In a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 TSSL's spring season, the Royals won their first Championship title in the team's 15-year history on Sunday; a Championship woven from the threads of elite pitching and defense, indomitable heart, unshakeable resilience, and an unwavering commitment to team and excellence. Making it even more special, the Royals lifted the coveted Bob Weinfeld Championship Trophy during the League’s 50th anniversary spring season.
The Royals closed out the season with a nail-biting 6 – 5 victory over Cova’s Mets in Game 3. Royals’ right centerfielder, Tommy Apligian etched his name in history, as he was fittingly named the 2024 Championship Series MVP in a unanimous vote. His clutch hitting proved crucial throughout the series. Meanwhile, Royals’ ace, All-Star Scott Greenberg capped off an extraordinary postseason with a dominant Championship Series pitching performance for the ages: a 4.7 ERA, zero walk performance in the three-game series to match his 4.7 ERA over the course of nine postseason games. In the world of slowpitch softball, where high-scoring affairs are the norm, Greenberg's consistency was nothing short of phenomenal.
On Sunday, the Royals literally and figuratively weathered a thunderstorm to emerge victorious. They finished the regular season with 15 wins, capturing the 3-seed in the postseason while allowing the fewest runs in the league – a miserly 185. Only one other team in the 20-team gauntlet managed to keep opponents under the 200-run mark. After defeating the 8-seed Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs, they went on the road to defeat the 2-seed Brewers and 1-seed Orioles to reach the Championship Series, where they faced the Cinderella Mets, whose own destiny came with an expiration date. During the postseason, the Royals resembled a freight train, barreling past their opponents with a perfect 6 – 0 record, 8 – 1 including the Championship Series.
Despite having only one player with a batting average above .500, the Royals thrived on getting crucial contributions from every player. They played exceptionally clean softball, recording 13 outfield assists throughout the season, and delivered clutch hits when it mattered most. Much like the “No-Name Defense” of the 1970s Miami Dolphins – which referred to the team’s lack of high-profile players – the Royals didn’t have a single player voted to the All-Star Game (although Greenberg was eventually added).
Their victories in Games 1 and 3 followed a blueprint authored by this team all postseason, with Greenberg outdueling Mets’ ace, Michael Thiele, in three low-scoring affairs.
In Game 1, the Mets jumped out to an early 1 – 0 lead, fueled by consecutive singles by Kelly, Jackson, and Jacob Stites. Yet, fate intervened when Jacob’s wide turn at first proved costly as Kyle Casper to Kyzer Hoover to Andy Wetterlin (7–6–3) short-circuited the rally for the first out of the inning, a microcosm of the Royals’ season-long defensive prowess.
In the bottom of the first, the Royals picked up right where they left off in the ALCS, exploding for four runs. Apligian singled and scored on Drew Waggoner’s RBI double to knot the game at 1 – 1. A walk to Greenberg and a single by David Fiorello loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly by Hoover plated the second run, while RBI singles by Ronel Martinez and Wetterlin completed the scoring.
However, from that point on, Thiele found his rhythm and pitched shutout ball for the next four innings.
After plating one in the third, the Mets tied the game at 4 – 4 in the top of the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Jackson and Jacob, complemented by sacrifice flies from Ben Neyen and Leo Cova. However, that would be it for the Mets’ offense in Game 1 as Greenberg and the Royals’ defense exerted their dominance, with Greenberg retiring the next 13 batters in a row to end the game.
The pivotal moment arrived in the top of the fifth, when Fiorello robbed Brandon Alford of extra bases when he made an acrobatic leaping catch at third base on a screaming liner headed down the left field line. The stunned reaction in the Mets’ dugout and on the field spoke volumes as Fiorello leaped six feet into the air to snag the laser shot, ending the inning and forcing the Mets’ last two batters to lead off the top of the sixth. As the crowd cheered, Alford put his hands on his head in disbelief. The quotes coming out of the packed crowd included:
- “Did he even see that ball?”
- “He’s got to be the most athletic third baseman in the league.”
- “I don’t understand how he caught that!”
In the bottom of the sixth, Chris Peterson – as he has done all season – drew a crucial walk to lead off the inning and turn the lineup over. Peterson scored on Waggoner’s RBI double, restoring the Royals’ lead to 5 – 4. Greenberg’s single moved Waggoner to third, where he scored a crucial insurance run on Fiorello’s sacrifice fly to make it 6 – 4.
Of course, Greenberg mowed through the Mets’ top of the lineup in the top of the seventh to complete his masterpiece, deftly scattering seven hits with zero walks, while retiring the last 13 batters he faced in the victory – a symphony’s crescendo.
