The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#66 Bill Pecota

Bill Pecota was a utility infielder for the Royals in the late 80s and early 90s and has developed something of a cult following among Royals fans. He has been mentioned as ESPN columnist Rob Neyer's favorite player, has had a player projection system named after him, has been lampooned at Progressive Boink as a "protector of baseball's innocence", and was the inspiration for my moniker when I first began posting on Royals message boards. He was given the nickname "I-29" for constantly shuttling between Kansas City and the Royals top minor league affiliate in Omaha. "'I like the name when I'm going southbound, not northbound,'' he once remarked. Pecota was a likeable, hard-working, light-hitting utility player, endearing him to fans who probably thought he was not that much different from them.

Pecota hailed from northern California and attended De Anza Junior College. The Royals selected Pecota in the tenth round of the January 1981 Amateur Draft. He hit .317 that season in the Gulf Coast Rookie League, but responded the next season by hitting just .239 in a full season at Fort Myers. He repeated Fort Myers in 1983, and improved to hit .269, earning a promotion to AA. In 1984, he played a full season at AA Memphis and hit just .241, but with ninety-nine walks and forty-three stolen bases. He spent the next two seasons at Omaha who mediocre batting averages and little power, but showing good speed and walk totals. In late 1986, he finally made his Major League debut for the Royals.

Pecota failed to make the team out of spring training in 1987, but was recalled at the end of April to replace the injured George Brett. He played sparingly, with Kevin Seitzer moving from first to third to fill in for Brett, but Pecota hit well when called upon. On May 12, he went 4-4 with a home run, lifting his average to .556 (10-18).

"This one definitely lifts the spirits."
-Bill Pecota, on his performance

Pecota was shipped back to Omaha a day later, but later in the week was recalled when Brett was once again hurt. He logged more miles on I-29 in June when he was sent down again, even though his average sat at .455. He went on a twenty-five game hitting streak in Omaha before being recalled again when Hal McRae was released. Pecota ended the season with a respectable .276 average off the bench in sixty-six games.

In the spring of 1988, Pecota beat out Julio Cruz for the backup infielder spot and ended up spending the entire season on the big league roster. He struggled at the plate however, and by the end of May, his average was an anemic .136. The Royals appreciated his defense and versatility however, and he didn't disappoint. He committed just six errors and played every position on the field except pitcher and center field.

Pecota failed to make the club in the spring of 1989, but was called up for four different stints with the big league club that year. He appeared in sixty-three games, but only garnered eighty-three at-bats, hitting .205. He managed a career day on July 14 in Yankee Stadium when slammed three home runs in a double-header, with five hits in nine at-bats that day. Still, the constant shuffling between Omaha and Kansas City was taking its toll on the infielder.

''I wish I could think of something positive, but I just can't....'I can hardly rent an apartment because I might get called up.....There is nothing light about it....Baseball is the only thing I know. My career may be over before it starts.''

Pecota did make the team in 1990, but was used only as a defensive replacement until he was demoted at the end of April. Upon his recall in June, he went on a tear, going 4-4 in a June game against Minnesota, and going 3-4 in a game two weeks later. With his average above .400, it was hard to take him out of the lineup, so Royals manager John Wathan began to play Pecota more and more at second base sending aging veteran Frank White to the bench. Pecota finished the year at .242 in eighty-seven games.

By 1991, Pecota was solidly in the Royals plans as a valuable utility infielder. After a slow start, a couple of three hit games in May lifted his average above .300. He even filled in on the pitching mound, throwing two innings in a June 24 game against the Angels, giving up just one run. He became the first Royal ever to play all nine positions in his career.

In July, new manager Hal McRae made a stunning decision when he announced he was benching three starters - first baseman Jim Eisenreich, shortstop Kurt Stillwell and third baseman Kevin Seitzer. Replacing them would be Warren Cromartie, David Howard and Pecota. McRae cited defense as a major reason for the change. "I'd like to see if those guys can improve the defense on the infield."

