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Royals beat White Sox; end 28-year playoff drought

Before Friday night's game, executive vice president Kenny Williams insisted the White Sox aren't as far away from contending as most skeptical fans might think.

With any luck, maybe the 2015 Sox will be as good as … the 2014 Royals?

Considering Kansas City hasn't been to the playoffs since 1985, when it won the World Series, the Royals hardly rate as a measuring stick.

But K.C. is heading back to October baseball after beating the White Sox 3-1 at U.S. Cellular Field and clinching a wild-card berth.

With 2 more games to play in the regular season, the Royals are only 1 game behind the first-place Tigers in the AL Central.

After 28 straight seasons sitting at home in October, Kansas City is back in the big game.

"They didn't care," Royals manager Ned Yost said of the postseason drought. "That wasn't important to them. What was important to them was getting to the playoffs. It didn't matter. They didn't go to bed saying, 'It's been 28 years since we've been in the playoffs.' They just said, 'Let's go to the playoffs.'

"They are a group that has won championships together in the minor leagues and they wanted to come up here and win a championship together in the big leagues."

Former Royals star George Brett, now the club's VP of operations, was at the Cell Friday night and he was holding a bottle of champagne in the raucous postgame clubhouse.

While he said the clinching process was "pretty cool," Brett snapped when asked about the lengthy wait.

"I get tired of people criticizing the players on this team because they hadn't won a World Series since 1985," Brett said. "Ninety-five percent of these (bleeping) guys weren't even born in '85. It's not their fault. These guys played their (butts) off all year."

This was supposed to be Paul Konerko's farewell weekend at the Cell, but the Royals stole quite a bit of the spotlight Friday night. As usual, Konerko had no problem sharing.

"It's special for them," said Konerko, who played first base and was 0-for-4 Friday. "They are the first team in a long time that has made the playoffs for them, so they should be proud of it. This has kind of been a few years in the making with that group over there. Just congratulations to them.

"We always want to win ourselves and have it on this side of town. But there is some camaraderie in your own division. So hopefully they go represent the division well."

Road to recovery:

Nate Jones was back with the White Sox Friday, and the injured relief pitcher is looking forward to 2015 after a string of injures this year capped by Tommy John surgery in late July.

Jones, who was positioned to be the Sox' closer this season, hopes to start throwing the week before Thanksgiving and be back in the bullpen next July.

"They (doctors) told me, I think the percent they gave me was an 85 percent chance of coming back just as strong, if not stronger," Jones said. "That gives hope, along with working toward your goal of that year mark. A lot of motivation."

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