Championship Series Game 1 Offensive Stars
Drew Waggoner 2 – 3, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, (2) 2B, GWRBI
David Fiorello 2 – 2, 1 Run, 1 RBI, SF
Tommy Apligian 2 – 3, 1 Run
Scott Greenberg 1 – 2, 1 Run, BB
Ronel Martinez 1 – 2, 1 RBI
Andy Wetterlin 1 – 2, 1 RBI
With the Royals’ victory in Game 1 – their seventh consecutive postseason win – Game 2 became an elimination game for the Mets, and the Mets played with that sense of energy and focus. Singles by Kelly and Jackson Stites, and Ben Neyen, combined with a fielder’s choice helped the Mets jump out to a 2 – 0 lead in the bottom of the first.
While the Royals had no problem getting hits, clutch hits were hard to come by as they stranded 11 baserunners in the game. Thiele buckled down and made critical pitch after critical pitch to get out of jams. The Royals had two baserunners in each of the first three innings and the final two innings, yet could not break through. Thiele had cracked the Royals’ code, becoming the kryptonite to the Royals’ relentless, consistent offense.
In the fourth inning, the Royals took a short-lived lead when Greenberg walked to leadoff the inning, moved to third on Fiorello’s double, and both men scored on Hoover’s clutch, two-run double. Hoover eventually scored on Casper’s sacrifice fly to make it Royals 3 Mets 2.
The Mets scored an unearned run in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 3 – 3. In the bottom of the fourth, the Mets’ bottom of the order came up clutch, igniting a two-out rally. Ron Roberts singled and scored on former Royal, Doug Storm’s RBI double. The Stites clan continued the clutch hitting parade as Kelly and Jackson singled, and Jacob doubled to break the game open. Mets 6 Royals 3.
The Mets tacked on one more unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to take a commanding 7 – 3 lead into the top of the seventh, where the enigmatic Thiele closed it out to force a decisive Game 3.
Championship Series Game 2 Offensive Stars
Tommy Apligian 3 – 3, (2) 2B
David Fiorello 2 – 2, 1 Run, BB, 2B
Kyzer Hoover 1 – 3, 1 Run, 2 RBI, 2B
Kyle Casper 2 – 3, 1 RBI, 2B
Andy Wetterlin 2 – 3
The stage was set, the air thick with humidity and anticipation – a high-stakes battle where destiny hung in the balance. The Royals, once invincible, tasted defeat in Game 2 – their first stumble in the postseason. The Mets had accomplished something no American League team had been able to do in the postseason.
In Game 3, the Mets struck first as Jackson doubled and scored on Neyen’s booming homerun over the left field fence in the top of the first inning.
In the bottom of the frame, the Royals loaded the bases with one out, but their clutch hitting blues continued as they only scored one run via Hoover’s sacrifice fly.
In the top of the second, Thiele helped his own cause when he singled and eventually scored on Ozzie Zurita’s sacrifice fly to extend the Mets’ lead to 3 – 1.
From that point on, Greenberg rekindled the rhythm he had in Game 1 and retired 14 of the next 16 Mets batters.
The bottom of the second presented another golden opportunity for the Royals when Casper led off the inning with a booming double and moved to third one out later on Adwild Perez’s single. One out later the runners remained on first and third, and the Royals found themselves in a familiar predicament. They hadn't managed a two-out clutch hit since Wetterlin’s RBI single in the first inning of Game 1. The stakes were high, the pressure immense. It was now up to the bottom of the order to deliver. Larry Lachman stepped up to the plate, the weight of the moment resting squarely on his shoulders. On a full-count pitch, Lachman swung and rifled a single into right field to drive in Casper and pull the Royals to within one run of the Mets. The crowd erupted in cheers. It was the defining moment in the game; a turning point that energized the Royals and their faithful fans, as every run scored thereafter would be on clutch two-out hits.
In the bottom of the third, Waggoner singled with one out and scored one out later on Fiorello’s clutch, two-out RBI double to knot the game at 3 – 3. Fiorello came around to score on Hoover’s clutch, two-out RBI single, giving the Royals their first lead of the game, 4 – 3.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Royals’ bottom of the order ignited the epic two-out rally that would ultimately decide the Championship. Plate discipline was on full display as Wetterlin and Perez drew consecutive walks to begin the inning. One out later, Lachman rifled a single to right centerfield to load the bases. The bases remained loaded one out later, bringing the eventual MVP to the plate with two outs. In what was undoubtedly his biggest clutch hit of the season, Apligian laced a two-run double into left field – his third two-bagger of the Series – extending the Royals’ lead to 6 – 3.
The tension was palpable as the top of the Mets’ lineup was due up in the top of the seventh. No lead felt safe with the speed and clutch hitters the Mets had in the top of their lineup. Kelly Stites led off with a blistering shot toward center field. The Royals’ left centerfielder, Waggoner, who was shaded toward center field for the opposite field hitting Stites, displayed a burst of speed and sprinted to his left as he tracked the screaming liner slicing away from him into the right centerfield alley. The ball rocketed off the bat with an exit velocity of 98.6 mph and a staggering 94 percent chance of becoming a hit. Yet, in a breathtaking moment that defied the odds, Waggoner launched himself into a full-extension dive. As the ball hurtled towards the green turf of Spirit Park, he made an incredible, heart-stopping catch, robbing Stites of a certain extra-base hit.