Pecota responded well with the starting nod, with three three-hit games during July and a .338 average for the month. He ended the season with career highs in virtually every offensive category. He hit .286 with six home runs and forty-five RBI. He stole sixteen bases and drew forty-one walks, with just forty-five strikeouts. He committed just four errors at all four infield positions combined, and set a franchise record with a sixty-nine game errorless streak at third base.

That winter, the Royals had all but given up on Seitzer at third base and were considering both Pecota and outside options to fill the third base void. At the winter meetings, Royals General Manager Herk Robinson stunned fans when he shipped Pecota and star pitcher Bret Saberhagen to the New York Mets in a blockbuster trade for infielder Gregg Jeffries, outfielder Kevin McReynolds and utility player Keith Miller. Mets fans rejoiced as Royals fans simply shook their heads in disbelief.

"Someday General Manager Herk Robinson's trade of Bret Saberhagen may be known as the biggest blockbuster in Roylas history. For right now, I am afraid I must refer to it as the most blockheaded."
-Kansas City Star columnist Gib Twyman

Pecota struggled badly with the Mets, hitting just .227 in 117 games all around the infield. He spent the next two seasons with the Atlanta Braves, appearing in a few games of the 1993 National League Championships Series. He retired after the 1994 season and became a championship bass fisherman.

While Royals fans may gnash their teeth at the ineptitude of some of the utility infielders that have occupied roster space over the years, Pecota has always found a place in the hearts of Royals fans.

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#67 Bob Oliver

Bob Oliver was a versatile ballplayer and the first power hitter in Royals history. His twenty-seven home runs in 1970 was the franchise record until John Mayberry topped the mark in 1975. His son, Darren, born in Kansas City, also became a major leaguer as a left-handed pitcher.

Oliver was from Shreveport, Louisiana and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1963. He established himself as a power hitting outfielder with double digit home run totals in five of his six minor league seasons. In December of 1967, he was dealt by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Minnesota Twins for veteran pitcher Ron Kline. The next season, he set a career high in home runs for AAA Denver with twenty, while hitting .297 for the Twins top affiliate.

Despite that performance, the Twins left the twenty-six year old Oliver unprotected for the 1969 Expansion Draft. The Royals, looking for offense, took Oliver with the nineteenth pick. He made the opening day starting lineup as the team's right-fielder, but got off to a horrid 1-23 start to begin his Royals career. He soon began to heat up, however. On May 2, he went 4-7 in a doubleheader with a home run and four RBI, and on May 4, he went 6-6 with a home run and three RBI. On July 4, he hit the first grand slam in Royals history, off Seattle's Jim Bouton. He had enough athleticism to play all three outfield positions, although he spend most of his time in right field. Oliver ended 1969 with a .254 average, and his thirteen home runs were second on the ballclub.

Oliver provided even more lineup flexibility in 1970 by splitting time between first base and third base. He got off to a great start, hitting .300 in April with a pair of multi-homer games and five home runs in the last week of April. A late September slump lowered his average to .260, but Oliver ended the year with 27 home runs and 99 RBI, both franchise records, and among the top ten in the league. Oliver's more natural position was first base, but interestingly he posted a .698 OPS at first base in 112 games, but a .909 OPS at third base in 46 games.

Oliver spent that winter in Puerto Rico, leading the winter league in home runs and RBI, giving the Royals reason to believe he would be the source of much of their power in 1971. He began the season at first base, but his power had evaporated. By the end of May he was hitting just .247 with only three home runs and a measly .336 slugging percentage. In June, the Royals moved Oliver to right field and used Chuck Harrison and Gail Hopkins at first base. Oliver ended the year with just eight home runs and a .351 slugging percentage.

Oliver looked to bounce back in 1972, and by May he had a .270 average, although his power had not returned. He had just one home run and a .381 slugging percentage. On May 5, the Royals shipped him to California for starting pitcher Tom Murphy. There were rumblings that Oliver was upset at the lack of African-Americans on the team, particularly since the trading of outfielder Pat Kelly. However, in public Oliver had nothing but pleasant things to say about the Royals.

