PBS Working on Kansas City Athletics Documentary

Preview it here. It looks really promising. Apparently, there were other teams in the "Golden Age of Baseball" other than the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox!

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#31 Lou Piniella

1969-1973
.286/.327/.404
700 G 45 HR 348 RBI

Today's baseball fans know Lou Piniella as a fiery manager and the star of Aquafina and DirecTV commercials. Although his base-throwing tirades have turned Lou into a bit of a caricature of himself, he has assembled an impressive managerial resume that includes playoff appearances with three different ballclubs, over 1700 wins, and a World Championship in 1990 with the Cincinnati Reds.

Many of those fans missed Lou Piniella, the ballplayer. And as a ballplayer, Lou was a competitor who maximized his talents. He put together an eighteen year career with over 1700 hits, all after four teams gave up on him and labeled him a career minor leaguer. He was a lefty-masher who hit for average with good gap power. He had notoriously bad plate discipline, but still hardly struck out. He displayed a lot of effort in the outfield, despite being one of the slowest outfielders in the league. He was a fan favorite in both Kansas City and in New York. And just as he is known for his temper as a manager, he was known for his temper as a ballplayer.

I suppose some may find it hypocritical that a manager who was known for smashing water coolers as a player would, as a manager, reprimand a player who is known for smashing water coolers. They may be right, but as a parent now, I totally understand the "do as I say, not as I do" attitude. I mean, just because I spent my college years in a drunken stupor without any ambition or thought to the future, doesn't mean my son should make the same mistake.

Louis Victor Piniella grew up in West Tampa, Florida, the grandson of Spanish immigrants. In Pony League, he played alongside Tony LaRussa. Each would go on to win more than 1500 games as a manager. After one season at the University of Tampa where he was named All-American, Lou signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1962. Just a few months later he was drafted by the Washington Senators.* He hit .310 as a 19 year old kid in A ball, but the following year the Senators dealt him to the Baltimore Orioles where he made his Major League debut, getting into four games in 1964 at the age of 20.

*-In 1962, in an effort to curb bonuses to amateurs, MLB allowed teams to draft first year players from other organizations for just $8,000 unless that player was on the MLB roster. Just one of many stupid ideas by owners.

Lou developed his reputation as a firebrand at an early age. After committing an error for a low level minor league team in Aberdeen, South Dakota, a fan rode him hard jeering that Lou would soon find his way back in the bush leagues. To which Lou responded, "Where in the fuck do you think I am?"

In 1966, the Indians re-acquired Piniella, but they would let him languish in AAA for three years, despite two .300 seasons. In 1969, the American League introduced two new franchises to the league - the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots. Piniella was left unprotected for the expansion draft and one club snapped him up - the Pilots. Piniella had a great spring training, but was unliked by manager Joe Schultz and was soon made available in trade discussions.

Lou Piniella has the red ass. He doesn't think he's been playing enough...He says he knows they don't want him and he's going to quit baseball rather than go back to Triple-A. He says that once you get labeled Triple-A, that's it.
-Jim Bouton, "Ball Four"

Royals Director of Player Development Lou Gorman was familiar with Piniella from his days with the Orioles and advocated that General Manager Cedric Tallis acquire the outfielder. At the end of camp the Pilots shipped him to Kansas City for outfielder Steve Whitaker and pitcher John Gelnar. It would be one of many costly mistakes the Pilots would make that year.

Piniella not only made the Royals opening day roster, but he was the first batter in franchise history, doubling in his first at-bat with the club. The left-fielder would go 4-5 in the Royals inaugural game with a walk, run and RBI, and would win the hearts of Royals fans with his hard-nosed play.

Sweet Lou's bat turned red hot in July as he went on a thirteen game hitting streak where he hit .491 (26-53) with three home runs and 15 runs batted in. Piniella ended the year hitting a team high .282 with 11 home runs and 68 runs batted in. He led the team in doubles and triples and was second in runs batted in. For his efforts, he was named American League Rookie of the Year.

Lou avoided the sophomore jinx and got off to a sensational start in 1970. He reached safely on a hit in 23 of his first 26 games with eleven multi-hit games. A foot injury would cause him to miss some games in May, but by the end of the month he was among the top five in hitting with a .343 average. He finished the year with a .301 average - the first .300 hitter in team history - tops on the team and eighth in the league. Amazingly, Piniella never went more than two consecutive games without a hit. He slammed eleven home runs and was second on the club with 88 runs batted in.

