The Royals reported to spring training this year just a few months after being feted by 800,000 people in downtown Kansas City, their reward for their first World Series triumph in three decades. Instead, manager Ned Yost let slip during one of his countless interviews the fact that their close call two years ago still haunts him. Not even beating the New York Mets in five games last fall has wiped away the harsh memory of losing to the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 the previous year.