"It's tough to leave a club that you've been with this long. It's been a long association and I've made some good friends. I like Kansas City. My wife likes Kansas City. I'm not really surprised because they've been trying to trade me for two years."

The Angels put Oliver back at first base and he regained his power in Anaheim, hitting nineteen home runs for the Angels that year, including three against his former teammates. He finished in the top ten in RBI with 76, in hits with 154, and in triples with five in the strike-shortened season.

The Angels played Oliver all over the field in 1973, at first base, third base and in right-field. He continued to hit for power, hitting eighteen home runs and eighty-nine RBI. In 1974 Oliver split time between first base and third base, but his power dropped off precipitously, as he hit just eight home runs. Late in the year he was sold to the Baltimore Orioles as part of their push for the pennant.

Oliver began 1975 with the Yankees, but only played in eighteen games due to injury, hitting .138 before being released in July.

"My knees gave up on me. I didn't give up on baseball.."It was hard to just stand up, let alone play the game. It showed up in my performance. Balls get through that you used to easily grab, and you couldn't leg out a ground ball at the plate."

After retiring, Oliver tried to get into coaching, but found it difficult to find work. He instead worked for an oil company, then moved to Sacramento to work for McKesson Health. In 1999, he managed an independent league team in Sacramento. He also runs a Baseball Academy in the Sacramento area.

Today Bob Oliver is retired, enjoying watching his son pitch for the Los Angeles Angels.

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#68 Pat Sheridan

Pat was a fourth outfielder who in the course of a nine-year Major League career managed to play on four division title winners, including the 1985 World Champion Kansas City Royals. Pat was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and graduated from Wayne High School. He then went on to excel at Eastern Michigan University where he would put on a Hall of Fame performance.

The Royals selected Sheridan in the third round of the 1979 Amateur Draft, one round before they selected Dan Marino. Sheridan consistently hit for high averages in the minor leagues, but had very little power, and only mediocre speed or plate discipline. By mid-May of 1983 he was in the big leagues for good, filling in for injured veteran right fielder Jerry Martin. Sheridan struggled initially, and by mid-July his average was below the Mendoza line. But he went on a tear in the second half, hitting .321 in July and .343 in August.

''I feel really comfortable now...When I first got here I hit a couple of quick home runs and then tried to pull everything. I started thinking I was a home-run hitter. I began pressing and started struggling to hit my weight. 'But I'm getting away from trying to hit home runs now. After the All-Star Game everything started falling into place. The hits started falling and when you experience success you naturally play with more confidence. I just trying to hit the ball hard and when I do that, I'll take the results.''

Sheridan ended the season at .270 with seven home runs and thirty-six RBI in 109 games. Going into 1984, Sheridan was in a great position to grab a starting outfield job. Veterans Jerry Martin and Amos Otis were released and the team was uncertain if they would have Willie Wilson, who was awaiting a suspension following his guilty plea on federal drug charges. Going into the season, the Royals were prepared to go with three players all entering their first full season of big league play - Sheridan, Butch Davis and Darryl Motley.

Sheridan got off to a great start in 1984, and by the end of May, he was among the league's leaders in hitting with a .333 average. Only a September slump prevented Sheridan from a .300 average, as he finished with a .283 average with eight home runs and fifty-three RBI. The Royals snuck into the playoff with an underwhelming 84-78 record in a hapless American League Western Division, and prepared to face the Detroit Tigers, who had run over the American League like a runaway freight train that year. The Tigers made quick work of the Royals with a quick three game sweep in which the Royals could manage just four runs. Sheridan was 0-6 in the series.

The Royals went into 1985 with Motley, Wilson and Sheridan in the outfield, but manager Dick Howser was concerned about his lack of power production from the corner outfield spots. Sheridan slumped badly that year and by June had lost his starting job to newly acquired outfielder Lonnie Smith. He also battled hamstring issues all season and ended the season at a career low .228. He did come up with some clutch hits in the last weeks of the season, prompting manager Dick Howser to platoon him in the American League Championship Series with right hander Darryl Motley.

