Kansas City Royals
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| Kansas City Royals Established 1969 |
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| Retired Numbers | 5,10,20 | ||
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| Major league titles | |||
| World Series titles (1) | 1985 | ||
| AL Pennants (2) | 1985 • 1980 | ||
| Central Division titles (0) | None | ||
| West Division titles (6) [1] | 1985 • 1984 • 1980 • 1978 1977 • 1976 |
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| Wild card berths (0) | None | ||
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[1] - In 1981, a players' strike in the middle of the season forced the season to be split into two halves. Kansas City won the division in the second half, but lost the division playoff to the Athletics. The Royals finished three games under .500 and had only the fourth best record in the division when considering the entire season, eleven games behind the A's, Texas and Chicago. |
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The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are in the Central Division of the American League.
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[edit] Franchise history
[edit] Birth of the Royals
When the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland after the 1967 season, Kansas City was left without professional baseball for the first and only time since 1883.[1] An enraged Senator Stuart Symington threatened to introduce legislation removing baseball's antitrust exemption unless Kansas City was granted a team in the next round of expansion.[2] MLB complied during the 1967 winter meetings, awarding one of four expansion teams to Kansas City to start play in 1971. Pharmaceutical executive Ewing Kauffman won the bidding for the new Kansas City team, which he named the Royals after the American Royal Livestock Show held in Kansas City every year since 1899.
However, Symington was not satisfied and pressured MLB to allow the new teams to start play in 1969. Symington's intervention may have contributed to the collapse of one of the Royals' expansion brethren, the Seattle Pilots, who moved to Milwaukee as the Brewers after only one season.
[edit] 1969-79: Taking Off
The Royals began operations with General Manager Cedric Tallis, who soon developed a reputation as the best trader in the league. The first big trade was with fellow expansion team Seattle. It brought 1969 Rookie of the Year Lou Piniella. After a 5th place season, the Royals' next trade cemented their reputation as a speedy team. Third baseman Joey Foy was traded to the New York Mets for the speedy outfielder Amos Otis. In 1971, the Royals had their first winning season, with manager Bob Lemon guiding them to a second-place finish. In 1973, the Royals adopted their iconic "powder blue" road uniforms and moved from Kansas City Municipal Stadium to brand-new Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium). The stadium, which featured deep outfield walls and artificial turf, gave future stars such as George Brett and Frank White their first break as many of Kansas City's veteran players had difficulty playing on turf. Manager Whitey Herzog decided to replace those players (including Vada Pinson) with younger, quicker players (such as Frank White). The Royals quickly became successful, winning three straight division championships from 1976 to 1978 under manager Whitey Herzog. They lost to the New York Yankees in three straight American League Championship Series encounters, developing a fierce rivalry with the Yankees along the way.
[edit] 1980-84: From Pennant to Pine Tar — George Brett for MVP
After the Royals finished in second place in 1979, Herzog was fired and replaced by Jim Frey. Most believe that the firing was due to Herzog's strained relationship with the Royals front office including General Manager Joe Burke, owner Ewing Kauffman, and Kauffman's wife, Muriel. Under Frey, the Royals rebounded in 1980, led by Brett, who flirted with a .400 batting average and won the AL MVP. The team advanced to the ALCS, where they again faced the Yankees, who the Royals finally vanquished in a three-game sweep punctuated by a George Brett home run off of Goose Gossage. The momentum did not continue into the World Series, and the Royals lost the 1980 World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
The Royals returned to the post-season in 1981, losing to the Oakland Athletics in a unique divisional series resulting from the split season caused by the 1981 baseball strike. In 1983, the Royals were headed for a second-place finish behind the Chicago White Sox when they were rocked by a drug scandal. Leadoff hitter and center fielder Willie Wilson, power-hitting first baseman Willie Aikens, power-hitting outfielder Jerry Martin, and starting pitcher Vida Blue, who had been released on August 5, were charged with attempting to purchase cocaine. The four were charged in October 1983, pleaded guilty, spent three months in prison (becoming the first active players in sports history to serve a prison sentence) and were suspended by commissioner Bowie Kuhn for the entire 1984 season. The four appealed and were permitted to return on May 15. In response to the scandal, owner Ewing Kauffman founded the Ewing Marion Kauffman foundation to give back to the community, allowed Martin to depart via free agency and traded Aikens, retaining only Wilson's services.
