CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Seven Perfect Game event alumni were on the 2015 MLB World Champion Kansas City Royals’ World Series roster, including former PG All-Americans and Royals’ infielders Eric Hosmer and Christian Colon.
The American League’s Royals captured their first World Series Championship in 30 years Sunday night, besting the National League’s New York Mets four-games-to-one in the best-of-seven Fall Classic. The Royals, with many of these same players, lost the 2014 World Series to the San Francisco Giants in seven games.
Outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon, pitchers Wade Davis and Danny Duffy and catcher Drew Butera joined first baseman Hosmer and middle-infielder Colon as Royals’ regulars with prominent PG pasts.
Hosmer’s 15-event PG career was the most noteworthy: He was at both the PG National Showcase and the PG All-American Classic in 2007, and played at the PG WWBA World Championship three years (2005-07). He won WWBA World Championship titles with the Midland Reds Scout Team and the Midland Braves Scout Team in ’06-’07, respectively, and was the event’s Most Valuable Player in 2007.
“That was kind of the first time when you’re playing competition that’s most similar to the minor leagues and I feel like if I wouldn’t have done any of those events I wouldn’t have had any experience against the top pitchers and top guys around the league,” Hosmer told PG in the spring of 2012. “I learned the speed of baseball and how much different it is than high school, and I think the only place you can get than from is Perfect Game.”
Colon can count the 2006 PG National Showcase and 2006 PG All-American Classic among his eight PG events and was with the Ohio Warhawks at the 2006 PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla.
Cain was in Jupiter in 2003 playing with the Tallahassee Titans; Gordon was at the 2001 PG National Showcase; Davis pitched at the 2003 PG WWBA World with the SWFL Scout Team; Duffy was at the 2007 PG California All-Star Games showcase; Butera was at the 2002 PG WWBA World.
Davis, the Royals’ closer, enjoyed an especially effective Series, pitching four shutout innings over three appearances and giving up just three hits while striking out eight and walking none; he recorded one save. Duffy also made three appearances (2 1/3 innings) and gave up one earned run (3.86 ERA) on a solo home run, while striking out three without a walk.
Cain was 5-for-22 (.227) with a double, four RBI and three runs; Gordon finished 4-for-18 (.222) with a home run, five walks, three RBI and three runs; Hosmer hit just .190 (4-for-21) but doubled and drove in a team high six runs while scoring three. Colon got his first at-bat of the Series in the top of the 12th inning in Game 5, and delivered an RBI single and eventually came around to score what was the Royals' second run in a game-winning, five-run frame.