That Astros Prediction? SI Did It Before... Kind of

Did you know SI made another prescient prediction in 2011?

By now you’ve heard about the 2014 Sports Illustrated cover that presaged the Astros’ 2017 World Series victory. But did know SI already correctly predicted a future World Series win?

In the March 21, 2011 issue of SI, Joe Posnanski wrote an unusual season preview for the Kansas City Royals, written in the past tense from a future where the Royals are no longer a laughing stock. With KC coming off seven straight losing seasons, it seemed farfetched. But Posnanski saw success on the horizon. 

Some of his predictions—like Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas turning into stars—panned out beautifully. Others—like Mike Montgomery becoming a household name—didn’t. But it’s a line in the last paragraph that is especially relevant now. 

When Moore arrived in Kansas City, one of the first things he announced was that he would love to have a World Series parade go through the Country Club Plaza, a shopping district in the middle of town. In 2015, when the Royals won their first Series in 30 years, the parade indeed happened. It featured car after car, rolling along the road, close enough to touch for more than 200,000 people who had long thought the day would never happen. The flying car wasn't invented until later.

Tell us, Joe, when are we getting those flying cars?