Fortunately, General Manager John Schuerholz had stocked the Royals minor leagues with young talent. The youth movement paid off more quickly than expected. Under the leadership of manager Dick Howser, the Royals, relying on Brett's bat and the young pitching of Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza and Danny Jackson, won their fifth division championship in 1984, although they were swept by the eventual World Champion Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series.
[edit] "The I-70 Series": 1985 World Champions
In the 1985 regular season the Royals topped the Western Division for the sixth time in ten years, led by Bret Saberhagan's Cy Young Award-winning performance. Throughout the ensuing playoffs, the Royals repeatedly put themselves into difficult positions, but improbably managed to escape each time.
After falling behind 3-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series, the Royals rallied from the verge of elimination to advance to their second World Series. (Notably, the ALCS had been expanded to a best-of-seven format for the first time in 1985, which allowed the Royals to survive at all.) In the 1985 World Series against the cross-state St. Louis Cardinals – the so-called "I-70 Series" because the two teams are both located in Missouri and connected by Interstate 70 – the Royals again fell behind 3-1. The key game in the Royals' comeback was Game Six. Facing elimination, the Royals trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning, before rallying to score two runs and win. The rally was helped by a controversial call at first base by umpire Don Denkinger, which allowed Royals outfielder Jorge Orta to reach base safely as the first baserunner of the inning. Following the tension and frustration of Game Six, the Cardinals came undone in Game Seven, and the Royals won 11-0 to clinch the franchise's first (and thus far only) World Series title.
[edit] 1986-1994: Staying in the Picture
The Royals were the trendy pre-season pick to return to the World Series in 1987, but the season proved bittersweet for the Royals. They won 83 out of 162 games (a seven win improvement from 1986), and wound up finishing two games behind the eventual World Champion Minnesota Twins in the Western Division. Further, on June 17, 1987, Dick Howser died after a year long battle with brain cancer. Howser's #10 soon became the first number that the Royals retired.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Royals developed young stars such as Bo Jackson, Tom Gordon, and Kevin Seitzer, made some successful free-agent acquisitions, and generally posted winning records, but always fell short of the post-season. In 1989, for example, the Royals won 92 games and posted the third-best record in either league, but did not qualify for the playoffs. Many of the team's highlights from this era instead centered around the end of Brett's career, such as his third and final batting title in 1990 – which made him the first player to win batting titles in three different decades – and Brett's 3,000th hit. Though the team dropped out of contention from 1990-1992, through the strike-shortened 1994 season, the Royals still could generally be counted on to post winning records.
[edit] 1995-2001: The Decline
At the start of the 1990s, the Royals had been hit with a double-whammy when General Manager John Schuerholz departed in 1990 and team owner Ewing Kauffman died in 1993. Kauffman's death left the franchise without permanent ownership until Wal-Mart executive David Glass purchased the team for $96 million in 2000. Partly because of the resulting lack of leadership, after the 1994 season the Royals decided to reduce payroll by trading pitcher David Cone and outfielder Brian McRae, then continued their salary dump in the 1995 season. In fact, the team payroll was sliced from $40.5 million in 1994 to $18.5 million in 1996.[3] As attendance slid and the average MLB salary continued to rise, the Royals found it difficult to retain their remaining stars, and the club traded players such as Kevin Appier, Johnny Damon and Jermaine Dye for prospects rather than pay higher salaries or lose them to free agency. Making matters worse, most of the younger players that the Royals received in exchange for these All-Stars proved of little value, setting the stage for an extended downward spiral. Indeed, the Royals set a franchise low with a .398 winning percentage (64-97 record) in 1999, and lost 97 games again in 2001.
[edit] The 21st Century
In 2002, the Royals set a new team record for futility, losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history. 2003 saw a temporary end to the losing, when manager Tony Peña, in his first full season with the club, improbably guided the Royals to their first winning record since the 1994 season. He was named the American League Manager of the Year for his efforts.
Picked by many to win their division in 2004 after faring surprisingly well in the free agent market, the Royals got off to a disappointing start and by late June again were in rebuilding mode, releasing veteran reliever Curtis Leskanic before financial incentives kicked in and trading veteran reliever Jason Grimsley and superstar center fielder Carlos Beltrán for prospects, all within a week of each other. The team subsequently fell apart completely, establishing a new low by losing 104 games. Worse yet, the younger players received in these trades did little to immediately restock the team or its farm system.
