Astros: Royals Superstition from 2015 ALDS Game 4

Without a Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, we aren’t hearing much-to-any chatter from Major League Baseball teams. This is in part to teams not being allowed to conduct major-league transactions.

For the Houston Astros, there hasn’t been much news on a player’s front, but a slight shuffle of the coaching staff and front office has kept us busy over the last month. But without much breaking news, we start to revisit the past, particularly a past many of us wish to forget.

In 2015, a second-place American League West club embarked on its first postseason run since 2005. That being the Astros, a team that joined the American League two seasons before in 2013.

After storming past the New York Yankees in a winner-take-all in the Bronx, the Astros welcomed the Kansas City Royals in a five-game set. Although up in the series at home in Houston, the club dropped Game 4 on some costly errors, one coming from a young Carlos Correa.

While the Astros faced their own errors in play, one Royal was trying to make a difference in the bullpen bathroom.

Andy McCullough of The Athletic has been providing any updates he can from baseball front offices with a standstill in bargaining agreements. In that time, he has reported on a few stories within club houses that have been well-liked for their comedic manner.

His latest story involves Game 4 of the 2015 American League Divisional Series, where the Royals came back to win, 9-6. During their late-game pursuit of victory, Kansas City reliever, Danny Duffy, was locked in the bullpen bathroom.

McCullough heard this story from current Texas Rangers’ general manager, Chris Young, who was with the Royals in 2015. Young told Duffy to remain in the bathroom “to protect the team’s karma.” He also denied any malicious intent, according to McCullough.

The 2015 Royals went onto win the World Series, their second ever.