KANSAS CITY -- Kelvin Herrera. Wade Davis. Greg Holland.
The Royals' famed HDH bullpen was one of the most feared trios in the game for years.
Holland was the first to go, lost to Tommy John surgery and then free agency. Then Davis was traded to the Cubs.
And now with the last of that trio, Kelvin Herrera, moving on after being traded to the Nationals on Monday, Royals players inside the clubhouse reflected on the memory of just how great HDH was.
"We were pretty lucky to see that every day," Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas said. "The fans were lucky to see that. Just having them going out there every day and picking our offense up.
"We knew once we got in the fifth or sixth or seventh inning, if we could find a way to get up by one run, we were going to win that game. I mean, having three closers pitching in the seventh, eighth and ninth was obviously unbelievable. And something I will remember [forever]."
Manager Ned Yost said the HDH trio didn't make his life easier. "It just made me a helluva lot smarter," Yost said.
Where does the HDH trio rank all time?
"It's really right up there," Yost said. "I remember the old 'Nasty Boys' group in Cincinnati, they were really, really good. But there's not a lot of three-combo guys, guys that were all three closers and all three were lockout guys. [Norm] Charlton, Randy Myers and [Rob] Dibble, and then the HDH is about the only [other one] I can come up with."
Yost admitted he knew the time would come soon when they had to trade Herrera, a pending free agent, though that didn't make it any easier.
Outfielder Alex Gordon, in fact, said Yost was in tears when he told the team of the trade prior to the Royals' 6-3 loss to the Rangers.
"We were all getting ready for the game, and Ned walked in crying into the training room," Gordon said. "That should just explain how much [Herrera] kind of meant to us. Ned told us the news, and we rushed in here as soon as we could, and said our good-byes. Luckily, at least we got to say our good-byes, and tell him how much he meant to all of us, and just what a great teammate he was, and player and person for this city."
Catcher Salvador Perez, too, seemed shaken by the news.
"Kind of hard, bro," Perez said. "I've known him since the first time I got here in Kansas City, 2006, 12 years ago. Expected for him to get traded. And a good thing for him. He's gonna be a free agent next year, and maybe we'll have him back. He has the opportunity to again be in the playoffs, a great teammate. It's kind of good for him, for his career. We're sad, I'm sad, and I love him like my brother."