In 2005, the Royals continued their youth movement, with one of the smallest payrolls in the Major Leagues and with six of their starting position players, three of their five starting pitchers, and their setup man and closer under the age of 30. After posting a miserable 8-25 record to start the season, Tony Peña resigned as manager on May 10, 2005. The Royals hired Buddy Bell to be the new manager on May 31. Later in the season, in a game that many saw as symbolic of the franchise's plight, on August 9, 2005 – after already losing 10 games in a row – the Royals had a 7-2 lead against the Cleveland Indians going into the ninth inning, but committed three errors allowing the Indians to score 11 runs and win 13-7. The Royals finally ended their losing streak at 19 on August 20, 2005, two losses short of the American League record, with a 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics. The Royals ended the 2005 season with a 56-106 record (.346), a full 43 games out of first place. It was the third time in four seasons that the team reestablished the mark for worst record in the history of the franchise.
[edit] 2006
Looking for quick results, General Manager Allard Baird signed several veteran players in the 2005 off-season. He secured starting pitchers Mark Redman, Joe Mays and Scott Elarton. Baird also signed free agent second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and inked veteran Reggie Sanders to a two-year, $10 million deal. These players were obtained in hopes not only of shoring up the pitching rotation and batting order, but also to create a positive environment in which the younger players in the Royals clubhouse could develop their skills. Nevertheless, on May 31, 2006, after weeks of speculation, the Royals fired Baird following a major-league worst 13-37 start, and announced that Atlanta Braves assistant general manager Dayton Moore would be the team's new GM. Muzzy Jackson served as interim GM for the Royals, handling the first-year player draft, before Moore took over on June 8, 2006.
Although the new players seemed promising, they did not result in many additional wins. The Royals struggled through another 100-loss season in 2006, becoming just the eleventh team in major league history to lose 100 games in three straight seasons.[4]
One problem often cited by commentators for the losing of the past few seasons is a lack of financial support from the team's owner, David Glass.[5][6][7] Glass and the Royals also faced controversy off the field, when the team revoked the credentials of two radio journalists present at the press conference introducing Moore. The two personalities—Bob Fescoe of WHB and Rhonda Moss of KCSP—primarily asked pointed questions toward Glass over the firing of Baird. The aftermath included less than positive commentary from other media outlets in the metro and a statement from the Society of Professional Journalists calling for the reinstatement of their credentials. In response, the Royals started a weblog; the first entry defended the organization's decision.
During the 2006 offseason, Kansas City appeared to be opening up its wallet. They outbid the Cubs and Blue Jays for free agent righty Gil Meche, signing him to five-year, $55 million contract. Reliever Octavio Dotel also inked a one-year, $5 milllion contract.
[edit] Quick facts
- Founded: 1969 (American League expansion)
- Uniform colors: Royal Blue, white, and yellow
- Logo design: Entwined "KC" on a blue shield topped with a gold crown
- Team motto: Your Team. Your Town.