Piniella would start slowly in 1971, missing nearly the entire month of May with a broken thumb. A career high eighteen-game hitting streak in July would lift his average from .244 to .270 where it would hover much of the remainder of the season. It would still be a down season for Lou however. He would hit .279, but with just three home runs and 51 runs batted in. A notorious "bad ball" hitter, Lou would draw just 21 walks.

He's so anxious to hit the ball, he swings at everything. Good pitches, bad pitches, inside, outside, high or low. He doesn't let anything go by. Every time he's on base, he has earned his way with the bat. He never walks.
-Royals coach George Strickland

Lou worked with Royals hitting coach Charley Lau that winter in Venezuela and tore up the winter league with a .330 clip. He went into that spring with renewed confidence.

This is the year I will find out just how well I can play baseball. I feel I'm at the point where I either remain an average player or turn the corner and become a really good one. I have to go out and prove I can become a good one.

Lou easily had his best season in a Royals uniform in 1972. He hit .312, second in the league only to Rod Carew. He finished with eleven home runs and 72 runs batted in. He led the league with thirty-three doubles on the fast new surface of Royals Stadium and was named to his only All-Star team. He also grounded into a league-leading twenty-five double plays.

Instead of turning a corner, however, Lou suffered a major decline in 1973. A dreadful May would sink his season as his average slumped to just .250. He would hit nine home runs and drive in 69 runs, but would post just a .291 on-base percentage. That winter, the thirty year old outfielder was traded to the New York Yankees for thirty-seven year old reliever Lindy McDaniel.

"Getting traded to the Yankees was the best thing that happened to me. I wasn't happy initially because I played five years in Kansas City. I lived in town and had a lot of friends in the area. It was basically a young team that was growing up together, so a lot of my teammates were still from the original expansion team, and Kansas City was a nice place to live. At the same time, coming to New York was the best thing that could've ever happened to me. If you can play in New York, you can play anywhere."

McDaniel had been a solid reliever for many years, but he was at the end of his career, and Royals fans never forgave him for being dealt for one of their favorite players. Royals General Manager Cedric Tallis made many brilliant trades in the early days of the franchise. This trade was not one of them. Lou would hit .305 in his first season in New York, winning the hearts of Yankee fans. A few years later, he would face his old teammates in Kansas City as the Yankees and Royals faced off in four American League Championship Series in five years.

Lou would spend the next eleven seasons in the Bronx before retiring in 1984 with a career .291 average. He would be named Yankees manager in 1986, replacing Billy Martin. In 1988, he was removed and named General Manager as owner George Steinbrenner hired - Billy Martin. When Martin was fired mid-season, Piniella stepped back in the dugout as manager. Ah, those were the Yankees.

Lou was a television analyst in 1989, and when Steinbrenner refused to let the Blue Jays hire Piniella, Lou decided he had enough of the Bronx. The following year he took over the Cincinnati Reds and led them to a World Championship. After three seasons in Cincinnati, Piniella took over the Mariners, leading the moribund franchise to four post-seasons, including a record-tying 116 win season in 2001. He would leave in 2003 to manage the Devil Rays, and after three losing seasons would take over the Chicago Cubs in 2007.

Royals Corner: Then and Now with Jim York

There is a really great interview over at Royals Corner with former Royals pitcher Jim York. York was the first player the Royals signed to reach the big leagues. He spent two years with the Royals before being dealt with pitcher Lance Clemons for first baseman John Mayberry.

Interesting stuff in the interview, including thoughts on managers Bob Lemon and Jack McKeon, mid-season interleague exhibition games, and problems with blisters (where have we heard that before?)

Then & Now: Jim York

Kansas City Athletics Who Were Royals

TusconRoyal over at Royals Review has a nice little write-up on players who enjoyed our fair city so much they spent time as a Kansas City Athletic and a Kansas City Royal. Four players made the double dip - Aurelio Monteagudo, Dave Wickersham, Ken Sanders and Moe Drabowsky.

Royals Review: I'm Going to Kansas City, Kansas City, Here I Come.....Again

Strikeout Streaks

Texas Rangers slugger Chris Davis extended his streak of games in which he has struck out to twenty last night. The MLB record as far as I can tell is 34, by pitcher Vida Blue in 1971. Among non-pitchers the record-holder is Mike Cameron who struck out in 26 consecutive games in 2001. Who have been the whiffmasters in Royals history?

