Curt Nelson - So You Think Youre a Kansas City Royals Fan?: Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards

Copyright 2017 by Curt Nelson

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Interior photos courtesy of the Kansas City Royals, unless otherwise noted.

Cover design by Tom Lau

Cover photo credit AP Images

ISBN: 978-1-68358-005-8

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68358-006-5

Printed in the United States of America

To my parents Bob and Ellen, my brothers Erik and Mitch, and all my family and friendsthanks for allowing me to be me, and loving me anyway. And to my nephew Nicklaus, that you will always find the same support from all of us who love you.

Contents

IntroPregame

How long have you been with the Royals? The question is one Ive been asked many times over many years, and I always respond the same way. The query is actually a trick question for me, because there are two ways to go about the answer. I can say how long Ive worked for the ballclub, since the start of the 1999 season. But my heartfelt answer is to say Ive been with the Royals from the very start.

Ewing and Muriel Kauffman were awarded ownership of Kansas Citys American League expansion franchise on January 11, 1968. Just a little over a month later in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on February 16, 1968, my parents Bob and Ellen Nelson welcomed me into the world. I like to think the Royals and I both got lucky starts together: the ballclub born in Kansas City with Mr. and Mrs. K at its side; me in Tulsa with my mom and dad at mine.

So, if you want to know how old the Royals are, you can take a look at me. We are the same age, although the ballclub is in much better physical shapeand it never has to carve out time to try to trim down with miles run on a treadmill. We are nearing a half-century together now, and the Royals have been part of my life from the get-go. Like so many others, I can link the different times of my lifeboth my triumphs and disappointmentswith my connection to the Royals (in both their triumphs and disappointments). Im biased and a bit romantic when it comes to baseball and its power to generate special moments that can create collectively shared lifelong memories. But I know the game has that power because Ive had the thrill of experiencing those moments as a fan; and Ive also had the privilege of living them as a member of the Royals organization.

Any time I hear Fred Whites radio call of George Bretts home run against Goose Gossage in Game 3 of the 1980 American League Championship Series, Im transported back to being my 12-year-old self and the thrill of that moment. That very same 12-year-old is still crying about our loss to the Phillies in the 1980 World Series, especially the heartbreaking ending of Game 5 at Royals Stadium. My brothers and I can still vividly remember watching Dane Iorgs pinch hit fall in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series and watching breathlessly as Jim Sundberg slid across home plate with the series-tying run. That series ended the way we wanted it to, and it remains a touchstone for a generation of Royals fans.

Those are just a few of the moments from the early years of Royals history that stay with me in great detail all these years later. I think of them as my Royals moments; perhaps you share them with me. If so, I hope youll enjoy learning more about themor being reminded of themhere. This book is for you, the lifelong Royals fan, because it was written by one of you (namely me).

Having said that, one of my greatest thrills from 2014 and 2015 was watching those two seasons unfold in the eyes of a whole new generation of Royals fans. Now those fans can better understand the older generations reverence for earlier Royals triumphs. Salvador Perezs game-winning hit in the 2014 American League Wild Card Gameyoull always remember where you were when it happened. Eric Hosmers mad dash for home in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series took your breath away and it still will when you are a couple of decades olderI can assure you of that. Those and so many more are now your moments, and Im so glad to share them with you.

This book is not intended as a complete history of the Royals franchise. There are many stories, moments, and people not covered here, or at least not in deep detailthere simply is not enough space to cover it all. However, I did want this book to help provide a baseline of knowledge about the organizations history that all Royals fans should know if they dont alreadyand hopefully provide a little more detail for some stories you may have thought you already knew. You might even be able to win a few bar bets, with the caveats that I do not condone you actually making wagersand no bellying up to the bar unless you are 21 years of age or older anyway.

So You Think Youre a Kansas City Royals Fan? isnt meant to be a challenge to your Royals fandom as much as it is an open invitation to know more about the baseball team you and I have come to love: all of that along with a mixture of oddities, peculiarities, interesting connections, and some outright strange (but true) facts from the history of Royals baseball so far.

When my parents brought me to Royals Stadium throughout my childhood, I would tell them I wanted to work there someday. I learned early, probably as far back as tee-ball, that my course to the big leagues was not going to be on the field. And I was right.

But with their support, the encouragement of many others along the way, and the opportunities provided by my favorite team, here I am living my big-league dream. Im fortunate to have been given the chance to make my fervent avocation an actual career-making vocation. If you are reading this then I know we probably share the former; and I hope this book illustrates my devotion and thankfulness for the latter.

Go Royals!

EARLY INNINGS

ROOKIE LEVEL

Where did the name Royals come from? Answer on .

What year did Royals Stadium open? Answer on .

What is the significance of the numbers 20, 10, and 5 on the Royals Hall of Fame building at Kauffman Stadium? Answer on .

Why are the Royals primary colors blue and white? Answer on .

Who is the Royals mascot? Answer on .

Who founded the Royals? Answer on .

How many times have the Royals played in the World Series? Answer on .

Which Royals have won American League Rookie of the Year honors (through 2016)? Answer on .

Who were the first inductees into the Royals Hall of Fame? Answer on .

Which manager has won the most games in Royals history? Answer on .

Why are fountains a key feature of Kauffman Stadium? Answer on .

In what season did the Royals debut their first powder blue uniforms? Answer on .

Who is the youngest player to ever appear for the Royals? Answer on .

Who scored the first run in Royals history? Answer on .

In what season did Kauffman Stadium change from artificial turf to natural grass? Answer on .