- Playoff appearances (7): 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985
- Winningest season: 1977 (102-60)
- Losingest season: 2005 (56-106)
- Local Television: RSTN (KMCI-38, MetroSports)
- Local Radio: WHB, KCXM
- Spring Training Facility: Surprise Stadium, Surprise, AZ
- Team Mascot: Sluggerrr
[edit] Players of note
[edit] Baseball Hall of Fame
Players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame along with their primary position and years of service with the Royals:
- 5 George Brett, 3B, 1973-93
- 30 Orlando Cepeda, DH, 1974
- 3 Harmon Killebrew, DH, 1975
- 36 Gaylord Perry, P, 1983
[edit] Retired numbers
- 5 George Brett, 3B, 1973-93
- 10 Dick Howser, Manager, 1981-86
- 20 Frank White, 2B, 1973-90; Coach, 1997-present
- 42 Jackie Robinson, Retired throughout baseball
[edit] Royals Hall of Fame
Listed by year of induction:
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1986
1987
1989
1992
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1993
1994
1995
1996
1998
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2000
2003
2004
2005
2006
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[edit] Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
- 2 Fred Patek, SS, 1971-79
- 5 George Brett, 3B, 1973-93
- 6 Willie Wilson, OF, 1976-90
- 11 Hal McRae, OF-DH, 1973-87; Manager, 1991-94
- 16 Bo Jackson, OF, 1987-90
- 20 Frank White, 2B, 1973-90
- 22 Dennis Leonard, P, 1974-86
- 29 Dan Quisenberry, P, 1979-88
- 34 Paul Splittorff, P, 1970-84
- 36 Gaylord Perry, P, 1983 (14 games)
[edit] Current roster
[edit] 40-man roster
- As of Decmeber 7, 2006
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Pitchers
Catchers
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Infielders
Outfielders
Designated hitter
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[edit] Coaching staffManager
Coaches
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[edit] Managers
| Name | Years | Won | Lost | Winning % | Games | Post Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Gordon | 1969 | 69 | 93 | .426 | 162 | - |
| Charlie Metro | 1970 | 19 | 33 | .365 | 52 | - |
| Bob Lemon | 1970–72 | 207 | 218 | .487 | 425 | - |
| Jack McKeon | 1973–75 | 215 | 205 | .512 | 420 | - |
| Whitey Herzog | 1975–79 | 410 | 304 | .574 | 714 | 1976, 1977, 1978 |
| Jim Frey | 1980–81 | 127 | 105 | .547 | 232 | 1980 |
| Dick Howser | 1981–86 | 404 | 365 | .525 | 770 | 1981, 1984, 1985 |
| Mike Ferraro* | 1986 | 36 | 38 | .486 | 74 | - |
| Billy Gardner | 1987 | 62 | 64 | .492 | 126 | - |
| John Wathan | 1987–91 | 287 | 270 | .515 | 557 | - |
| Bob Schaefer* | 1991 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 | 1 | - |
| Hal McRae | 1991–94 | 286 | 277 | .508 | 563 | - |
| Bob Boone | 1995–97 | 181 | 206 | .468 | 387 | - |
| Tony Muser | 1997–2002 | 317 | 431 | .424 | 748 | - |
| John Mizerock* | 2002 | 5 | 8 | .385 | 13 | - |
| Tony Peña | 2002–05 | 198 | 285 | .410 | 483 | - |
| Bob Schaefer* | 2005 | 5 | 12 | .294 | 17 | - |
| Buddy Bell | 2005–Present | 105 | 169 | .383 | 274 | - |
- *Interim manager
- ‡Record through the 2006 season
[edit] Minor league affiliations
- AAA: Omaha Royals, Pacific Coast League
- AA: Wichita Wranglers, Texas League
- Advanced A: Wilmington Blue Rocks, Carolina League
- A: Burlington Bees, Midwest League
- Rookie: AZL Royals, Arizona League
- Rookie: Idaho Falls Chukars, Pioneer League
- Rookie: DSL Royals, Dominican Summer League
[edit] Season records
| Season | Won | Lost | % | GB | Finish | Attendance | Average | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American League West Division | ||||||||
| 1969 | 69 | 93 | .426 | 28 | 4th | 902,414 | 11,005 | - |
| 1970 | 65 | 97 | .401 | 33 | 4th (tied) | 693,047 | 8,773 | - |
