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1969

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93

1972

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76

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1977

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102

60

1970

4

65

97

1973

2

88

74

1978

1

92

70

Decade

1971

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85

76

1974

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77

85

1979

2

85

77

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1975

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1976

1

90

72

Titles:

Top Royals Players of the Sixties / Seventies

1976 - Won Division (Lost to Yankees in ALCS)

1977 - Won Division (Lost to Yankees in ALCS)

Pitchers:

1978 - Won Division (Lost to Yankees in ALCS)

Paul Splittorff (18.78) - 73

Dennis Leonard (17.04) - 57

Ballpark:

Dick Drago (13.61) - 46

Municipal Stadium (1969-1972)

Steve Busby (16.77) - 37

Royals Stadium (1973-1979)

Al Fitzmorris (15.39) - 33

Doug Bird (7.78) - 24

Team Name:

Larry Gura (7.54) - 18

Royals

Marty Pattin (7.35) - 16

Ted Abernathy (4.17) - 14

Owner:

Jim Rooker (1.75) - 11

Ewing Kauffman

Roger Nelson (8.15) - 11

Bruce Dal Canton (4.57) - 11

General Managers:

Wally Bunker (4.46) - 10

Cedric Tallis (1969-1974)

Jim Colborn (3.47) - 10

Joe Burke (1974-1979)

Mark Littell (4.28) - 8

Bob Johnson (4.49) - 6

Managers:

Steve Mingori (5.36) - 4

Joe Gordon (1969)

Charlie Metro (1970)

Catchers:

Bob Lemon (1970-1972)

Ed Kirkpatrick (9.32) - 36

Jack McKeon (1973-1975)

Darrell Porter (14.39) - 32

Whitey Herzog (1975-1979)

Fran Healy (4.91) - 12

Hall of Famers:

First Basemen:

Bob Lemon

John Mayberry (21.35) - 49

Whitey Herzog

Bob Oliver (1.64) - 11

George Brett

Tony Solaita (3.88) - 5

Rookie of the Year:

Second Basemen:

Lou Piniella (1969)

Frank White (10.82) - 26

Cookie Rojas (7.17) - 20

MVP

None

ShortStop:

Fred Patek (20.51) - 70

No Hitters:

Steve Busby (1973)

Third Base:

Steve Busby (1974)

George Brett (36.17) - 62

Jim Colborn (1977)

Paul Schaal (9.95) - 17

Notable Events:

Outfield:

Amos Otis (40.76) - 116

1968 - The Royals are one of four expansion teams. The original franchise

Hal McRae (17.27) - 44

owner is Ewing Marion Kauffman, 52, a self made millionaire who owned

Al Cowens (12.13) - 28

and founded Marion Labs. Kauffman was a true entrepreneurial spirit and

Lou Piniella (3.19) - 22

innovator who was a brilliant businessman. He was extremely successful

Willie Wilson (7.6) - 22

at everything he did and Kansas City fans were extremely fortunate to have

Tom Poquette (4.33) - 18

him as the Royals owner.

Pat Kelly (3.49) - 16

Jim Wohlford (0.87) - 11

1968 - Kauffman's first order of business was to build a management team

and his innate business sense got him to hire Cedric Tallis, 54, as General

Notable Events:

Manager. Tallis had been with the Angels organization, but not as GM.

Cedric brought in several young, top quality, individuals for his

1970 - Kansas City hires on Bob Lemon as manager, He is the first of

management team:

a string of quality field managers that the Royals employ as their

□ Lou Gorman, 40, from Balitmore - Farm System Director

proclivity for mangerial excellence extends to the field of play.

□ Syd Thrift, 40, - Scouting Director

Jack McKeon is hired on in 1973 and Whitey

□ John Schuerholz, 29, he would later be the architect of the great

Herzog comes in in 1975

Braves dynasty of the 90's

□ Herk Robinson, 28, assistant director of scouting

1970 - The Royals establish The Kansas City Royals Baseball

Acadamy. A very Branch Rickey-ish concept.

1969 - Notable Expansion Draft Selections:

The organization is looking to find the best of athletes who have

□ 1 - RHP Roger Nelson, 25. Baltimore Orioles

been outside of the mainstream baseball infrastructure and try

□ 4 - 3B Joe Foy, 26, Boston Red Sox

to mold them. The Experiment turns out to be a mixed bag.

