KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The moment Alex Gordon knew the Kansas City Royals were serious about winning can be traced to a cold December day when his wife heard they had traded for James Shields.The franchise had long suffered through a forgettable cast of starting pitchers, from Jay Witasick to Darrell May to Runelvys Hernandez. Hot prospects flamed out. Free agents fizzled. And every year, the Royals languished near the AL Central cellar.But things changed in December 2012. General manager Dayton Moore thought enough pieces had been assembled and all that was missing was the right starting pitcher — someone who could be the staff ace and change a clubhouse culture accustomed to losing.Moore called up the Rays and made the deal.Thats when I knew, Gordon said, that we were going for it.Two years later, a trade that was panned by many has helped the Royals reach the World Series for the first time since 1985. Shields, who will start Game 1 at home Tuesday night against San Francisco, has been everything Moore had hoped he would be.Those opportunities to acquire a top rotation starter and an impact pitcher like Wade Davis, theyre not presented year-in and year-out, Moore said. We were fortunate the timing of it was such that it was staring us in the face and put us in a position to compete in 2014.It was a gamble. The Royals sent baseballs top minor league talent, Wil Myers, and a bevy of other promising prospects to the Rays.Shields went 13-9 with a 3.15 ERA last year, helping the Royals to their best record in more than 20 years. And over the course of the season, Davis established himself as one of the most dominant late-inning relievers in the game.This year, Shields finished the regular season 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA, helping the Royals return to the post-season for the first time since their only World Series title.He started their wild-card win over Oakland. He allowed two runs over six innings in earning the victory in a Division Series game against the Angels. And he was good enough to help the Royals beat Baltimore in the ALCS, running their post-season winning streak to 11 games.Hes earned the nickname Big Game James for a reason, Royals manager Ned Yost said.On a team with few veterans, Shields has proved invaluable in October. And when he takes the mound against the Giants, hell be drawing on the experience he gained in 2008, when he tossed 5 2-3 innings for the Rays against the Phillies in the only other World Series start of his nine-year big league career.Hes been tremendous, said Greg Holland, the Royals All-Star closer. He takes that starting five as kind of collectively, Hey, we want to be the backbone of this team. We want to throw 200 innings apiece. We want to push each other, learn from each other.I think he also leads by example, taking the ball every five days and giving his heart and soul, Holland said. I think once you start rattling off good start after good start, it kind of builds on itself. You want to do just as good as the guy in front of you did.Shields also keeps the clubhouse jovial between games and ratchets up the intensity when its time to compete. Once hes on the mound, he stalks around like a lion, often roaring as he heads back to the dugout after a big strikeout.His teammates took notice, adopting many of his mannerisms.I just try to be myself and hopefully its contagious, Shields said. Thats about it. I mean, I have fun with this game. I feel like Im a grinder. I feel like I have a winning attitude, so hopefully it feeds off these guys, and we have fun with it. Were all little kids at heart.Shields can become a free agent after the World Series, and few expect him to re-sign with the small-market Royals. Clubs with far bigger budgets figure to drive up the bidding to the point that Moore is forced to bow out of the negotiations.All of that is for later, though. Shields is too busy with the present, trying to win a World Series ring, to worry about any of it.Obviously we understand the magnitude of whats going on in Kansas City, he said. Were going to go out there and play our game and trust our ability to win ballgames. New Balance Shoes Clearance . CEO Steve Koonin on Tuesday told the Hawks flagship radio station that he made the decision to discipline Ferry but allowed him to keep his job managing the team. He did not say what the punishment was, but noted that he relied on a law firms three-month investigation of Ferry and him describing Deng as someone who has a little African in him. New Balance Outlet Store . TSN platforms will broadcast 75+ live games per season – tripling the networks current slate of MLB games. With the new deal TSN retains rights to ESPNs SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL and, for the first time, acquires rights to ESPNs MONDAY NIGHT BASEBALL and WEDNESDAY NIGHT BASEBALL. http://www.cheapnewbalance.net/. Austin does not believe the game-time temperature is going to be an advantage for either side heading into the Grey Cup. "We dont think about (the cold)," said Austin. "Im not even sure how you would determine an advantage. New Balance Outlet Online . Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza scored in the shootout to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday night. New Balance Shoes From China . Called on from the college ranks to replace Andy Reid, Kelly implemented a whole new atmosphere in the City of Brotherly Love and now has the Eagles in the playoffs for the first time since 2010.PITTSBURGH -- Ahead in the count 2-0 with the game tied in the ninth inning, Todd Frazier figured there was only one type of pitch he was going to see. "I know he didnt want to walk me and put a guy on base," Frazier said. "I was looking to get a fastball I could handle and, fortunately, I was able to connect." Fraziers leadoff homer lifted Cincinnati to a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night after the Reds bullpen blew a three-run lead. Fraziers team-leading 16th home run to centre field came off closer Jason Grilli (0-2) and gave the Reds their fifth win in six games. Cincinnati (34-35) also got within one game of .500 on its ninth try. "You cant fall behind the first guy you face, especially in a tie ballgame," Grilli said. "He dives over the plate. ... It just didnt work out." Frazier leads NL third basemen in homers, extra-base hits (31) and slugging percentage (.524). "Hes very confident now that he can be a major league player," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said of Frazier, who is in his fourth season. "Hes been able to put home runs, RBIs, run production into one package." Billy Hamilton had three hits and two stolen bases for the Reds, while Joey Votto had two hits and three RBIs. Frazier, Brandon Phillips and Ryan Ludwick added two hits apiece. Hamilton is 8 for 13 in his last three games. Cincinnati is 5-2 and averaging 5.3 runs per game since Votto was activated from the disabled list after missing three weeks with a quadriceps strain. Logan Ondrusek (2-2) got four outs for the win. Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save, getting Clint Barmes to fly out to the left-field fence with two runners on to end the game. "It was an interesting game in a lot of ways," Price said. "Both teams had their moments and we had to have some good things happen to win the game. It would have been nice if it were a little easier on the stomach." Prices stomach was certainly churning when left fielder Chris& Heisey, a late-inning defensive replacement for Ludwick, had to race to the fence to catch Barmes drive.dddddddddddd "It carried farther than I thought," Heisey said. "Fortunately, it stayed in the park." Josh Harrison matched a career high with four hits for the Pirates. He drove in two runs. Starling Marte, Ike Davis and Jordy Mercer added two hits apiece. Andrew McCutchen extended his hitting streak to 12 games but came up short of becoming the first Pittsburgh player to have multiple hits in nine straight games since Rennie Stennett in 1971. Gregory Polanco became the first Pirates player to have a hit in each of the first seven games of his career since Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in 1955. The Pirates used a three-run seventh inning to tie the score at 5 on RBI singles by Davis, Russell Martin and Harrison. Cincinnati starter Johnny Cuetos hard luck continued as he gave up two runs in six innings of a no-decision. Cueto scattered seven hits and four walks, but the bullpen failed to hold a three-run lead for him. Despite a sparkling 1.92 ERA, Cueto is 6-5 through 15 starts. In two starts against the Pirates in April, he allowed one run and six hits in 18 innings. Pittsburghs Brandon Cumpton gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings after winning his previous two starts. NOTES: Pittsburgh 2B Neil Walker took batting practice and fielded grounders before the game for the first time since undergoing an appendectomy June 9. He is optimistic he will be ready to be activated from the disabled list June 24, the first day he is eligible. ... Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano is scheduled to play catch Thursday for the first time since sustaining a strained left oblique June 10 and going on the DL. ... Phillips string of 43 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout, the longest active streak in the majors, ended when he fanned in the seventh. ... Cincinnati RHP Alfredo Simon (9-3, 2.95 ERA) opposes Pirates RHP Edinson Volquez (4-5, 3.89) on Wednesday night. ' ' '