| 1971 | 85 | 76 | .528 | 16 | 2nd | 910,784 | 11,244 | - |
| 1972 | 76 | 78 | .494 | 16½ | 4th | 707,656 | 9,190 | - |
| 1973 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 6 | 2nd | 1,345,341 | 16,609 | - |
| 1974 | 77 | 85 | .475 | 13 | 5th | 1,173,292 | 14,485 | - |
| 1975 | 91 | 71 | .562 | 7 | 2nd | 1,151,836 | 14,220 | - |
| 1976 | 90 | 72 | .556 | +2½ | 1st | 1,680,265 | 20,744 | Lost 1976 ALCS 2-3 (Yankees) |
| 1977 | 102 | 60 | .630 | +8 | 1st | 1,852,603 | 22,872 | Lost 1977 ALCS 2-3 (Yankees) |
| 1978 | 92 | 70 | .567 | +5 | 1st | 2,255,493 | 27,846 | Lost 1978 ALCS 1-3 (Yankees) |
| 1979 | 85 | 77 | .525 | 3 | 2nd | 2,261,845 | 27,924 | - |
| 1980 | 97 | 65 | .599 | +14 | 1st | 2,288,714 | 28,256 | Won 1980 ALCS 3-0 (Yankees) Lost 1980 World Series 2-4 (Phillies) |
| 1981 | 20 30 50 |
30 23 53 |
.400 .556 .485 |
12 +1 11 |
5th (1st half) 1st (2nd half) 4th (overall) |
1,279,403 | 27,221 | Lost 1981 ALDS 0-3 (Athletics) |
| 1982 | 90 | 72 | .556 | 3 | 2nd | 2,284,464 | 28,203 | - |
| 1983 | 79 | 83 | .488 | 20 | 2nd | 1,963,875 | 23,950 | - |
| 1984 | 84 | 78 | .519 | +3 | 1st | 1,810,018 | 22,346 | Lost 1984 ALCS 0-3 (Tigers) |
| 1985 | 91 | 71 | .562 | +1 | 1st | 2,162,717 | 26,375 | Won 1985 ALCS 4-3 (Blue Jays) Won 1985 World Series 4-3 (Cardinals) |
| 1986 | 76 | 86 | .469 | 16 | 3rd (tied) | 2,320,794 | 28,652 | - |
| 1987 | 83 | 79 | .512 | 2 | 2nd | 2,392,471 | 29,537 | - |
| 1988 | 84 | 77 | .522 | 19½ | 3rd | 2,350,181 | 29,377 | - |
| 1989 | 92 | 70 | .568 | 7 | 2nd | 2,477,700 | 30,589 | - |
| 1990 | 75 | 86 | .466 | 27½ | 6th | 2,244,956 | 27,716 | - |
| 1991 | 82 | 80 | .506 | 13 | 6th | 2,161,537 | 26,686 | - |
| 1992 | 70 | 92 | .432 | 24 | 5th (tied) | 1,867,689 | 23,058 | - |
| 1993 | 84 | 78 | .519 | 10 | 3rd | 1,934,578 | 23,884 | - |
| American League Central Division | ||||||||
| 1994 | 64 | 51 | .557 | 4 | 3rd | 1,400,494 | 23,737 | - |
| 1995 | 70 | 74 | .486 | 30 | 2nd | 1,233,530 | 17,132 | - |
| 1996 | 75 | 86 | .466 | 24 | 5th | 1,435,997 | 17,950 | - |
| 1997 | 67 | 94 | .416 | 19½ | 5th | 1,517,638 | 18,970 | - |
| 1998 | 72 | 89 | .447 | 16½ | 3rd | 1,494,875 | 18,686 | - |
| 1999 | 64 | 97 | .398 | 32½ | 4th | 1,506,068 | 18,826 | - |
| 2000 | 77 | 85 | .475 | 18 | 4th | 1,564,847 | 19,319 | - |
| 2001 | 65 | 97 | .401 | 26 | 5th | 1,536,371 | 18,968 | - |
| 2002 | 62 | 100 | .383 | 32½ | 4th | 1,323,034 | 17,182 | - |
| 2003 | 83 | 79 | .512 | 7 | 3rd | 1,779,895 | 22,819 | - |
| 2004 | 58 | 104 | .358 | 34 | 5th | 1,661,478 | 21,031 | - |
| 2005 | 56 | 106 | .346 | 43 | 5th | 1,371,181 | 17,357 | - |
| 2006 | 62 | 100 | .383 | 34 | 5th | 1,372,684 | 17,158 | - |
| Totals | 2,932 | 3,085 | .487 | |||||
[edit] See also
- I-70 Series - Royals-Cardinals rivalry
- Kansas City Royals award winners and league leaders
- Kansas City Royals records - statistical records and milestone achievements
- Kansas City Royals roster - current and all-time rosters
[edit] References
- ^ http://home.kc.rr.com/starrpower/sports/history.htm
- ^ http://www.wshs.org/wshs/columbia/articles/0200-a2.htm
- ^ http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/15496052.htm
- ^ http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/mlb/kansas_city_royals/15634743.htm
- ^ http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/columnists/14504364.htm
- ^ http://pitch.com/Issues/2006-03-30/news/feature_1.html
- ^ http://www.all-baseball.com/kauffman/archives/022013.html
[edit] External links
| Kansas City Royals Franchise | |||
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| AAA | AA | A | Rookie |
| Omaha Royals | Wichita Wranglers |
Wilmington Blue Rocks Burlington Bees |
Burlington Royals Arizona Royals |
