All-Time Team: Kansas City Royals?

Question

This is my all-KC team. What would you change?
C-Mike MacFarlane (1987-1994, 1996-1998)
1B-John Mayberry (1972-1977)
2B-Frank White (1973-1990)
3B-George Brett (1973-1993)
SS-Freddie Patek (1971-1979)
OF-Amos Otis (1970-1983)
OF-Willie Wilson (1976-1990)
OF-Carlos Beltran (1998-2004)
1P-Paul Splittorff (1970-1984)
2P-Mark Gubicza (1984-1996)
3P-Dennis Leonard (1974-1986)
4P-Kevin Appier (1989-1999, 2003-2004)
5P-Larry Gura (1976-1985)
CL-Jeff Montgomery (1988-1999)

Answer 1

How could you leave Bret Saberhagen off your team?

I think he's the best starting pitcher in team history.
.

Answer 2

Not bad, except the two obvious omission errors, Quisenberry and Saberhagen.

A myth exists about the Royals of the late 70s in terms of the quality of the team... a lot of people claimed at the time that the Royals, had they been in the AL East, would have been no better than a 4th or 5th place team..

At that time, the AL East was "loaded" with good teams, including the Yankees, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee and Baltimore.

When Sparky Lyle published "The Bronx Zoo", he claimed the Royals would never have made the playoffs had they been in the AL East... turns out that, in the year he said that, the Royals won the season series from the Yankees 6-5, Boston, Detroit and Milwaukee 6-4 each, and Baltimore 8-2.

In their 4 Division Championship seasons, the Royals NEVER lost a season series to any of those teams, and posted winning percentages against them of .656 in 1976; .627 in 1977; .627 in 1978 and .617 in 1980.

In '76, they beat Boston 9-3, Detroit 8-4, Milwaukee 8-4 and the Yanks 7-5, and split with Baltimore. IN 1977 they whupped up on Milwaukee 7-2, Detroit 8-3 and Baltimore 7-4 and Split with the Yanks and Red Sox.

In 1980, they split with Milwaukee and Baltimore and beat the others, including an 18-6 record against the Yankees and Detroit.

Those teams were never given the credit they deserved..even in the 85 Series against the Cardinals, they were given no chance... the Royals outscored the Cardinals by 15 runs (28 to 13) in that series, which was the largest scoring advantage in 25 years, and the largest advantage by a non-Yankee team since 1919, when the Sox threw the series. Even if you throw out the largest margin of victory (11 runs), their advantage was still the largest in 10 years.

A much better team than people give them credit for.

Frank White's career was of Hall of Fame quality (for a 2nd baseman), and Brett was the greatest 3rd baseman of all time with the singular exception of Mike Schmidt.

Answer 3

The Royals are a slightly better team than the Pirates right now. So the Pirates would do worse I feel moving to the AL. The NL Central right now is actually weaker than the AL Central. The AL Central has the Cardinals and Astros at the top but the rest of the division is very weak. The Reds are in rebuiding mode and showing some success from those efforts this year. The Brewers and Cubs keep hanging themselves. In the AL Central the Pirates would face a strong Whitesox team, but the Twins, Indians and Tigers are all teams on the move. Lots of good young talent on those teams and any one of them over the next few years could develop into a real powerhouse with a little luck and wise trades/free agents. The Pirates lack pitching, wherever you move them they will lose games because of this. The Pirates consistantly played medicore and washed up vets over promising youngsters for years now. This has really crippled the roster. Perhaps with Tracey this will change. The Pirates at one time were very good at developing young talent. For the Pirates to suceed it has to start in the farm system and continue on to the roster. Poor free agent spending has hurt the team very badly year after year. Youngsters rot in the minors while never talented players soaked up at bats. With the NL West in decline and the Central in flux the Pirates are going to face easier teams to play over the next few years. In the AL the East is very competitive, the Central is becoming so and the West has 4 teams given a few minor changes could be World series champs. Not many weak teams in the AL right now who could not make a few changes and become very strong teams. The Royals are not one of those teams. The Royals squandered what could have been a dynasty letting some very talented players like Damon and Beltran slip away. Just to add injury to the insults piled on the Royals they picked up Mientkiewicz and Sanders. I think Glass truely hates Kansas City and has picked baseball as his way of revenge. Sanders at best might hit 25 solo shots amid his constant striking out and frequent trips to the DL. Not example a defensive stand our and deffinitely a problem in the club house. Hmm great signing Glass. Mientkiewicz is a second baseman playing first base. The Twins were desperate for a first baseman when he came up and Knoblach had second covered. Why Mientkiewizz wasn't switched to second after Knoblach's departure I don't know. He has never hit like a first baseman and no team can afford a defensive specialist at first base. Just to hurt himself more Mientkiewitz has a tendancy to run his mouth to the press often causing ill feelings with teamates or fans. The rest of the team is mostly cast off vets and part time players playing full time roles. The Royals do have a little left over home grown talent that survived the purges and tight fisted economics. This is a pity since KC has been a baseball stronghold for many years. They deserve better than what the Royals have done over the last five years.

Answer 4

As a faithful Royals fan, I like your team a lot but I would change one thing.

Bret Saberhagen instead of Mark Gubicza -you've got to have the 1985 WS MVP on the roster

Also, I've got to find a way to get Dan Quissenberry in there as a reliever

I would put Gaylord Perry in also, but since he was only a Royal for 14 games we'll keep Gura in as the 5th pitcher

Answer 5

First of all....great post by tweety. I never heard that story before but I'm not surprised people believe that nonsense and you countered them perfectly.

There is also a bunch of people with no sense of baseball history in here.

The first thing I noticed was no Hal McRae. He HAS to make the list.


I also agree Porter should be in over MacFarlane but if you put down an entire roster those are the two catchers.

Saberhagen should be on the list with perhaps David Cone and Steve Busby getting consideration as well.


I don't mind Montgomery over Quisenberry because I believe he was better anyway.

And while Beltran is a great player, he just begun his greatness before being traded. But I can't think of anyone to put over him at the moment. Maybe Al Cowens or Bo Jackson.

Answer 6

Not bad...other than the Quiz and Saberhagen, I'd replace McFarlane with Darrell Porter at catcher. Porter was selected to the All-Star team four times while with the Royals.

Answer 7

Nice to see them coming back.Frank White might be a little more HOF than Mazeroski.Equal defense&offense,but more speed.Quisenberry should geta small edge but ashame to leave off Montgomery a little like Riveria over Goosage both where good.

Answer 8

I would put Dan Quisenberry in at Closer. He was part of the generation of relief pitchers along with Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage that made the closer spot the important position it is today.

Answer 9

Obviously, Quisenberry and Saberhagen. Also, for DH - Mike Sweeny and Steve Balboni

Answer 10

I would put Bret Saberhagen in the rotation instead of Splitorff, Leonard, or Gura. I would put Sweeney in at first or DH.