Vote Early. Vote Late. Vote Often (you can actually do that legally in this election).

A funny thing happened at Royals batting practice – they were joined by comedian Jeff Foxworthy. Foxworthy and his family are in Kansas City visiting their good friends Ned Yost and his wife. They visited the Royals Hall of Fame and toured the ballpark on Monday.

It should be a funny week with Paul Rudd, Jason Sudiekis and Rob Riggle coming home to Kansas City later this week with a host of their celebrity friends. They will host a celebrity whiffle ball game at ‘The Little K’ in Kauffman Stadium’s Outfield Experience before the Cubs and Royals game this Friday.

The three words Kansas City Blues are more than a former professional baseball team this weekend. Dropping four games to the Twins was not our ideal way to start the summer (and if you were outside today you would have noticed that summer has indeed arrived) but the season goes on…

That being said I did want to share one of my favorite notes that ties the current Minnesota Twins directly to Kansas City. Most Twins fans don’t realize they are actually following the Kansas City Blues back to KC  for these Twins-Royals series’ at Kauffman Stadium. The Minnesota Twins are in fact the Kansas City Blues – Here is how:

The Kansas City Blues where an original member of the upstart American League back in the year 1900. The American League began that season as a minor league with the following franchises:

Chicago White Sox

Milwaukee Brewers

Indianapolis Hoosiers

Detroit Tigers

Kansas City Blues

Cleveland Lake Shores

Buffalo Bisons

Minneapolis Millers

At that time the only ‘major league’ in operation was the National League and American League founder Ban Johnson and his group of owners saw an opening to take on the senior circuit as a second major league.  They decided to make that move in 1901, but it didn’t work out so well for Kansas City. The powers that be decided they wanted to place a few more of their franchises on the more populated east coast. Not wanting to be left out in the shuffle Kansas City owner and manager Jimmy Manning moved his team to Washington, DC at the last minute and renamed them the Senators.

And there they remained as an original member of the ‘Major League’ American League for more than half a century. Those Washington Senators relocated to Minnesota following the 1960 season. The Twins have called the twin cities home since 1961, but if you trace their history back to the start they are indeed the Kansas City Blues.

(Curt Nelson, Director – Royals Hall of Fame)

 

Happy Birthday

Tony Pena – 1957 (54)

Manager 2002-05

 

Kurt Stillwell – 1965 (46)

Shortstop 1988-91

 

Did You Know?

Kurt Stillwell was one of the first two amateur players to be represented by reigning baseball uber-agent Scott Boras. Boras himself was a former minor league player that turn to law school and the sports agency business after his on-field career ended. He first represented a couple of his former minor league teammates including relief pitcher Bill Caudill.

Boras delved into representing amateur players entering the MLB Draft in 1983 when his first two clients went #1 and #2 overall. Future Royals pitcher Tim Belcher was the taken #1 overall by the Minnesota Twins and future Royals shortstop Kurt Stillwell was taken #2 by the Cincinnati Reds. Belcher didn’t sign and was later taken #1 overall again in the 1984 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase (now that’s a mouthful) by the New York Yankees.

(Curt Nelson, Director – Royals Hall of Fame)

David Schoenfeld at the always interesting SweetSpot baseball blog on ESPN.com has posted his list of the best MLB draft picks ever at each of the (now) thirty draft slots. Remember the draft started in 1965 when there were twenty (20) big leagues clubs – so some of these spots were once in the second round.

(Trivia Question: Who was the first player selected in the first-ever MLB Draft of 1965 and by what team?)

Of the thirty spots the Royals hold down three – not bad huh? Here they are:

• The Best #9 Pick – Kevin Appier (1987)
• The Best #18 Pick – Willie Wilson (1974)
• The Best # 29 Pick – George Brett (1971)

Just six other clubs had more than one slot on the list and the Royals joined the Phillies as the only two organizations with three. All three of the Royals are of course now members of the Royals Hall of Fame.

(Trivia Answer: Rick Monday, then an outfielder from Arizona State University, was the first player ever drafted when his was taken #1 overall in 1965 by the Kansas City Athletics)

(Curt Nelson, Director – Royals Hall of Fame)

Paul Splittorff is one of the few people that have played a key role in helping define what it means to be a part of the Kansas City Royals from the beginning – literally the very start of the organization. Paul was selected by the Royals in the 25th round of the June 1968 Baseball Draft, the year before the the club played it’s inaugural major league game. He is the gem of the Royals first draft class.

After signing with Kansas City, Paul made his professional debut with the Class-A Corning Royals of the New York-Pennsylvannia League. He led that pitching staff with eight wins – the first ever minor league team of the Kansas City Royals Organization.

