Royals’ talent was unmistakable. But the team was young, unproven and uncertain of itself when he arrived.
“Losing, obviously, isn’t fun,” he said. “They were stuck in that rut, just trying to figure out who they were. I just tried to keep the guys loose, and tried to help them feel like a unit.”
Shields provided his typically gritty effort against the Royals on Friday. He soldiered through 6.2 innings, throwing 109 pitches, to collect the win.
“It’s baseball,” he said when asked about his feelings for his former team. “I loved my time there, but I’m with the White Sox right now. That’s just the business.”
Valued for his leadership and clubhouse presence, Shields continues to find himself with clubs stuck in rebuilding mode. Since leaving the Royals, he pitched for the San Diego Padres when they went just 74-88. Then he was traded to the White Sox, who are in a prolonged rebuilding process and are currently just a tick better than the moribund Royals. He said his role is the same now with the struggling White Sox pitchers as it was in Kansas City.
“It’s just being able to slow the game down,” said the 13-year veteran. “The game’s a lot faster in the big leagues, and these young guys are just learning that. We all have to slow the game down. Even veterans, sometimes the game speeds up on us.”
Due to his winning pedigree, Shields has found himself a part of a lot of losing lately. So he’s not unsympathetic to the plight of the 2018 Royals. But he said he believes the right ingredients are in place for an effective rebuild.
“Those guys have created a great culture. The organization itself is amazing. I had a lot of fun playing in KC.
“At the end of the day, they’re going to pull it together. They’ve got a good group of guys in there, including (veterans) who have been there and kind of know what’s going on and how to lead those guys.”