Dayton Moore’s legacy in Kansas City goes far beyond the wins and losses

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - This week the Royals parted ways with longtime leader of baseball operations Dayton Moore. However, Moore’s legacy in Kansas City goes far beyond the wins and losses.

For many of us Kansas Citians, the 2014 and ‘15 Royals playoff runs are a representation of how awesome sports can be. Dayton Moore was the architect of those teams, along with the feelings and memories they gave us.

But, it’s the way in which he built the culture that defines his lasting legacy. Dayton Moore said he constructs his Royals teams on five pillars: loyalty, accountability, character, enthusiasm and respect.

In a time when baseball execs talk about players as capital and assets, Moore talked about players as human beings. He knew he couldn’t outspend big markets or even outsmart the analytic teams. Instead, he found the inefficiency in the game was the most simple power we have: belief.

The Royals didn’t win back-to-back pennants with power or payroll. They won it in part because Moore established a culture where a group of individuals simply believed in each other more than anyone else believed in them.

It’s no coincidence those teams overcame a 4-run deficit in the 8th inning of an elimination game -- not once but twice -- because there was genuine belief. Right or wrong, Moore’s goal wasn’t to build the most talented baseball roster at all costs. It was to build a family that inspired each other and that, in turn, inspired a city.

Look back at the parade and playoff games at the K. There was a real love affair between the team and its fans. The way the Royals were built helped unify the city as a team that Kansas City could be proud of. And, Dayton Moore was a representative of KC that we could be proud of.

He took over one of the most embarrassingly run franchises in sports and brought credibility, integrity and hope by simply doing things the right way. By treating people the right way.

These kinds of moves are always tough because, yes, it’s a bottom line business. But, we want to see good people succeed. And, at the end of the day, Moore’s recent failures were too much for John Sherman to ignore.

Even beyond Moore’s championship flags that fly forever, if his goal was to cultivate a team that connects a city, motivates kids to play baseball, and grows the love of the game in KC? Then regardless of the bottom line, it’s mission accomplished for the Dayton Moore era.

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