Sheridan started Game One, but went 0-3. In Game Two, he came off the bench with a solo-home run to tie the game 4-4, but the Royals fell to the Blue Jays 6-5. Sheridan again went hitless in Games Three, Four and Six as a starter, but in the crucial Game Seven, he had two hits, including a solo home run in a 6-2 Royals victory, sending them to their second World Series in franchise history.

In the 1985 World Series, Sheridan started four games, and went 4-18 with two RBI although he struck out seven times. In the ninth inning of Game Six, Sheridan was lifted for pinch hitter Darryl Motley to face Cardinals reliever Ken Dayley. When the Cardinals replaced Dayley with right handed closer Todd Worrell, Howser countered by lifting the right handed Motley for speedy left-hander Jorge Orta. Orta hit a weak ground ball to the right side of the infield that first baseman Jack Clark flipped to Worrell for the out. Umpire Don Denkinger shocked everyone when he called Orta safe at first. The Cardinals collapsed after the call, and baseball history was made. The Royals went on to win the game and the Series and were crowned as champs.

Although the Royals were confident as champs, they knew they had some serious holes in their offense, particularly at shortstop with Onix Concepcion and Buddy Biancalana and in right field with Motley and Sheridan.

"'We have to get some improvement out of those guys... 'I don't think we stand a chance to repeat this year if we don't have every guy on the team carrying his own load."
-Second Baseman Frank White

After struggling badly in spring training, Sheridan was released before the season began. He signed with his hometown Tigers and spent the next three and half seasons as a light hitting reserve outfielder in Detroit, even playing in the 1987 American League Championship Series. He also served as a reserve for the 1989 National League West winning San Francisco Giants before ending his career with a brief stint with the Yankees in 1991.

After baseball, Sheridan returned to Michigan, where he now sells insurance.

"We got the job done, and that's the way we approached it. That's what Dick Howser instilled in us."

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#69 Jeff King

Jeff was a power hitting first baseman who spent just two seasons at the end of his career with the Royals after a solid career in Pittsburgh. Jeff graduated from Rampart High School in Colorado Springs and was drafted by the Cubs, but turned them down to play ball at the University of Arkansas. By his sophomore season he was a star, making the All-American team and setting the school record for home runs in a season. His junior year he was named College Player of the Year by The Sporting News, and was taken as the first overall pick in the 1986 Amateur Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In his first full professional season in 1987, he hit twenty-six home runs in just ninety games with Salem of the Carolina League. He struggled a bit the next year in AA, hitting just .255/.325/.414 with fourteen home runs, with an arm injury moving him from third base to first base. In 1989, he began the year in AAA, but was called up to replace the injured Sid Bream. He filled in all over the infield for the Pirates, but hit just .195 in seventy-five games.

King began 1990 back at third base competing for a starting spot with veteran Wally Backman. King would win most of the playing time, and would hit .245 with fourteen home runs. The Pirates made the playoffs for the first time in a decade, although King would go just 1-10 and would suffer criticism from teammate Barry Bonds for failing to play Game Five of the NLCS despite a back injury.

King continued to suffer back injuries in 1991 and appeared in just thirty-three games for the Pirates, who again won the NL East. He returned healthy in 1992, but was bumped for Steve Buechele, who had been acquired to fill-in for King. King filled in a utility role, and managed to appear in 130 games, although he hit just .231.

By 1993, sluggers Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds had both left Pittsburgh, leaving a void in the lineup. King did his best to step up with a .295 average and 98 RBI. He still was not providing the power potential he showed in college, hitting just nine home runs.

King would not show his first good power season until 1995 when he smacked eighteen home runs for the last place Pirates. In 1996 he signed a below market value contract to stay in Pittsburgh, and also requested the team stop playing him all over the field and stick him at first base. He flourished that year, hitting .271 with a career high thirty home runs and a career high thirty-six doubles.

Despite the below market deal, the Pirates felt they had to deal their slugger. In December, the Royals outbid the Padres, Marlins and Indians and acquired King along with shortstop Jay Bell in a six player deal for Joe Randa and some forgettable Royals minor leaguers.

