Kansas City Royals

Lore & Background

The name 'Royals' pays homage to the American Royal, a livestock show, horse show, rodeo, and championship barbecue competition held annually in Kansas City since 1899, as well as the identical names of two former Negro league baseball teams that played in the first half of the 20th century. The team was founded by Kansas City businessman Ewing Kauffman after U.S. Senator Stuart Symington demanded a new franchise for the city following the Athletics' move to Oakland. The Royals have played at Kauffman Stadium since April 10, 1973. The team quickly became a powerhouse, appearing in the playoffs seven times from 1976 to 1985, winning one World Series championship and another AL pennant, led by stars such as Amos Otis, Hal McRae, John Mayberry, George Brett, Frank White, Willie Wilson, and Bret Saberhagen. The Royals broke a 28-season postseason drought in 2014 by securing a wild card berth and advancing to the World Series, where they lost to the San Francisco Giants. In 2015, they won their second World Series championship, defeating the New York Mets.

In Their Own Story

The lights at Citizens Bank Park hummed with an energy distinct from the usual divisional intensity. It was a rare night when the Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Kansas City Royals, two teams whose paths rarely crossed outside of the schedule maker's spreadsheet. As a Royals batter stepped into the box, the crowd roared not out of deep-seated hatred, but for the novelty of the matchup. The crack of the bat echoed off the right-field wall, a singular moment in a season where these two clubs would likely never meet again until next year.

Reader's Guide

The Royals began play in 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri. In their inaugural game, on April 8, 1969, the Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 4–3 in 12 innings. The team was quickly built through trades engineered by first General Manager Cedric Tallis, who acquired Amos Otis, John Mayberry, Cookie Rojas, Fred Patek, and Hal McRae. The Royals also developed future star pitchers Paul Splittorff, Dennis Leonard, and Steve Busby, and infielders George Brett and Frank White. In 1973, under manager Jack McKeon, the Royals adopted their iconic 'powder blue' road uniforms and moved to Royals Stadium. Manager Whitey Herzog replaced McKeon in 1975, and the Royals won three straight division championships from 1976 to 1978, including the franchise's only 100-win season in 1977. After finishing second in 1979, the Royals rebounded in 1980 under Jim Frey, advanced to the ALCS, swept the Yankees, and reached their first World Series, falling to the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. In July 1983, the 'Pine Tar Incident' occurred when umpires disallowed a George Brett home run due to excessive pine tar on his bat.

Did You Know?

• The Royals' name was selected out of 17,000 submissions in a contest; Sanford Porte submitted the name Royals in recognition of Missouri's livestock industry.
• The team's logo, a crown atop a shield with the letters 'KC', was created by Shannon Manning, an artist at Hallmark Cards.
• The 1973 All-Star Game was hosted at Royals Stadium, with Amos Otis and John Mayberry in the AL starting lineup.
• Game 6 of the 1980 World Series remains the most-watched game in World Series history with a television audience of 54.9 million viewers.