Longest Strikeout Streak in Royals History (non-pitchers)

1. Mark Teahen - 22 (June 16 - July 14, 2007)
2. Calvin Pickering - 21 (August 23 - September 19, 2004)
3. Bo Jackson - 16 (July 1 - 18, 1987)
4. Bo Jackson - 15 (June 7 - 22, 1987)*
4. Bo Jackson - 15 (August 22 - September 6, 1989)
4. Bo Jackson - 15 (April 11 - May 3, 1990)
7. Steve Balboni - 13 (August 23 - September 5, 1986)
7. Bo Jackson - 13 (June 25 - July 13, 1989)
9. Steve Balboni - 12 (May 29 - June 24, 1984)
9. Steve Balboni - 12 (September 24 - October 5, 1985)
9. Bo Jackson - 12 (September 27, 1986 - April 10, 1987)
9. Kevin Young - 12 (July 11 - August 4, 1996)

My thoughts:

• Bo Jackson struck out a lot.
• In his June 7-22, 1987 strikeout streak, Bo posted a .986 OPS during his streak, easily the best hitting performance during any of these streaks. The worst performance on this list is also Bo, during his July 1-18, 1987 streak, which he posted a .538 OPS. He struck out 31 times during that streak, tops of anyone on this list.
• Pitchers Bruce Dal Canton and Bob Johnson both had seventeen game strikeout streaks, tops among Royals pitchers.
• The longest streak this year by a Royals player is Miguel Olivo at six (April 7-15).
• Wow, Kevin Young! Remember him?
  

Now, the opposite list.
Longest Streak of Games Without a Strikeout

1. Gail Hopkins - 33 (August 17, 1971 - July 8, 1972)
2. George Brett - 27 (July 2 - 30, 1976)
3. George Brett - 24 (July 29 - August 25, 1979)
4. Cookie Rojas - 22 (April 26 - May 24, 1973)
4. John Wathan - 22 (September 2, 1977 - May 5 ,1978)
4. Tom Poquette - 22 (June 9 - July 14, 1978)
7. Keith Lockhart - 21 (June 28 - July 22, 1996)
8. Vada Pinson - 20 (August 6 - September 21, 1975)
8. Pete LaCock - 20 (May 19 - July 2, 1977)
8. Pete LaCock - 20 (July 30 - August 24, 1979)

• George Brett did not strike out much at all
• Guys did not strike out a lot in the 70s
  
• I'll take the strikeout guys over the non-strikeout guys.
• Wow, Keith Lockhart! Remember him?
  
  

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#32 UL Washington

1977-1984
757 Games
.254/.316/.347
26 HR 228 RBI

UL Washington was a long-time starting shortstop for the Royals best known for constantly playing with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. Announcers would warn children viewing at home not to replicate UL's toothpick fetish, lest they choke to death in a toothpick accident.

"I've got a lot of people scared for me, so there's no need for me to be scared, too. I get a lot of mail saying it's a bad influence on kids. But it's okay, if they're coached right."

UL had terrific speed. He was a raw basestealer who got better and better at swiping bases, culminating in a forty-steal season in 1983. He was also very difficult to retire on a double play. In 3124 plate appearances, he grounded into just 33 double plays in his career. In comparison, Jim Rice twice topped that mark in a single season.

Bill James lists UL as the 123rd best shortstop in baseball history, right behind former Royals shortstop Kurt Stilwell. James laments that the Royals attempts to make him a switch-hitter kept UL from being a much better offensive player. UL actually posted a lower on-base percentage as a right hander, but slugged ninety points higher as a right hander, with 23 of his 27 career home runs coming from that side. .259/.309/.398. Bill asserts that right-handed, UL was "as good as Cal Ripken". I'd say that's overstating things a bit - right-handed UL was probably more like Orlando Cabrera. But I do agree that the Royals probably erred in trying to make him a switch-hitter.

UL was born in Stringtown, Oklahoma with the full name of "U L". The unique name was not an abbreviation or nickname, and I'm not sure many other people could have pulled off such a name, but UL Washington somehow made it very cool. UL was a football player in Stringtown, who had played very little baseball. His brother was an usher at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City who one day approached Royals Director of Player Development Lou Gorman and asked if the Royals would be willing to let his brother participate in their brand new "Baseball Academy". The Academy took raw athletes who were not experienced at baseball and taught them to play the game. The Academy was the revolutionary brainchild of owner Ewing Kauffman and would later produce All-Star second baseman Frank White.