''Hey, I like Joe Randa. But, uh, come on. Not to pat myself on the back, but this trade is unbelievable."
-Royals General Manager Herk Robinson

The 1997 Royals had reason to have hope for the season. Robinson had acquired Bell and King as well as former Angels slugger Chili Davis to add run production to the worst offense in the league. He also added a young slugger named Jermaine Dye and had some promising outfielders like Tom Goodwin and Johnny Damon. The team had veterans like Kevin Appier and Tim Belcher in the rotation, and some solid young lefties like Jose Rosado and Glendon Rusch to fill out the rotation.

The team got off to a promising start. By mid-May they were 20-17 and in first place, ahead of the mighty Cleveland Indians. Even in late June, they were 36-38, just three games out. Then they lost twelve in a row, costing manager Bob Boone his job. He was replaced by Tony Muser and he followed up that streak with a four game losing streak. The Royals ended up finishing dead last, nineteen games back. They lost ninety-four games, the most they had lost since 1970.

King hit just .238, but smacked twenty-eight home runs, second on the team to Chili Davis. He also has 112 RBI, the ninth most in the league and a career high. His sixteen steals were also a career high.

"It's been a funny year - it really has....I feel like I've really struggled from the All-Star break, or even before, but how do I end up with 100 RBIs? It just doesn't make any sense."

Lowest OPS+ by a Royals Hitter with 100 RBI
1. Joe Randa 2000
94 OPS+ 106 RBI
Had Beltran, Sweeney and Dye hitting in front of him. That .438 SLG kills him.
2. Carlos Beltran 1999
99 OPS+ 108 RBI
The amazing thing is he hit leadoff almost half of the season.
3. Jeff King 1997
104 OPS+ 112 RBI
Second in AL with twelve sac flies.
4. Carlos Beltran 2002
114 OPS+ 105 RBI
Another amazing performance as he had Chuck Knoblauch and Neifi Perez hitting in front of him.
5. Dean Palmer 1998
115 OPS+ 119 RBI
His one season in KC he slugged .510, but had an OBA of just .333

The Royals lost Davis and Bell in 1998, but added veterans like Dean Palmer, Jeff Conine, Terry Pendleton and Hal Morris to give King some protection in the lineup. Other than Palmer, the group were responsible for a punchless lineup that finished second to last in runs scored. King hit .263 with twenty-four home runs but just seventeen doubles. Aside from Palmer, King, and Johnny Damon, no other Royals hitter had more than eight home runs.

Before the 1999 season, the Royals looked to pare their payroll and offered veterans Kevin Appier and Jeff King to other teams. Appier drew much interest, but the Royals found fewer takers for King. The Braves had mild interest to platoon King with young Ryan Klesko, but a deal was never made. King began the year as the Royals first baseman, but by mid-April he was sidelined with a back injury, a recurring problem.

On May 23, 1999, Jeff King stunned Royals management and fans when he announced his retirement.

This game demands a lot; it expects a lot and rightfully so. I've got a lot of respect for this game, and you've got to pour your heart and soul into it. And I've done that, but it just ain't there anymore.

Saying that, it's not right for me to go out there when I'm having these kind of feelings and continue to be paid for it. Playing the game for money is not the right reason. It's as simple as that....

By the grace of God, I was able to play a long time and persevere. I gave it all I had.

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time

#70 Carlos Febles

!Dos Carlos!

Carlos Febles was a highly touted second baseman, who combined with Carlos Beltran made up "Dos Carlos." Febles was signed as an eighteen year old kid out of the Dominican Republic and immediately hit well. In 1995, at age nineteen, he hit .282/.381/.452 in the Rookie Gulf Coast League. At age twenty, he hit .295 with thirty steals and drew more walks than strikeouts, posting a solid on-base percentage of .414. In 1997 he suffered a setback in the Carolina League, traditionally a pitchers league. He hit just .237, although he did steal forty-nine bases.

Febles rebounded with ag reat season in 1998 at AA Wichita, hitting .326, showing surprising power with fourteen home runs and a .530 slugging percentage, drawing eighty walks and stealing fifty-one bases. Many scouts were penciling Febles as the Royals second baseman for years to come.

