Kansas basketball coach Bill Self seen supporting KC Royals in MLB playoff series

Kansas City sports are buzzing right now after the Chiefs began the NFL season 5-0 and the Royals punched their ticket to the franchise’s first postseason in nearly a decade. Matt Quatraro’s squad swept the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card Series and went on to face the powerhouse New York Yankees in the Division Series.

Following a split in the Bronx, both teams made their way to KC in an electric environment. Since winning the World Series in 2015, the Royals have failed to make the playoffs each year up until 2024, so it is quite a big talking point in the area. Many familiar faces made their way to Wednesday’s home tilt, including Pro Basketball Hall of Famer and Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self.

Kansas basketball’s Bill Self spotted at KC Royals playoff game

As The Kansas City Star's Sam McDowell pointed out, Self was sitting in the second row behind home plate yesterday evening. The Jayhawks are technically in action since the practice season started late September, but KU's coach decided to spend the night watching America's pastime.

One fan on X pointed out that Self is sitting next to someone who closely resembles Doc Sadler. We can draw out the conclusion that it is likely him. The former Nebraska coach joined the coaching staff as an analyst last year and works closely with Self and Co.

Self has been a longtime Royals fan since becoming Kansas basketball’s head coach in 2003. He makes frequent appearances in games and was surely not going to miss Kauffman Stadium’s first playoff game in nine years.

KC was unable to overcome the pinstripes after an eighth-inning blast by Giancarlo Stanton propelled New York to a 3-2 victory. However, the Royals will host another home game today (Oct. 10) at 7:08 p.m. local time as they look to keep the series alive and force a win-or-go-home scenario.