One out.
Jackson singled and raced to third on Jacob’s double, setting the stage for Neyen with one out. Neyen, who was 2 – 2, with a two-run homerun from the first inning, now stood as the tying run. The pressure was immense. Neyen dug in, took a deep breath, and unleashed a violent uppercut swing at Greenberg’s first pitch. For everyone at Spirit Park, time seemed to stand still as Neyen’s bat connected with an explosive crack that echoed through the air like a thunderclap. The ball soared on a majestic trajectory toward the deepest part of the park. On any other day this might have cleared the fence. But on this day, with the heavy humidity hanging in the air, Waggoner caught the ball with his back up against the center field fence. And in that suspended moment, as the crowd and the Royals exhaled, Jackson tagged up and scored easily as Jacob tagged and advanced to third. 6 – 4.
Two outs.
Cova promptly rifled a ball into right field to score Jacob and narrow the gap to a one-run game. Thiele followed with another sharp single, putting runners on first and second, setting the stage for former Royal, Donnie Holtmann. With the tying run in scoring position and the lead run at first base, the venerable Holtmann blasted the first pitch that painted the inside corner foul – foul by a country mile. The count stood at 1 – 2. Greenberg then cautiously offered a high and deep pitch that hovered tantalizingly over the plate but stayed out of the zone. Holtmann wasn’t biting. On the 2 – 2 pitch, Greenberg threw a beautiful arc that painted the outside corner, clearly heading for the front of the mat. Holtmann had no choice but to swing, resulting in a softly hit ground ball up the middle that barely glanced off Greenberg’s glove and rolled perfectly to second baseman Perez. The very fabric of reality seemed to shift. With ice in his veins, Perez scooped up the grounder – a moment frozen in time – and sprinted to the second base bag. With a resounding stomp, he stepped on the bag – a seismic exclamation point etched in history. Pandemonium ensued – a symphony of raw emotion released. In that hallowed middle ground of the diamond the Royals danced. They embraced, their laughter and cheers merging into a primal chorus.
In the heart of the diamond, after joining the initial celebration, Series MVP Apligian stood at the crossroads of triumph and vulnerability. His teammates swirled around him, a tempest of joy and exhilaration. But then, like a tide receding, emotion overcame and engulfed him. Apligian bent over, hands on knees, breaths ragged. The roar of the crowd blurred into a tidal wave of memories – the countless swings, the sun-drenched practices, the sacrifices etched in sweat and dirt. He took it all in – the sea of faces, the echoes of victory, the ghosts of the past, the self-doubt. For a fleeting moment, he was more than a Royal, more than an MVP; he was a vessel – a conduit for dreams realized. And as the moment embraced him, Apligian knew this was more than a celebration; it was a communion with destiny. He could finally let the feeling of being a winner sink in.
Later, bathed in the hallowed glow of victory, Lachman hoisted the Bob Weinfeld Championship Trophy, its weight both tangible and ethereal, pressed into his hands – a testament to the Championship he and his Royals had envisioned six months prior.
Congratulations to Captain Leo Cova and his Mets on an outstanding season and their incredible, magical postseason run. The Mets played with exceptional class and tremendous heart in what turned out to be an incredibly close, nail-biting series. Michael Thiele's pitching was phenomenal, and both team's defenses were impeccable.
The Mets showed – unequivocally – why they deserved to be in the Championship Series. Defeating all the top seeds in the NL – formidable opponents by any measure – and taking us to the last inning of the third game with a one-run differential speaks volumes about the competitiveness of this series.
The challenges of winning in the postseason are immense, and Leo deserves immense credit for leading his team to such success.
Championship Series Game 3 Offensive Stars
David Fiorello 2 – 2, 1 Run, 1 RBI, BB, 2B
Adwild Perez 2 – 2, 1 Run, BB
Tommy Apligian 2 – 3, 2 RBI, 2B
Larry Lachman 2 – 3, 1 RBI
Kyle Casper 2 – 3, 1 Run, 2B
Kyzer Hoover 1 – 3, 2 RBI, GWRBI
Royals Reign Supreme: Crowned 2024 TSSL Spring Champions
Front row l – r: Aaron Bartelson, Ronel Martinez, Scott Greenberg, Kyzer Hoover, David Fiorello, Adwild Perez
Back row: l – r: Kyle Casper, James Keller, Andy Wetterlin, Charles Lachman, Drew Waggoner, Larry Lachman, Ryan Greenberg, Chris Peterson, Dakota Wetterlin, Tommy Apligian
Captain Larry Lachman hoisting the coveted Bob Weinfeld Championship Trophy
Championship Series MVP Tommy Apligian