□ 6 - RHP Jim Rooker, 26, New York Yankees

The Acadamy produces three major leaguers:

□ 19 - OF Bob Oliver, 26, Minnesota Twins

□ All star second baseman Frank White

□ 22 - LHP Bill Butler, 22, Detroit Tigers

□ Shortstop UL Washington; 25, a rookie in '77

□ 25 - RHP Wally Bunker, 24, Baltimore Orioles

□ Shortstop Ron Washington who was traded to the Dodgers

□ 27 - Paul Schaal, 26, California Angels

without appearing for KC. That was the plus side.

□ 31 - RHP Dick Drago, 24, Detroit Tigers

The minus side is that the time, effort and money would

□ 34 - CF Pat Kelly, 24, Minnesota Twins

probably have been spent more productively elsewhere.

□ 40 - RHP Al Fitzmorris, 23, Chicago White Sox

That being said, it was a noble try.

□ 47 - LHP Tom Burgmeier, 25, California Angels

The Experiment is terminated in 1974.

□ 56 - C Fran Healy, 22, Cleveland Indains

1973 - The Royals move into Royals Stadium. It will be renamed

1969 - The Royals are named after the old Kansas City Negro League team.

Kauffman Stadium in 1993 shortly before Ewing Kauffman's death.

They begin play in Municipal Stadium where the old Kansas City A's had

The Stadium is Kauffman-worthy.

played previously. KC becomes, by far, the most successful expansion

team in their first decade of operation. They finish over .500 in their third season.

1974 - Cedric Tallis is replaced as GM by Joe Burke.

And by their eighth season, the Royals were winning Division Titles.

Unclear what this was all about as Tallis had done one of the

The talent the Kansas City management group put together

best team building jobs in baseball history and owner Kauffman

in the early Seventies after the expansion draft:

was a savvy dude. Tallis signed on with the Yankees the

□ 1968 - Lefthander Paul Splittorff, 21, 25th round pick in amateur draft,

following year, at what you think would be a heavy spike in pay,

rookie in '70

maybe everyone knew that was coming.

□ 1968 - Outfielder Al Cowens, 17, 75th round pick in amateur draft,

rookie in '74

1975 - The Royals dynasty begins as they finish second with 91 wins.

□ 1969 - OF Lou Piniella, 25, obtained from Seattle

Their ascension is aided by the premature breakup of the their main

for John Gelnar and Steve Whitaker

rival , the A's, as Charlie Finley did not want to spend $ on his team.

□ 1969 - C Ed Kirkpatrick, 24, obtained from California for Hoyt Wilhelm

The Royals were great in their own right. From 1975 thru 1985

□ 1969 - C Buck Martinez, 20, obtained from Houston for Johnny Jones (who?)

(minus the 1981 strike year), the Royals finished first six times and

□ 1970 - Outfielder Amos Otis, 23, stolen from the Mets for Joe Foy

second four times, topping ninety wins in seven of those seasons.

□ 1971 - Righthander Steve Busby, 21, 2nd round pick in amateur draft,

rookie in '72

1976 - Lefty Larry Gura, 28, is stolen from the Yankees in exchange

□ 1971 - Future HOF Third Baseman George Brett, 18, 2nd round

for journeyman catcher Fran Healy

pick in amateur draft, rookie in '73

1971 - Shortstop Fred Patek, 26, six player trade with Pittsburgh

1978 - The Royals win their third straight Division title only to lose

□ 1972 - Righthander Dennis Leonard, 21, 2nd round pick in amateur draft,

to the Yankees in the ALCS for the third straight year.

rookie in '74

□ 1972 - 1B John Mayberry, 23, three player trade with Houston

1979 - Whitey Herzog is fired as manager despite three 1st place

□ 1973 - Outfielder Hal McRae, 27, four player trade with Cincinnati

and two 2nd place finishes in 5 years.

□ 1973 - Second Baseman Frank White, 22, graduate of Baseball Acadamy

Whitey didn't see eye to eye with the Kauffmans.

□ 1974 - Centerfielder Willie Wilson, 19, first round pick in amateur draft,

The firing didn't turn out to be a big deal for either side as the Royals

rookie in '76

continued to win and Herzog hooked on with the regional rival

Cardinals and made them a force.

1979 - Ace Righty Reliever Dan Quisenberry, 26, is a rookie.

He was an undrafted amateur free agent in '75