Kansas City Royals - The Reagan Years (1980-1989)  
   
 

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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               1980  
        1980 1 97 65   1983 2 79 83   1987 2 83 77               Decade  
        1981 1 50 43   1984 1 84 78   1988 3 84 77               Click  
        1982 2 90 72   1985 1 91 71   1989 2 92 70               on Logo  
                  1986 3 76 86                            
                                                       
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Royals Players of the Eighties  
  1980 - Won AL title (Beat Yankees in ALCS, Lost to Phillies in World Series)  
  1984 - Won Division (Lost to Tigers in ALCS) Pitchers:  
  1985 - World Champs (Beat Blue Jays in ALCS, Beat Cards in World Series) Dan Quisenberry (24.7) -   70  
    Bret Saberhagen (32.12) -   63  
  Ballpark: Mark Gubicza (26.31) -   53  
  Royals Stadium Charlie Leibrandt (23.01) -   50  
    Lary Gura (11.19) -   49  
  Team Name: Dennis Leonard (8.97) -   35  
  Royals Bud Black (12.86) -   26  
  Danny Jackson (10.45) -   21  
  Owner:  Paul Splittorff (3.94) -   21  
  Ewing Kauffman Steve Farr (6.78) -   11  
       
  General Managers: Catchers:  
  Joe Burke (1980-1981) John Wathan (3.95) -   23  
  John Schuerholz (1982-1989) Bob Boone (2.43) -   11  
       
  Managers: First Basemen:  
  Jim Frey (1980-1981) Willie Mays Aikens (7.08) -   24  
  Dick Howser (1982-1986) Steve Balboni (1.04) -   16  
  Mike Ferraro (1986)    
  Billy Gardner (1987) Second Basemen:  
  John Wathan (1987-1989) Frank White (24.08) -   46  
       
  Hall of Famers: ShortStop:  
  John Schuerholz U.L. Washington (8.14) -   26  
  George Brett Kurt Stillwell (5) -   11  
       
  Rookie of the Year:  Third Base:  
  Lou Piniella (1969) George Brett (47.67) -   86  
    Kevin Seitzer (13.16) -   20  
  MVP    
  George Brett (1980) Outfield:  
    Willie Wilson (32.88) -   112  
  No Hitters: Bo Jackson (3.53) -   24  
  None Hal McRae (10.35) -   24  
    Amos Otis (4.01) -   22  
  Cy Young: Danny Tartabull (7.43) -   15  
  Brett Saberhagen (1985) Lonnnie Smith (3.36) -   15  
  Brett Saberhagen (1989)    
       
  Notable Events: Notable Events:  
       
   1980 - Kansas City enters the Eighties on a roll having had won 1983 - The Pine Tar Game. George Brett hits a game winning home run  
   Division titles  in '76-'78 and finishing second in '79. against the Yankees only to have it disallowed because of an illegal  
   The group was young enough to carry the Royals forward in the Eighties. amount of pine tar on his bat. The umpries correctly uphold the Yankees'  
   At the plate, the core of George Brett, Willie Wilson, Hal McRae   protest that there is more than 18 inches of pine tar on the bat.  
   and Frank White would still be around for KC's title run in '85  Brett childishly goes ballistic at the ruling and has to be restrained from   
   And Brett, Wilson and White would still be key members of the club  the umpires by  several  players.  The Royals protest the ruling and the   
   at the end of the decade, 1989, when KC finished second. Commissioner's Office upholds the Royals protest of the protest in an   
   On the mound , the big three of Gura, Splittorff and Leonard would incredibly moronic and short sighted decision.  
    carry the Royals for three more seasons before getting old simultaniously.  The commissioner' s ruling undermined the umpires, who were absolutely   
   However, after a down 1983, new GM John Schuerholz would have   correct in their decision. This was just another example of the lack of   
  brought in a new set of young aces to last KC thru the end of the  support that the Commissioner's Office in the Bowie Kuhn era had for  
  decade including a World Title in '85  the umpires and it led to a militant movement within the umpire's    
    association causing  all sorts of problems with and for umpires down  
  1980 - George Brett emerges as a superstar, flirting with .400 all    the road for years to come culminating in a number of veteran umpire   
   season before finishing up at .390 firings in the nineties due to their belligerent on field attitudes fomented  
      by the lack of support by the Commissioner. It can't be overstated how   
   1980 - The Royals finally beat the Yankees in the ALCS, sweeping  bad this decision was for the game's umpire relations  
  them, before losing to the Phillies in the World Series.    
    1984 - Submariner Dan Quisenberry saves a record 44 games.  
   1981 - In a strike torn season, the Royals win the second half title,    
   but lose to Billy Martin's A's in the playoff for the Western title. 1985 - The Royals finally win a World Series in their sixth post season  
     try beating their Missouri rival, the Cardinals, and Whitey Herzog,   
  1981 - Righthander Mark Gubicza, 21, is selected in the 2nd round Royals ex-manager.  
   of the draft.  
    1986 - Manager Dick Howser falls ill to a brain tumor and dies the   
  1982 - John Schuerholz takes over as GM as Joe Burke is kicked  following season.  
  upstairs to President to make room for him.   
  Schuerholz would become one of the best General Managers of all time, 1986 - Third Baseman Kevin Seitzer, 24, is a rookie. He was an eleventh   
   keeping the Royals afloat for the rest of the decade before  round pick in the 1983 draft.  
   moving on to the Braves and helping build their dynasty in the Nineties.   
  Schuerholz knew pitching, as he restocked the Royals rotation with  1986 - Outfielder Bo Jackson, 23, is selected in the fourth round of the   
  aces before presiding over one of the greatest staffs in baseball free agent draft. Bo was a superstar running back with the Oakland Raiders,  
    history in Atlanta.  but going by the great athlete theory, the Royals wanted to give him a shot  
   at baseball - the baseball Acadamy thing obviously hadn't completely left  
   1982 - Twenty year old lefty, Danny Jackson, is selected in the first  their minds. Anyway, it was a huge success as Bo was a bonafide superstar   
   round of the draft. He is a rookie in '83  with the Royals. Jackson would suffer a career (both football and baseball)   
    ending degenerative hip injury in 1991 playing football.   
  1982 - Lefthander Bud Black, 25, is acquired from Seattle for  A great loss for everybody involved in both sports.   
  Manny Castillo  
  1987 - Slugging outfielder Danny Tartabull, 24, is stolen from Seattle   
   1982 - Righthander Bret Saberhagen, 18, is selected in the 19th round  in a five player deal.  
   of the draft. He is a rookie in '84    
  1987 - Catcher Mike MacFarlane, 23, is a rookie.  
  1982 - Willie Wilson is batting champ and Hal McRae is RBI champ  He was a fourth round pick in the 1985 draft  
       
   1983 - Lefthander Charlie Liebrandt, 26, is stolen from the Reds in  1988 - Righthander Tom Gordon, 20, is rookie.   
  exchange for Bob Tufts. He comes up to the Royals in '84  He was a 6th round pick in the '86 draft  
       
  1988 - Reliever Jeff Montgomery, 26, is obtained from the Reds in a   
    trade for journeyman Van Snider  
       
  1989 - Righthander Kevin Appier, 21, is a rookie.   
    He was the ninth overall selection in the 1987 draft