Royals Ten Best Moments of the 2000s

Say what you will about this being the worst decade in Royals' History, but there were still plenty of moments that reminded us about why we are fans. The following is a list of those moments. After this post, I'm cleansing myself of the 00s, and moving on to the 10s. Here it is, folks, your 10 Best Moments of the Royals This Decade:

Carlos Beltran's catch against Dan Wilson July 19, 2003- Beltran vaulted himself into iconic status when he robbed Dan Wilson on perhaps the greatest defensive play in Royals' history.

Ken Harvey walks off against the Tigers April 18, 2003- An unknown at this point in his career, the future All-Star hits a mammoth homer in the 11th inning vs. Detroit to push the Royals further into the lead in the AL Central, sitting at 12-3.

Zack Greinke sets franchise record for strikeouts in a single game August 25, 2009- A long standing record finally fell as Greinke mowed down the Cleveland Indians, 6-2 while striking out 15, strengthening his case for the Cy Young Award.

Opening Day 2004 April 5, 2004- Coming off of a miraculous 2003 campaign in which they won 83 games, the Royals entered the 2004 season as a favorite to win the AL Central and got quite an emotional start to the season. Trailing 7-3 to the Chicago White Sox in the bottom of the ninth, the Royals engineered a six-run ninth inning, ending with a tying homer by Utility Infielder, Mendy Lopez and a game winning 2 run shot by Carlos Beltran.

Zack Greinke Wins the 2009 AL Cy Young Award- For a franchise that has been notorious for losing, at least one Royal was victorious as Greinke was awarded the franchise's first Cy Young Award in over 15 years.

Unveiling of "The New K" April 10, 2009- Long considered one of the great venues in sport, Kauffman Stadium received a facelift in '09. $250 million worth of renovations were complete by Opening Day, which saw the New York Yankees come to town to face the Royals in the Grand Re-Opening of "The K". The only downside: the game was started by Sidney Ponson for the Royals.

Royals Extend Zack Greinke- With former star players like Dye, Damon, Beltran, Ibanez, Appier and others leaving for free agency in the past, Royals fans only awaited the inevitable with Zack Greinke. Until GM Dayton Moore re-signed Greinke to a 4 year extension through the 2013 season.

Mike Sweeney breaks franchise record for RBIs- In 2000, Mike Sweeney terrorized the opposition with one of the greatest offensive seasons in Royals' history, swatting 29 HRs and batting in 144 RBIs.

"We Believe" 2003 Season- Coming off the first 100 loss season in team history, the Royals were reeling. Manager Tony Pena took a mixed bag of prospects, veterans and all stars to an 83-79 record, including a 17-7 April, and a 3rd place finish in the AL Central. It was the only winning season in the decade.

Denny Matthews Receives Frick Award and Is Inducted Into The Baseball Hall of Fame- The voice of the Royals since the beginning, Denny is recognized as one of the greatest announcers of all time.

Royals Kingdom Radio Show Launches!

Exciting news for all of us Royals fans. With the help of James Puester and JPeg Sports, The Royals Kingdom Radio Show will host its first broadcast this Sunday (January 3) at 4pm on KCXL 1140 AM (Liberty).

Also, if you are interested in appearing on the show, please email me at mcgannonbrian@gmail.com or brian@thejpegshow.com