Mike Sweeney

Lore & Background

Sweeney was drafted by the Royals as a catcher out of Ontario High School in Ontario, California in the 10th round (262nd overall) of the 1991 MLB draft. He signed with the Royals in May 1991, a month before his graduation from high school. He made his major league debut on September 14, 1995 at catcher. He got his first major league hit against Paul Assenmacher of the Cleveland Indians during the final game of the season. Sweeney hit his first major league home run, off Seattle Mariners' pitcher Jamie Moyer, on August 12, 1996. In 1998, he tied a club record with two hits in an inning against the Oakland A's on May 31. His big break came in 1999 after the Royals started using him as their regular designated hitter; he posted the highest fielding percentage by a regular first baseman in more than 20 years. In 2000, Sweeney was selected to his first of five All-Star Games. He finished second in the league with a club record 144 RBI, behind only Seattle's Edgar Martínez's 145 RBI. In June 2001, Sweeney hit .392 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI and was named the American League Player of the Month for the only time in his career. Sweeney had his first career ejection on August 10, 2001 after charging pitcher Jeff Weaver. In 2002, he hit .340, the second-highest batting average in the AL and the second-highest in club history. On August 14, 2002, he became the fifth Royal in club history to record a straight steal of home. In 2005, Sweeney was named the Royals' player of the year for the third time, won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, and was named to the All-Star team for the fifth time. On September 1, 2007, Sweeney pinch-hit and broke up Minnesota Twins starter Scott Baker's no-hitter. He won the Hutch Award. On September 29, 2007, Sweeney took out a full page ad in The Kansas City Star. The following day, he took the field against the Cleveland Indians in front of 19,104 fans at Kauffman Stadium, received multiple standing ovations, and after the game rounded the bases with his two children as part of the Sunday Fan Fun Run.

In Their Own Story

The September wind off the Missouri River had a bite to it, the kind that made the chain-link at the outfield fence hum. Sweeney stood in the left-handed box, knees bent, bat wrapped around the shoulder, eyes locked on the pitcher's release point. The Kauffman crowd was a low roar, that specific Kansas City noise that builds in layers. The ball left the hand, and for a half-second the stadium seemed to hold its breath. Then the crack—long, flat, undeniable—and the ball climbed over the left-field seats like it had a grudge. Sweeney dropped the bat, jogged to the line, and let the crowd take it from there. He never looked back at the ball. He didn't need to. He already knew where it was.

Reader's Guide

Sweeney played his first 13 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, primarily as a designated hitter and first baseman. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies. He retired in March 2011 and now works as a special assistant for the Royals. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2015.

Did You Know?

• Sweeney was drafted out of Ontario High School in Ontario, California in the 10th round of the 1991 MLB draft.
• He made his MLB debut on September 14, 1995.
• Sweeney was selected to five All-Star Games (first in 2000).
• He set a club record with 144 RBI in 2000.
• Sweeney's number 29 has been left out of circulation by the Royals, but it is not officially retired.