John Wathan

Lore & Background

Wathan, nicknamed 'The Duke' for his dead-on impersonations of John Wayne, was drafted in the first round, fourth overall, in the 1971 MLB draft from the University of San Diego, where he played college baseball for the Toreros in 1968–70. He played ten seasons with the Royals, appearing in 860 games with a .262 batting average, 21 home runs, 261 RBIs, and 105 stolen bases. His best season was 1980, when he batted .305 with 6 home runs and 58 RBI in 126 games. Wathan set the single-season stolen base record for catchers in 1982 with 36 steals, breaking Ray Schalk's 1916 record. After retiring, he coached for the Royals in 1986, managed the Royals from 1987 to 1991 (with winning seasons in 1988 and 1989, both second-place finishes in the AL West), and managed the California Angels in 1992. He also worked as a coach, color analyst, scout, and minor league instructor for several organizations.

In Their Own Story

October 1980. The air in Municipal Stadium is thick with the smell of autumn and the particular electricity of a World Series. Wathan crouches at third, glove low, eyes tracking the runner on second. The batter squirts a grounder into the hole. He's on his feet, scooping, the ball tucked clean under his arm. The throw to first is a laser, and the runner is out by a step. He doesn't celebrate. He just resets, turns back to the pitcher, and waits for the next pitch. The stands are a roar of blue and gold, and for a few seconds, the whole city is holding its breath. He knows, even then, that this might be the last time. He doesn't know that. He just plays the next pitch.

Reader's Guide

John Wathan is best known as a catcher who spent his entire playing career with the Kansas City Royals, winning a World Series in 1985. He later managed the Royals and the California Angels. His son Dusty Wathan played briefly for the Royals in 2002 and is currently the bench coach for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Did You Know?

• John Wathan set the single-season stolen base record for catchers in 1982 with 36 steals.
• He was nicknamed 'The Duke' for his dead-on impersonations of John Wayne.
• Wathan was drafted fourth overall in the first round of the 1971 MLB draft.
• He managed the California Angels in 1992 after Doug Rader was fired.