Gorman agreed to have Washington come in for a try out. UL impressed the scouts with his speed and arm strength. He then took the field at shortstop to take a number of ground balls. He missed every single one. He stepped into the batter's box. He would miss pitches by a wide margin. He took various tests the Royals had compiled and failed miserably at all of them except a vision test. Many, including owner Ewing Kauffman, felt Washington was a lost cause and should be out of the program. Gorman stuck with Washington, and after UL spent a year in the academy, Gorman assigned him to Rookie ball in 1973. Washington hit .283 and made the All-Star team. By his third season, he was in AAA Omaha. In 1977, the Royals called him up for a cup of coffee.

In the spring of 1978, UL made the ballclub as a utility player. He would appear in 69 games, with 142 plate appearances, and hit .264/.314/.295 with twelve stolen bases for the division-winning Royals. In 1979, long-time shortstop Fred Patek began to decline and it became clear he would file for free agency at the end of the season. In late August, the Royals benched Patek in favor of Washington. He would reward the Royals faith on September 21 in Oakland, with four hits and two home runs, including one from each side of the plate. UL would finish the season hitting .254/.299/.358.

With Patek departing for California, UL was entrenched as the starting shortstop, teaming up with fellow Baseball Academy alum Frank White as the double-play combo. As a full-time starter, UL excelled, hitting .273/.336/.375 with twenty stolen bases. In comparison, the average American League shortstop hit .260/.309/.353 that season. UL also finished third in the league with eleven triples. The Royals again won the division and UL hit .364 against the Yankees in a sweep of the American League Championship Series. UL hit .273 in the World Series, but the Royals fell just short to the Phillies.

UL got off to a great start in 1981, but a 7-66 slump brought his average under the Mendoza Line. When the players went on strike in June, he was hitting just .210. UL rallied with a strong September when play resumed, but finished with a .227 average and was successful in just ten of twenty stolen base attempts. With Washington slumping and young Onix Concepcion playing well in the minors, UL was the subject of trade talks that winter. The Mets discussed acquiring the shortstop for outfielder Lee Mazzilli. Howeverthe Royals did not want to disrupt their double play combo and a deal was never made.

UL got off to a terrible start in 1982 and by May he was on the disabled list with a bad back and a .183 average. Onix Concepcion played well with UL out of action, and trade talks again began to swirl. Orioles veteran pitcher Jim Palmer was disgruntled and wanted out of Baltimore, and published reports had the Royals offering Washington in exchange for the former All-Star. The Royals vigorously denied such reports and when UL returned from the disabled list he was still in a Royals uniform.

"Most teams would rather have an offensive shortstop than a defensive one. So I'll just keep making the plays in the field and try to chip in where I can at the plate.''

Now healthy, UL went on a tear, hitting .329 over June and July. He slammed three home runs in a series against Baltimore in August, and hit .294 with four home runs in September to close out a career best season. UL finished with a .286 average, 10 home runs and 60 RBI, all career highs. He slugged .412 and stole twenty-three bases. According to TucsonRoyal, it was the third best season by a Royals shortstop in terms of "Wins Above Replacement Level" (WAR).

*-In the future I would like to revise this list using WAR, as it rewards players for excellence rather than sustained mediocrity. Win Shares is based largely on playing time, while WAR reflects how much better a player performed in comparison to a baseline of "replacement level." I have little doubt I would rather have one season of Chili Davis than seven seasons of Brent Mayne.

Highest OPS+ for a Royals Shortstop (min. 350 PAs)
1. Mike Aviles 2008 - 122
2. Jay Bell 1997 - 115
3. UL Washington 1982 - 106
4. Angel Berroa 2003 - 101
4. Kurt Stillwell 1988 - 101

UL slumped badly in 1983 with a .236 average, although he did steal a career high 40 bases. In 1984, he found himself on the disabled list three times, missing almost a hundred games. When healthy, he hit just .224. Onix Concepcion was playing more and more so that winter, the Royals dealt Washington the Montreal Expos for two journeymen minor leaguers.

UL hung around a few more seasons with the Expos and then the Pittsburgh Pirates before retiring in 1987. He played two seasons in the Senior Professional Baseball League before getting into coaching. He briefly served in the Royals organization and now serves in the Boston Red Sox organization.

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#33 Bud Black

56-57 3.73 ERA
977 2/3 IP 508 K 16 CG

Harry "Bud" Black was a very solid left-handed starting pitcher for two Royals playoff teams including the 1985 Championship ballclub. He is now the manager of the San Diego Padres following a stint as pitching coach with the Anaheim Angels where he was credited with much of their success during their championship season of 2002.

