Today is another brief break from playoff memories – though we’ve still got a couple of weeks of October to go through so there are many key games still to come. This month also marks the beginning of baseball’s off-season where moves are made in preparation for the hopes and dreams of the next spring and summer.

On Wednesday, October 12, 1988, General Manager John Schuerholz and Manager John Wathan announced that John Mayberry would be added to the Royals Coaching Staff for the 1989 season. It was a return for ‘Big John’ to the organization after his abrupt departure following the devastating 1977 ALCS loss to the Yankees. The following spring Mayberry was jettisoned to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash and the Royals original power hitter was gone. The parting was a sour end to a memorable Kansas City career which would eventually land Mayberry in the Royals Hall of Fame.

 
Just A Bit More: John is one of fourteen former Royals players to also serve on the club’s major league coaching staff during the careers. How many can you name? (There are three on the Royals current staff)

 

Name	Player Years	Coach Years
Tom Burgmeier	1969-73	1991, 1998-00
Galen Cisco	1969	1971-79
Lynn Jones	1984-86	1991-92
Lee May	1981-82	1984-86, 1992-94
John Mayberry	1972-77	1989-90
Bob McClure	1975-1976	2006-Current
Hal McRae	1973-1987	1987
Dave Owen	1988	2008-Current
Tom Poquette	1973, 1976-79, 1982	1997-98
Jaime Quirk	1975-76, 1978-82, 1985-88	1994-01
Kevin Seitzer	1986-91	2009-Current
Luis Silverio	1978	2003-08
John Wathan	1976-85	1986
Frank White	1973-90	1997-01

 Did you get them all (be honest)?…I hope I did.

 

(Curt Nelson, Director, Royals Hall of Fame)