Following their short trip to Seattle, which saw three wins in four games, the Royals had a day off as they returned home for a nine-game homestand. First up, two games against the Texas Rangers. That would be followed by the Royals’ first look at the other expansion team, the Toronto Blue Jays.

One Royals player received some good news: designated hitter/outfielder Hal McRae was named the AL Player of the Week. McRae hit .448/.529/.655 for the week of April 18-24, with nine RBI. He walked four times and didn’t strike out once.

1977 baseball news: Two Minnesota Twins pitchers sustained serious injuries in an auto accident. Mike Pazik and Don Carrithers were headed back to their apartments from the airport as the Twins returned home from Texas. Shortly after 1 a.m., as they took an off-ramp, their van was hit head-on by an Ohio driver who was going the wrong way on the off-ramp due to unfamiliarity with the road. Pazik suffered two broken legs and doctors said he would be out for the rest of the season. In fact, he would never pitch in the majors again. Carrithers suffered a broken kneecap and wrist; although he would return in late July, 1977 proved to be his last season in the big leagues as well. The Ohio driver only suffered some cuts and bruises.

Today’s birthdays: Chuck Harrison (1941), Bob Johnson (1943), Dave Owen (1958), J.P. Howell (1983), Eric Stout (1993)