Not many former pitchers become managers. I am not certain as to why this so. In the last decade, it has become much harder to find good pitching. Having a manager that can relate to pitchers and tutor them would seem to be a valuable asset. More importantly, most of a manager's most crucial decisions seem to revolve around handling the pitching staff. Who should start? What roles should each reliever play? How long should the starter remain in the game? Which pitching matchup is most favorable? It would seem a former pitcher might have a better sense for these things.

I think of all the current Royals, Brian Bannister has the best chance of being a good MLB manager. He seems to be a cerebral fellow, open to statistical analysis, yet still able to relate to baseball common-sense. I am not privy to his leadership skills, if he has any, but he seems to be a likeable guy. Perhaps John Buck could be a managerial candidate someday, as many catchers are, or perhaps Tony Pena Jr. follows his father's footsteps (Junior certainly hits like a Hall of Fame manager). But my money is on Bannister.

Royals Players Who Became MLB Managers
Bob Boone 1989-1990 - Royals (1995-1997), Reds (2001-2003)
Bucky Dent 1984 - Yankees (1989-1990)
Clint Hurdle 1977-1981 - Rockies (2002-present)
Buck Martinez 1969-1977 - Blue Jays (2001-2002)
Hal McRae 1973-1987 - Royals (1991-1994), Devil Rays (2001-2002)
Bob Melvin 1992 - Mariners (2003-2004), Diamondbacks (2005-present)
Lou Piniella 1969-1973 - Yankees (1986-1988), Reds (1990-1992), Mariners (1993-2002), Devil Rays (2003-2005), Cubs (2007-present)
Luis Pujols 1984 - Tigers (2002)
Cookie Rojas 1970-1977 - Angels (1988), Marlins (1996)
John Wathan 1976-1985- Royals (1987-1991), Angels (1992)

Bud Black was born in southern California, but went to high school in Washington state. He was the son of Canadian immigrants, and his father had played in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. After pitching at Lower Columbia Junior College in Washington, Black transferred back to sunny California for San Diego State University where he played with a local kid named Tony Gwynn. In the 17th round of the 1979 Amateur Draft, his hometown Seattle Mariners selected him.

Black pitched mostly as a reliever in the Mariners system, reaching the big leagues in 1981 for a cup of coffee. That October, the Mariners picked up 3B Manny Castillo from the Royals for a player to be named later. That player was named the next March. It was Bud Black.*

*-I haven't done an exhaustive search, but I'd say this is probably the best "player to be named later" in Royals history. Manny Castillo was a light hitting infielder the Royals acquired from St. Louis in the Rule 5 Draft. The fact Seattle let a good pitcher like Black go was a pretty good illustration of how the Mariners were run in those days, as well as how great the Royals were at identifying talent.

Bud made the Royals squad out of spring training in 1982, but struggled out of the pen, earning him a demotion to Omaha in May. In the minors he became a starter, and after four successful starts, he was back in the big leagues. He dazzled the Twins in his return, giving up just one run in seven innings in a victory, then threw five shutout innings against the Athletics for another victory his next time out. Black would pitch well until missing most of the month of September. He would finish his rookie campaign with a 4-6 record and a 4.58 ERA.

"I was traded to a veteran pitching staff. Basically, I was the only left-hander in the organization under 30 years old. A left-hander who can throw strikes is a valuable commodity."

The Royals made Black a full-time starter in 1983, although he would make his first five starts for Omaha. Bud would earn a promotion by Memorial Day, and would allow just seven earned runs in his first five starts, winning three games. He finished the season with a promising 10-7 record and a 3.79 ERA.

"My philosophy was just go in and get the batter out. Don't get cute; just get the ball over and get rid of the guy."

1984 was a transitional year for the Royals. In 1983, the rotation was made up of over-30 starters like Paul Splittorff, Larry Gura, Steve Renko and Vida Blue.* In 1984, Bud Black would anchor a rotation of young, promising pitchers like Mark Gubicza, Danny Jackson and Bret Saberhagen.

*-As well as fourteen starts from a 44 year old Gaylord Perry!

