In baseball, the clubhouse is a volatile space. When filled with the right influences, it can foster team chemistry and individual focus.

But the presence of bad influences can quickly turn a locker room septic. A lot of times, that toxic element is a person: Selfish players, combative players, players who don't care about winning.

But if you're the 2014 Kansas City Royals, your locker room's greatest threat is an iPad game.

It sounds too perfect for a group of young, fun-loving guys that play a brand of baseball perfected in video games, but it's true: Earlier this season, the Royals' playoff dreams were almost dashed because too many players couldn't quit playing Clash of Clans.

Clash of Clans is an animated war game that in which players can team up and play with one another in a community-like setting. Apparently, the game was a daily routine for Lorenzo Cain, Danny Valencia and Jarrod Dyson. Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas also played intermittently, according to The Kansas City Star.

The game became so engrained in the Royals clubhouse that terms and phrases entered the team's lexicon, with players discussing the strengths of their respective clans and going back and forth over possible trades of various in-game assets.

Coaches were allegedly frustrated with the team, urging players to focus on baseball as the Royals' division lead slipped away in July. It wasn't until newly acquired veteran Raul Ibañez suggested a players-only meeting.

In that meeting, Ibañez told players the clubhouse was the most talented he'd ever been around, but that each individual needed to take on more personal accountability.

Coming out of that meeting, players began tapering off their gaming time and focused instead on watching video of pitchers to prep for games. Although they didn't capture the division, the Royals finished hot and went 8-0 from the wild-card round into the World Series.

The moral of the story: Don't play 'Clash of Clans.'

Royals Party Like It's 1985

 

TV Classics

Network hits on the air include "Who's The Boss?" "The Love Boat," "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Cosby Show.

 

Michael Jordan Is 1985 NBA Rookie Of The Year

But he breaks his foot three games into the 1985-86 season.

 

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV BECOMES LEADER OF SOVIET UNION

Gorbachev was appointed General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, then the highest office in the Soviet Union. Gorbachev replaced Konstantin Chernenko and held the office until August 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved.

 

MATTINGLY WINS MVP AWARD

Today he's the manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Back then, though, Don Mattingly was a dominant hitter for the New York Yankees, winning the 1985 AL MVP award.

 

RONALD REAGAN BEINGS SECOND TERM

In January 1985, Ronald Reagan was sworn in to begin his second term as President of the United States.

 

ABDUL-JABBAR LEADS LAKERS TO TITLE

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics for the first time ever in the NBA Finals. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took home the NBA Finals MVP award.

 

Madonna Tops The Charts

"Like A Virgin" opened the year as the No. 1 song, and she is among the performers that summer at Live Aid.

 

DEREK JETER WAS 11 YEARS OLD

This year's most celebrated baseball player was just a young dreamer in 1985.

 

DOS Version 3.2 Is Released

The Mac is less than 2 years old.

 

ROSE BECOMES ALL-TIME HITS LEADER

In September 1985, Pete Rose surpassed Ty Cobb to become Major League Baseball's all-time hits leaders.

 

CHERRY COKE MAKES DEBUT

Coke unveiled its popular Cherry Coke soft drink, which became a popular beverage that is still sold today.

 

OZZIE GUILLEN WINS AL ROY

Ozzie Guillen was still wet behind the ears in 1985, when he won the AL Rookie of the Year award with the Chicago White Sox. Guillen would have a long history with the White Sox, managing the club to a World Series championship in 2005.

 

HOWARD COSELL RETIRES

The long-time sports broadcaster retired from ABC after a 20-year run that set the standard for his successors.

 

Jerry Rice Is A Rookie

In the 1985 NFL draft, Rice is the third receiver selected, behind Al Toon (Jets) and Eddie Brown (Bengals). On Oct. 6, 1985, Rice catches his first touchdown pass, a 25-yarder from Joe Montana in Atlanta.

 

'Back To Future' Is Box Office King

The time-travel caper starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson is 1985's top grossing movie with nearly $211 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

 

Mario Lemieux Is 1985 NHL Rookie Of The Year

Lemieux leads the Penguins to the Stanley Cup title in 1991 and 1992 as a player and 2009 as the owner.

 

IOWA ENJOYS RUN AS NO. 1 TEAM

The Hawkeyes spend several weeks atop the national college football rankings. But a championship season was not meant to be: Iowa suffers a loss on the road at Ohio State, 22-13, and finishes the season 10-2.

 

Challenger Gears Up For Flight

This space shuttle's last successful mission takes off on Oct. 30, 1985.

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