KANSAS CITY ROYALS

The 'Kansas City Royals' are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are one of five teams in the Central Division of the American League.

Franchise history

Main articles: History of the Kansas City Royals

1969-1979: Taking off

The Royals began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. In their inaugural game, on April 8, 1969, the Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-3 in 12 innings.
The team was quickly built through a number of good trades engineered by its first General Manager, Cedric Tallis, including a trade for Lou Piniella, who won the Rookie of the Year during the Royals' inaugural season. The Royals also invested in a strong farm system and soon developed such future stars as pitchers Paul Splittorff and Steve Busby, infielders George Brett and Frank White, and outfielder Al Cowens.
In 1971, the Royals had their first winning season, with manager Bob Lemon guiding them to a second-place finish. In 1973, under Jack McKeon, the Royals adopted their iconic "powder blue" road uniforms and moved from Municipal Stadium to the brand-new Royals Stadium (now known as Kauffman Stadium).
Manager Whitey Herzog replaced McKeon in 1975, and the Royals quickly became the dominant franchise in the American League Western Division, winning three straight division championships from 1976 to 1978. However, the Royals lost to the New York Yankees in three straight American League Championship Series encounters.

1980-1984: From pennant to pine tar

After the Royals finished in second place in 1979, Herzog was fired and replaced by Jim Frey. Under Frey, the Royals rebounded in 1980 and advanced to the ALCS, where they again faced the Yankees.
In the 1980 ALCS, the Royals finally vanquished the Yankees in a three-game sweep punctuated by a George Brett home run off Yankees' star closer Goose Gossage. However, after reaching their first World Series, the Royals fell 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 Major League Baseball strike. In 1983, while the Royals were headed for a second-place finish behind the Chicago White Sox another chapter in the team's rivalry with the Yankees occurred in July. In the Pine Tar Incident, umpires discovered a substantial amount of pine tar on third baseman George Brett's bat after he had hit a home run. The umpires immediately disallowed the home run and ejected Brett, who stormed out of the dugout to argue his defense. The incident has now become part of baseball lore.
Under the leadership of manager Dick Howser, the Royals won their fifth division championship in 1984, relying on Brett's bat and the young pitching of Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, Charlie Leibrandt, Bud Black and Danny Jackson, although they were swept by the eventual World Series champion Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series.

1985: Missouri's finest and the "I-70 Series"

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. With the Royals down 3-games-to-one in the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Royals eventually rallied to win the series 4-3.

George Brett and Bret Saberhagen embrace as the Kansas City Royals win their only World Championship (1985).

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 the state of 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 an 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 Orta's single, the Cardinals dropped an easy popout and suffered a passed ball, before the Royals went on to win with a bloop base hit by seldom used pinch hitter Dane Iorg. Following the tension of Game Six, the Cardinals came undone in Game Seven, and the Royals won 11-0 to clinch the franchise's first World Series title.

1986-1994: Staying in the picture

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. For example, in 1989, the Royals won 92 games and posted the third-best record in baseball, 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 his 3,000th hit. Though the team dropped out of contention from 1990 to 1992, through the strike-shortened 1994 season, the Royals still could generally be counted on to post winning records.

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.^[1]
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.
In the middle of this era, in 1997, the Royals declined the opportunity to switch to the National League as part of a realignment plan to introduce the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays as expansion teams.

2002-2006: Rock bottom

In 2002, the Royals set a new team record for futility, losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history.
The 2003 season 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. The Royals did, however, see promising seasons from two rookies, center fielder David DeJesus and starting pitcher Zack Greinke.
In 2005, the Royals continued a youth movement, with one of the smallest payrolls in the Major Leagues. 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. During that season, the Royals suffered a franchise record 19-game losing streak highlighted by a three-game stretch of blowout losses at home from August 6 through August 9; in that stretch the Royals lost 16-1 to the Oakland Athletics in the first game, were shut out 11-0 by Oakland in the second game, and then in the third game, against the Cleveland Indians, built a 7-2 lead in the ninth inning before allowing 11 runs to lose 13-7.
Looking for a quick turnaround, General Manager Allard Baird signed several veteran players prior to the 2006 season, including Doug Mientkiewicz, Mark Grudzielanek, Joe Mays and Scott Elarton. Nevertheless, 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.^[2]

2007–''present'': "True. Blue. Tradition."

