I admit up front, this is an unusual entry in this series. Today’s subject did not have a long and storied career in Kansas City, nor did he have a heroic postseason moment for the Royals. But this is a prime example of the old adage that a bad plan is better than no plan, … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Jeff Conine, 1998
The Year Of The Card
The Year Of The Card–Roger Nelson, 1969
As has been mentioned in this space plenty of times, the expansion-era Royals, led by general manager Cedric Tallis, had a knack for acquiring overlooked players, letting them put up good performances, and then correctly deciding which ones to keep and which to trade for long-term pieces. A fine example of this is Roger Nelson, … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Roger Nelson, 1969
The Year Of The Card–Jose Lind, 1993
Middle infielders who don’t hit well--it’s a Royals tradition. To be fair, pretty much all of Major League Baseball agreed with that view in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Royals, as an institution, learned they could win even with guys who hit .240 without power, as long as those guys scooped up every grounder … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Jose Lind, 1993
The Year Of The Card–Wally Joyner, 1993
Through the years, it seems like the Royals have had more than their share of first basemen who can hit for a good average but aren’t the typical power hitter you expect to see at that position. Sure, John Mayberry and Steve Balboni were power threats with less than sterling averages, but random players like … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Wally Joyner, 1993
The Year Of The Card–Joe Foy, 1969
For a man who played just one season in Royal blue, Joe Foy has an important place in team history. He also has a sad personal story, although there are some redeeming elements. Since he spent just the one year in Kansas City, and that was five decades ago, I wonder how many Royals fans … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Joe Foy, 1969
The Year Of The Card–Danny Jackson, 1985
As the 2020 season nears, Royals fans are understandably excited about the stockpile of pitching prospects the team has accumulated. We’re all anxious to see them make it to the majors and (let’s hope) lead Kansas City back to the postseason. Of course, the concept of a group of young pitchers making an immediate impact … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Danny Jackson, 1985
The Year Of The Card–Bret Saberhagen, 1989
Which season would you pick as the most dominant pitching performance in Royals history? Some might point to Zack Greinke’s 2009 season. Others might suggest picking one of Kevin Appier’s excellent back-to-back seasons in 1992 and 1993. Old-timers might point to Steve Busby in 1974 or Dennis Leonard in 1974. And some would throw out … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Bret Saberhagen, 1989
The Year Of The Card: Al Fitzmorris, 1975
The poets (and I guess I consider myself one) will tell you that the beauty of baseball is that it is timeless and unchanging and all that jazz. And in a way, it’s true. I would wager that, were you transported back to 1919 and sent to a baseball, football, and basketball game, you would … Continue reading The Year Of The Card: Al Fitzmorris, 1975
The Year Of The Card–Dan Quisenberry, 1984
Note: This post was first published at Pine Tar Press on April 30, 2014. Funny thing about the Royals, although they’ve had some great closers, until Greg Holland came along, they never had one that fit that closer stereotype of a flamethrower who piled up the strikeouts and basically threw one pitch. Joakim Soria threw … Continue reading The Year Of The Card–Dan Quisenberry, 1984
The Year of the Card–Darrell Porter, 1979
No accounting of Darrell Porter’s life and career can be complete without addressing his drug and alcohol addictions, and how he seemingly conquered that demon only to have it come back and ultimately take his life. So I will just say up front I find it hard to condemn any player’s drug or alcohol abuse. … Continue reading The Year of the Card–Darrell Porter, 1979
