The 2014 and 2015 postseason jerseys

(Editor's note: I've been wanting to write this story for some time and just got around to it in August. It was intended to be used as a future Friday Rumblings topic. However, as the Royals got closer to the playoffs, and I haven't done it yet After reading it, I asked around if it would make a good standalone story. The response was positive, so it got this treatment instead.)

Now that the Royals have returned to the postseason, perhaps we could all use a refresher on how this works. If the Royals make the playoffs, and if, God willing, they make a big breakthrough, let's look back at some of the lessons we learned from our experiences with the team in 2014 and 2015. For example, if you purchased tickets on a reputable site and a playoff game listed as “if required” isn't played, you don't lose the money – you get a refund. Make sure you go to bed early on off days in the playoffs, as game nights are long and stressful and the playoffs can last an entire month. This isn't football where you only have three or four games to win a Super Bowl.

After all, today it's mostly about memorabilia, especially commemorative T-shirts. While you can go to your local Rally House, Dick's, Hy-Vee or even the street corner and find dozens of shirts for every occasion, licensed and not, you may want to take a little more time and spend a little more money to get the ones that everyone else will wear to share this common bond.

For teams that win things, there's the whole concept of a “locker room jersey.” It's just another way of describing the one official jersey they hand out on the field or, yes, in the locker room after winning a series or title. Annoyingly, when I try to find a link to a definition on Google, all I get are people trying to sell it. This is even when I search “what is a locker room shirt?” So you'll just have to take my word for it.

Unfortunately, and, um, how should I put this politely: The Royals haven't had many locker room jerseys lately. Perhaps less politely: There are no official jerseys for the Cactus League champions.

That's why we're looking back at 2014 and 2015 and going through the entire set of official “locker room” jerseys for those two playoff runs. My wife sees me writing this article: “You have all these shirts…You're even wearing one NOW!”

NOTE: I did my best to get a picture of all the key players who took part in the run, for the sake of nostalgia. However, image search has its limitations and I simply couldn't find a number of players in a relevant jersey.

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

2014 postseason – This was the very first jersey from the playoff run. It is finished in a beautiful charcoal gray and is labeled “AL Postseason” and “Central Division.” We were kind enough to forgo “Wild Card”. This was the jersey the team wore on the field in Chicago after clinching a playoff spot, the first for the team in 29 years.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Wildcard game 2014 – I am confident that this is a game that none of us will ever forget. After the memorable extra-inning win, the Royals donned the first of two blue jerseys with white and gold lettering. Nothing screams “2014” like a hashtag on a t-shirt. Really, it screams “2012,” but baseball is absolutely behind the times.

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

2014 ALDS – Game 3 featured Mike Trout's only postseason home run (to date), but the Royals won on the road against the Angels and advanced to the ALCS. I know it's a bit hectic, but this has always been my favorite shirt from 2014.

Photo by Jeff Moffett/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

2014 ALCS – I love the phrase “The pennant is ours,” but the shirt looks so plain. It's block lettering with a logo afterwards. The Giants jersey is similarly ugly – only with a black shirt and orange lettering instead of blue and gold for the Royals. I could never find any pictures of Davis or Herrera celebrating, so this is your HDH picture for the playoff run.

World Series 2014 – Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of some of the fake Royals: 2014 World Series Champions jerseys that were sent overseas.

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

A quick aside: I also liked the simple “Always October” shirts that were the “official” theme of the 2014 postseason. The October script block lettering is nice and clean with the simple postseason logo at the bottom. Each team had one in their colors. In 2015, it became “Take October,” and MLB has used that motto ever since.

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

2015 AL Central – For the first time in 30 years, the Royals won the division. They have gray clothes that say “The Central is Ours” and a blue city skyline. Each city had its skyline, like St. Louis had the archway in red, the Mets had Manhattan in orange, etc. If you're curious, the Wild Card t-shirts said “The Postseason is Ours.” I'm a big fan of it.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

2015 ALDS – I really don't like “Kansas City Wants it More” because it seems strangely pretentious to me. However, I love these shirts. The Kauffman silhouette looks great. While the other teams also all look good with a dark blue Skydome, orange Citi Field, and red(?) Wrigley Field, the powder blue just stands out against the black.

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

2015 ALCS – This is a bit of a disappointment after getting a skyline and a stadium in the previous two. However, I like the lettering on “Pennant”, even if the rest of the shirt is rather generic. The league really committed to powder blue on all playoff jerseys in 2015.

2015 World Series – Most World Series jerseys from the last decade are the same. They prominently displayed the team logo and something about the World Series champions/champions on the trophy. To be honest, this is the one I wear the least because there is so much writing on it that rubs against the skin. But I can't disagree with the feeling.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Parade 2015: Yes, there are official parade shirts. These vary greatly from year to year and reflect part of the city's character. The “Thanks, Kansas City” feels very Midwestern and returns more to the city than, say, the Red Sox's swaggering “We own the parade” in 2013. They may not scream “parade,” but they're simple and clean.

And that's the complete set from 2014 and 2015. Hopefully the 2024 Royals give us about half a dozen more jerseys this year.

Last little note from a cheapskate: If you buy this year, you can either pay full price now (e.g. $40 for the October Ready shirt) or take the risk and snag it on sale later. Some of the shirts went on sale after about a month, but others were simply sold out or had limited sizes, and then you have to pay secondary market prices on eBay if you really want them.