Sooner or later, I might be able to put into words the emotions I felt when the starters took the field, when Greg Holland recorded the final out and everything in between. Until that time comes, I’ll just say this: It’s been well worth the wait.

Like so many others, I’ll admit I had checked out by the seventh inning of last week’s wild-card game against Oakland. Even my whole lifetime as a Royals fan couldn’t prepare me for what I was watching. The now famous 29-year drought would end in a one-game playoff loss. My nightmare had come true.

But, you know the ending to that story. In an absolute microcosm of the entire season, the Royals erased two separate deficits and kept the dream season alive.

When I bought tickets to Sunday’s game, the thought of clinching the series never even entered my head. The Angels’ bats were too powerful and the first two games were on the road. But, following a pair of extra-inning home runs and a defensive showcase in the outfield, I entered the stadium on Sunday with a sense of not-so-cautious optimism.

As I made my way to my seats in the upper deck, I saw a man wearing a Ryan Bukvich jersey. As you might remember (let’s be honest, you probably don’t), Bukvich was a reliever in Kansas City from 2002 to 2004 — a time when the Royals were in the midst of four 100-plus loss seasons in five years. Seeing that name sparked a less-than-enjoyable trip down memory lane: Hal McRae threw a telephone. The “miraculous” 2003 season occurred. Carlos Beltran was traded to Houston. Matt Stairs’ relay throw hit Ken Harvey square in the back. Mark Redman was named to an All-Star Game roster. Juan Gonzalez was associated with the franchise. You get the idea.

Nine innings later, it all went away. Alex Gordon hit the most clutch double of his career. Lorenzo Cain put on another clinic in center field. Billy Butler stole a base (I repeat, Billy Butler stole a base!). James Shields battled all night, showing exactly why Dayton Moore brought him to Kansas City in the first place. Most important of all, the Royals won and advanced.

When the All-Star Game returned to the K in 2012, Kansas City showed, despite nearly three decades of futility, it was still in love with baseball. It seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream at the time, but less than two years later, payday has finally arrived for thousands of fans — many of whom couldn’t remember relevant fall baseball before last week. The small-ball team that has suddenly swept the nation will play on into mid-October.

At this point, I’ve given up trying to analyze this incredible run. Maybe it will come to an end in Baltimore (the final stop of Bukvich’s career, by the way). Maybe the Royals stay hot through their extended break and win a pennant. Maybe, just maybe, they have eight more wins left in the tank. Regardless of when this ride makes its last stop, I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have. It’s been well worth the wait.

— Justin Nutter is the sports editor at the (Tonganoxie) Mirror and the Basehor Sentinel. He can be reached at 913-845-2222 or jnutter@theworldco.info.