Main articles: 2007 Kansas City Royals season

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 million contract. The Royals have signed various new players, adding bulk to their bullpen and hitting, and the team has added several new promising prospects, including the likes of Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. Under general manager Dayton Moore the Royals were arguably the most aggressive team in the offseason. Among one of Dayton Moore's first acts as General Manager was instating a new motto for the team: "True. Blue. Tradition." The Royals plan on a slogan that will bank on new general manager Dayton Moore’s ability to restore the Royals’ once-rich history. ^[3] The Royals also ditched their black and sleeveless jerseys, instead reviving their "old" jerseys from years past, although the powder blue jerseys have yet to return since being retired following the 1991 season. Kansas City entered the 2007 season looking to rebound from four out of five seasons ending with at least 100 losses.
In the 2007 MLB Draft, the Royals selected shortstop Mike Moustakas at #2 overall, signing him minutes before the deadline. In June, the Royals had their first winning month since July 2003, and in July had their second consecutive winning month of the season. On August 1, manager Buddy Bell announced his intentions to resign following the 2007 season.^[4] Early candidates to succeed Bell include bench coach Billy Doran, former Royals stars George Brett and Frank White, Triple-A Omaha manager Mike Jirschele, former Major League managers such as Joe Girardi and Dusty Baker, and Atlanta Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton^[5] are all people who have been the center of speculation for possible candidates.

Players of note

Baseball Hall of Fame

Two individuals have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame based primarily upon their service with the Royals:

★ 5 George Brett, 3B, 1973-93

★ Denny Matthews, Radio announcer, 1969-Present (Ford C. Frick Award recipient, 2007)
Three other Hall of Famers briefly wore Royal blue, all at the end of their careers:

★ 30 Orlando Cepeda, DH, 1974

★ 3 Harmon Killebrew, DH, 1975

★ 36 Gaylord Perry, P, 1983

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

Royals Hall of Fame

Listed by year of induction:

'1986' ★ 40 Steve Busby, SP ★ 26 Amos Otis, CF '1987' ★ 10 Dick Howser, Manager ★ 1 Cookie Rojas, 2B ★ 34 Paul Splittorff, SP '1989' ★ 22 Dennis Leonard, SP ★ 11 Hal McRae, DH '1992' ★ Joe Burke, GM and President ★ 32 Larry Gura, SP ★ 2 Freddie Patek, SS	'1993' ★ Ewing Kauffman, owner and tributary of name of Kauffman Stadium '1994' ★ 5 George Brett, 3B '1995' ★ 20 Frank White, 2B '1996' ★ Muriel Kauffman, executive and wife of Ewing ★ 7 John Mayberry, 1B '1998' ★ 29 Dan Quisenberry, RP	'2000' ★ 24 Whitey Herzog, Manager ★ 6 Willie Wilson, CF '2003' ★ 21 Jeff Montgomery, RP '2004' ★ Denny Matthews, radio announcer '2005' ★ 18 Bret Saberhagen, SP '2006' ★ 23 Mark Gubicza, SP

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)

Current roster

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 2006 season

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:' Burlington Royals, Appalachian League

★ 'Rookie:' Idaho Falls Chukars, Pioneer League

★ 'Rookie:' DSL Royals, Dominican Summer League

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

Radio and television

As of 2007, the Royals will carry games on both WHB 810AM and KCXM 97.3FM, depending on the game schedule. All day games and most early-evening starts will air on WHB, with later-starting games, especially those on the West Coast, carried on KCXM (because WHB has a very weak signal at night, due to conflicts with clear channel outlets KGO, San Francisco and WGY, Schenectady). The Royals' official flagship radio station is currently WHB, but starting in 2008 radio rights will once again head back over to Entercom and air on both KMBZ and KCSP depending on scheduling conflicts. [2]
Television broadcasts are seen on RSTN, the Royals Sports Television Network. RSTN is an in-house service launched by the Royals in 2003. In 2007, some games will also be seen on Metro Sports, a local cable channel, and local independent station KMCI. Games will not be seen in 2007 on an alternate feed of Fox Sports Net, however FSN Midwest will become the television home of the Royals again, beginning in 2008. [3]
The radio announcers are Denny Matthews and Ryan Lefebvre; the TV team is Paul Splittorff and Bob Davis. On February 22, 2007, Matthews was selected as the 2007 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for major contributions to baseball broadcasting.
[4]

References

1. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/15496052.htm
2. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/mlb/kansas_city_royals/15634743.htm
3. Flanagan, Jeffrey. Royals reach to past with newest slogan ''Kansas City Star'', 28 February 2007.
4. Bell stepping down as Royals skipper
5. Dutton, Bob. [1] ''Kansas City Star'', 1 Aug 2007

External links

★ Kansas City Royals official web site

★ Royals on Radio

★ Around the Horn in KC - Official MLBlog of the Kansas City Royals front office.

★ CBS SportsLine.com

★ Sports E-Cyclopedia

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