Bud got the opening day assignment against the Yankees and allowed just two hits over seven innings in a 4-2 win. He would win his first three starts and fired a complete game six-hit shutout on May 23 against Chicago. He was lit up for seven runs in one inning in a 15-3 loss to Cleveland in July, but bounced back to go 7-3 and a 2.57 ERA over August and September as the Royals caught the Twins and surged into first place. The Royals would clinch the Western Division Title, but would be flattened by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series. Bud would start and lose Game One. Despite the postseason setback, Bud had enjoyed a career season. He finished sixth in the league in wins (17), ERA (3.52) and innings pitched (257).

Percentage of Starts that were Quality Starts, Royals History (min. 100 starts)
1. Bret Saberhagen 1984-1991 - 64.2%
2. Kevin Appier 1989-1999, 2003-2004 - 61.1%
3. Dick Drago 1969-1973 - 60.0%
4. Charlie Leibrandt 1984-1989 - 59.9%
5. Bud Black 1982-1988 - 57.8%
*-64.7% of Gil Meche's starts have been "Quality Starts", but he has just 68 starts as a Royal

Black once again got the opening day assignment in 1985, allowing just four hits in a 2-1 win over Toronto. The entire Royals rotation was under the age of 30, with only Black and former Reds reliever Charlie Leibrandt the only starters over the age of 23. The twenty-eight year old Black was considered the "ace" of the Royals young rotation.

''I still don't consider myself an ace like a (Steve) Carlton, (Jack) Morris or (Mario) Soto.'When you call a guy an 'ace,' I think of someone who has been in the league a number of years and is a proven winner year-in and year-out -- a guy who gets the ball 35 times a year and gets his innings."

Black found a groove in May, winning three straight starts and giving up just three runs in twenty-six innings in the process. But he hit a wall after Memorial Day, dropping seven straight decisions.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say Black is horse-bleep. But he's sure had a horse- bleep year. A couple times I saw him, he had trouble with just about every pitch he throws. And I'm talking September . . . not back in the spring."
-Anonymous scout

The Royals found themselves again in a pennant race. Despite being mired in a lousy season, Black would come up huge for the Royals by tossing a three-hit shutout against the rival Angels in the last week of the season to tie up the divisional race. The Royals would surge ahead of California the next night and would never look back en route to their second consecutive Western Division title.

Despite finishing the regular season with a disappointing 10-15 and a 4.33 ERA, Black was tapped to start Game Two of the American League Championship Series against Toronto. The Jays had struggled against left-handers all season, and Black had twice beaten the Jays with a 2.28 ERA in three starts. Black would pitch well, allowing just three runs over seven innings, but the Royals would fall in extra innings.

Black would face just a few hitters in relief in Game Three (on just two days rest!), but was huge in Game Six, providing over three innings of shutout relief as the Royals won 5-3 to even the Series. The Royals would take Game Seven and advanced to take on the cross-town Cardinals. Black would face just three hitters in relief of Game One, but started Game Four, giving up three runs in five innings for the loss.

Black had apparently impressed Toronto that October so much that his name surfaced in trade rumors between the Royals and Jays. His relief performance in the ALCS, and the Royals loaded rotation caused manager Dick Howser to move his lefty not to Toronto, but to the bullpen. Bud had a few unsuccessful starts to begin the 1986 season in place of the injured Danny Jackson, but was soon sent to the pen.

"Dick pulled me aside and said he thought I could help the club more in the bullpen. I wasn't very happy about it. I didn't believe I was relief pitcher -- not a guy who won 17 games as a starter the year before. But what are you going to say to the manager? `No Dick, you're wrong, I won't go?' Or, `Don't you think we should talk about this a little bit, Dick?'"

Black would finish 1986 with a 3.20 ERA overall, but a 2.34 ERA out of the bullpen. In 1987, he would split time between the rotation and the pen as the fifth starter in 1987, winning eight games with a 3.60 ERA despite missing a month with arthroscopic knee surgery. That winter, the Royals shopped him around to teams desperate for left-handed starting pitching. The Blue Jays, Brewers, Indians and Yankees inquired, but no deal was made. Black would pitch out of the Royals pen, but struggled mightily the first two months. On June 3, he was traded to the Indians for first baseman Pat Tabler.

Black would win thirty-six games over the next three season in Cleveland, before being dealt to the Blue Jays in a late season push for a pennant. In 1991, he signed a huge four year $10 million contract with San Francisco. He would win just thirty-four games in four seasons with the Giants. He would play one more year in Cleveland before joining the front office as a Special Assistant to the General Manager. In 1999, he was named pitching coach for the Anaheim Angels. In 2002, under his tutelage, the Angels posted the best ERA in the league and won the World Series. In 2008, he was named manager of the San Diego Padres.