"Everybody who saw him knew it was just a matter of time...He's the best second baseman we have in the organization, and I know he is only going to do better."
-Wichita manager John Mizerock

Febles was surrounded by a lot of hype to begin the 1999 season. Baseball America named him the 30th best prospect in baseball, ahead of guys like Alfonso Soriano, Rafael Furcal and Vernon Wells. With second baseman Jose Offerman departing for a large contract in Boston, the Royals decided to have Febles skip AAA Omaha and gave him the starting job in Kansas City. His defense drew rave reviews, and some writers were labeling him as a potential Rookie of the Year candidate.

"My strengths are my defense, my base running. That's my game....I'm always trying to get on base, steal a base, play hard, break up a double play. That's what carried me and given me the chance now to make the majors."
-Carlos Febles

After a decent April, it looked like Carlos had figured out Major League pitching. In May he went on an absolute tear, hitting .364 with twelve extra-base hits, and he lifted his average to .310 by the end of the month. With teammate Carlos Beltran hitting .291, it really looked like the Royals had two legitimate Rookie of the Year candidates.

Beltran would maintain his amazing season, but Febles would soon drop off as pitchers began to figure him out. He hit just .237 in June and .216 in July. He ended the season at .256, although he did show decent power with ten home runs and a .411 slugging percentage, not bad for a twenty-three year old rookie second baseman. He also stole twenty bases, getting caught just four times.

Coming off a decent rookie season, many projected Febles to be the second baseman of the future. There were a few internet rumors linking Febles and Royals outfielder Johnny Damon as part of a massive three-team trade that would send Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati, but in the end, Griffey went to Cincinnati without the Royals involvement.

Febles opened up 2000 as the Royals starting second baseman, and again got off to a hot start, with his average near .300 by mid-May. The Royals were also riding high, with some dramatic walk-off victories to begin the year, and by Memorial Day they still had a .500 record. But the success would be shortlived, both for Febles and the Royals. Febles would miss most of June with a shoulder injury, and would hit just .200 the last two months of the year, missing more time with an ankle injury. He would end the year at .257 in just one hundred games with an anemic .316 slugging percentage.

Career Games Played at Second Base, Royals History
1. Frank White - 2154
2. Cookie Rojas - 789
3. Carlos Febles - 493
4. Jose Offerman - 291
5. Terry Shumpert - 250

The Royals held high hopes going into 2001, as they had set numerous franchise records on offense the previous season. Febles was set as the starting second baseman and second hitter in the lineup, to set the table for big boppers like Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye, Mike Sweeney and Joe Randa. Instead, he got off to an awful start, with a right knee injury nagging him all season. By June, his average was below the Mendoza Line and he was shipped to Omaha to work on his swing. He returned to hit well in August and September, even showing off some good power down the stretch. However, his season totals were quite disappointing for the former prospect, with just a .236 average in just seventy-nine games.

Febles still held the starting job in 2002, as many scouts still saw flashes of potential in him. Some considered him and shortstop Neifi Perez, one of the best defensive double-play combination in the American League. Again, Febles got off a a hot start, hitting .300 in mid-May. He would hit just .179 over the months of May, June and July, and it would take a red hot August to resurrect his average to .245.

The Royals still held out hope for Febles in 2003, but brought in utility infielder Desi Relaford to provide competition in case Febles could not stay healthy. The Royals got off to a sensational start that year, winning nine ballgames to begin the season and stood 16-3 near the end of April. Febles managed to stay healthy, but was pretty anemic offensively. In August, the Royals had enough and designated Febles for assignment, and he spent the rest of the season in Omaha.

That winter the Royals finally let Febles go. He would sign with the Red Sox and play one season in Pawtucket before calling it quits.

Today, Carlos is a coach for the Red Sox, his playing career already over at age 31. He has been named as a coach for the Lancaster Barnstormers. His career is symbolic of the Allard Baird era in Kansas City. It was an era in which we were always being sold on potential. That potential would show flashes of brilliance only to hide again, like a groundhog that spotted its shadow.