• Splitt is the first Royals pitcher to post a twenty win season (1973 20-11)
• Splitt is the first pitcher to win a post season game for Kansas City (1976 ALCS Game 2)
• Splitt is the winning pitcher from the game that won Kansas City’s first AL Pennant (1980 ALCS Game 3)
• Splitt is first on the Royals all-time wins list (166)

Tonight Paul Splittorff is first in the thoughts and prayers of all Royals everywhere.

(Curt Nelson, Director – Royals Hall of Fame)

Harmon is unquestionably an all-time Twin (and Washington Senator where his Hall of Fame career began), but once a Royal always a Royal – he is one of ours as well.

Keep him and his family in your thoughts.

(Curt Nelson, Director – Royals Hall of Fame)

The Royals are headed to the Bronx for our lone visit to Yankee Stadium this season – starting a three game series later tonight (TV-FSKC; Radio-KCSP/Royals Radio Network 6:10pm). Here are some interesting notes from the Royals first-ever trip to the Big Apple in 1969.

Monday, June 9, 1969 

Royals 7

Yankees 2

Roger Nelson threw a complete game giving up only five hits – the lone run coming on a second inning home run by first baseman Joe Pepitone. Cather Ellie Rodriguez led the Kansas City offense with going 2-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.

Tuesday, June 10, 1969

Royals 7

Yankees 6

Royals centerfielder Lou Piniella (a future Yankee himself) was the star of the game. Sweet Lou got the Royals off to a quick start with a first inning bases loaded double of Yankee starter Stan Bahnsen. Piniella later scored on an Ellie Rodriguez single and the Royals were up 4-0 before the Yankees had an at-bat.

Wednesday, June 11, 1969

Royals 4

Yankees 5 (11 innings)

Lou Piniella was at it again with his third four-hit game of the season. However the Royals blew a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. It was pinch-hitter Bobby Cox the doubled in the winning run for New York with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning. Yes – that is the same Bobby Cox who would later manage both the Blue Jays and of course the Braves to many post season appearances.

At the time New York was in the midst of one of their longest stretches without a championship team . They finished last in the ten team American League in 1966; 9th in 1967; and 5th in 1968. They would finish 5th in the six team American League East in 1969 – the first year of divisional play following expansion.

Yankee Stadium drew 24,612 – for the entire three game series (8,355 Monday; 7,588 Tuesday; 8,669 Wednesday)!

(Curt Nelson, Director – Royals Hall of Fame)

With all the excitement of Eric Hosmer’s debut this weekend at ‘The K’, I thought it would be interesting to look back at some other Royals debuts – of both the names we all know and a few that time has forgot. Let’s start at the top with #5 George Brett.

We can start here but as many of you know George was not #5 when he debuted for the Royals instead he wore #25 on Thursday August 2, 1973 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. He had been called up due to a nagging ankle injury to third baseman Paul Schaal who had not played since July 22. That being said the call-up was a bit of a surprise and seemed to come as a spur of the moment decision – especially for George. He is what he said at the time:

“I was sitting in the aprtment with (Mark) Littell, my roommate when (Omaha Manager) Harry Malmberg came in. He walked around for a while and said he wanted to see if our apartment was anything like his. I thought he was just coming over to tease us or something, maybe Mark because he had won last night.”

“He didn’t say anything for awhile, just walked around and then he said, ‘Congratulations you’re going to the major leagues.’ He didn’t say it to anyone , and I thought he meant Mark was going back up. I was thinking, ‘Oh, no, I’m going to lose another roommate’ – because the last time it cost me about $100 in deposits moving to another place.”

“When he said it was me, I must have left in five minutes. I took a shower. I took about three shirts with me. I left the airport at three and got here a few minutes ago (about 6:15). Harry said, ‘Take your time, you won’t be starting.’ I couldn’t believe I was when I got here.”

Of course Royals Manager Jack McKeon did have George in the line-up for that first game and Brett would collect his first hit in his second at bat – a fourth inning single of White Sox hurler Stan Bahnsen. The Royals won the game 3-1 which vaulted them into first place at 62-48 and one game in front of the Oakland A’s.

George only played in three more game before being returned to Omaha. He was recalled again in September of 1973 and played in nine more games finishing with five hits in forty at-bats for a batting average of .125. He didn’t make the big league club out of spring training in 1974 either.

His final recall come on May 3, 1974 a couple of days after the Royals traded third baseman Paul Schaal to the Califonia Angels. One interesting note most probably don’t remember (though George might) – Over his late 1973 call-up and his first two games in 1974 George was 0-18 here at Royals Stadium. His first hits at home came on May 5, 1973 against the Yankees (of course) when he went 3-4 in an 8-2 Kansas City win. 

And the rest is beautiful Royals history… 

(Curt Nelson, Director – Royals Hall of Fame)