Kansas City has the distinction of having not just one, but two of the worst pro baseball teams of all-time…
The Kansas City A’s and now the Kansas City Royals. In fact you take out the George Brett era team of 76-85 (when the Royals were good), it’s pro sports worst franchise ever.
Example: the 1964 Kansas City A’s won 57 and lost 105.
The current Royals are close, but not quite there yet. Here’s a great one; both teams never had a true power hitter in over half a century!
My God, George Brett was the only real super star the franchise ever had, but really he was just a gamer. He hit some big time homers, but not a ton. He leads the team with 317 home runs – about 15 a year – decent. Hey, the biggest hit of all time was Brett’s three run homer off the Yankees Goose Gossage to send the Royals to the World Series in 1980.
After George, it’s pretty pathetic. Mike Sweeney has 193. Amos Otis (next to Brett the best Royal ever or tied with Hal McRae) has193. McRae has 169. Frank White, 160.
The least of any major league team in history, ever.
That’s just one of the major reasons the franchise has been a joke its entire history, except for the brief Brett era.
As a little kid I watched guys like Ed Charles, Dick Green, George Alusik (worst outfielder hitter in all of baseball, but a starter with KC A’s) Wayne Causey, Moe Drabowsky, John Blue Moon Odom, Rocky Colavito (highest paid A’s player, other than a pitcher – he made $50,000 his one year with A’s and hit 32 Homeruns in ’64). And his pal, Jim Gentile (28 homers with A’s and 46 with Baltimore in ’61).
And the only kinda star the team ever had, BERT "CAMPY" CAMPANERIS.
Campy was a joy to watch. Just him. Yes, the late 60’s A’s had Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter but that was only for a brief time and when they were here, guess what, THEY STUNK.
In Oakland they were baseball’s best and won three World Series with the same team.
So you can see overall the A’s were worse – but not much worse – of the two joke fra
nchises.
It must make George Brett ill to watch any games here now, Christ, here’s how bad it is now and this is for real:
"Yeah, we really came back today, and turned things around – had some hits and runs – but lost 9-6. But at least we had a few runs," said a Royals outfielder.
That’s the mark of a major loser.
YOU GOT BEAT. AGAIN, YOU ARE IN DEEP LAST PLACE. AGAIN.
P.S. As a kid I watched the A’s on TV about twice a month in the early ’60s. But I thought all the Yankee vs. A’s games were taped repeats. They all looked like the same game, I don’t think we won ONE game in a however many years from them, NONE.
I liked the "Hamm’s Beer commercials" – you know, from the land of sky blue waters…comes the beer refreshing…with the team that STINKS.
I fuckin loved that Hamm’s Beer Commercial!!!!!
Remember when Campy played every position on the field for one game?
Sheep in Right field?
Orange balls?
When Sweet Lou Pinella was rookie of the Year?
Gnefkow used to go out in the stands in right field and just torture the FUCK outta Lou. Finally one time, Lou yells back at him while holding his glove folded up in his hand, “You wanna try this asshole??? Come on out!!!”
We all laughed so fuckin hard, I got sick I laughed so much.
Steve Balboni may not have a bunch of numbers, but he could club the son of a bitch pretty hard.
Jerry fuckin Lumpe was our best player for a while too, what a name.
Pete La Cock was pretty good, but he kept killin people, so we traded him. I always thought it was ironic that Pet La Cock looked like Pistol Pete Maravich, cause, you know, they both could shoot.
Norm Siebern?? Didn’t we have Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson too?
Come On How About The Mets
Well there are others who suck, Mets, Astros and Cleveland? Are we worse?
A Half Century of Yuke
Yes its pretty sad. But we have KU basketball, and we are great!
Before My Time, But Telling Story Glaze
I am too young to remember the A’s but I like your angle, no power, no titles, I like it.
“but really he was just a gamer”
Just a gamer? Only 14 people in the history of baseball have more hits than George Brett. I will take gamers.
Thank You
Campy night, yes Chuck I remember he played every spot, we lost. Figures. He was a great one. I am now 67 years old and grew up with Monty Moore and the A’s on radio. Those were the days. Just having a team made us big league city. Craig thanks for the memories.
Gamer Was A Compliment
Smartman, I meant what I said, thats why what followed were just some of Brett’s great achievements. Gamer is a guy who wins games by himself. Brett did that. Otis did at times, those were the best Royals. The A’s never had one.
hey… we tolerate this
Our media is EASY on the Royals. Our fans are EASY on the Royals. Thats because they can fill the stadium with people from places like Shendoah, Iowa and Wellsville, Kansas every weekend who are just happy to be at their first MLB game. The local fans are just numb. They are lost. They don’t even get pissed anymore. There is a small fervent group… very small.
I am slow to criticize Glass because I do not think it is easy to be an owner… and I am not sure anyone else would keep the team here.
But… Glass needs to part ways with about $25 million and bring in serious big time pitchers. There is just too much pressure on the offense.
Not quite… Glazer
Glazer I am a big fan of yours… But … you did marginalize Brett in your piece here. I read your comments again… You used words like “decent” and his homer count “not a ton.” Now you did give him credit to owning the best Royals era… But no… you did not exactly portray him that well. Also… I read your piece more carefully than you did mine… I got your name right.
I Stand By What I Wrote
Brett is the only Royal that ever mattered to America. He was not a power hitter! He had decent power, mostly timely power and thats what matters. Mayberry didn’t, Bye Bye Steveie didn’t, Willie Mays Akins didn’t. So if IMPORTANT homers count Brett was outstanding. So was Otis. Thats it.
The Royals have no timely hitting anymore. The 85 Royals were not great hitting ballclub, but the timing was there from Sunberg, Brett, Mac, White, Buddy, and mostly the heroic end of season push by Lonnie Smith, now forgotten.
Old A’s Fan,
Thanks for timing in–your the best—:)
Thank U buddy.
🙂
You Are Welcome Chuck
Have a nice holiday and get some rest. Theres a bunch more life to live Chuck for all of us..
The “decent”comment has to have ……
something to do with Brett beating Craig out of some pussy somewhere along the way.
There can’t be any other explanation.
The Yankee’s farm club
That’s what the A”s were called when they moved to KC. Roger Maris spent his rookie season with the A’s. Then promptly traded to the Yankees. Owners of the A’s (pre-Finley) were also part-owners of the Yankees. Now there’s a deal Bud Selig would love!
They used to think my sister was married to an A’s player since we were generally the only fans cheering for the A’s
The city screwed over Charley Finley, stole his scoreboard and generally treated the A’s as a red-headed stepchild.
Finley brought The Beatles to KC so he will always be fondly remembered.
AND he started those give-away nights. Gave away a half-dozen cars one night in 1965. My cousin up on Norton won a 57 Plymouth and a guy on 7th Street won a 1929 fire truck.
But the Royals have a long, long way to go to catch the Phillies with their 10,000-and-still-counting losses.
David Glass is just a pimple on Charlie O’s ass…
wishing…hoping…dreaming
we all remember the days of winning teams…playoffs…hating the yankees….
the town was excited. It made a difference.
Despite the royals losing record…i still believe in hope, Few probably agree with
me….but having gone to an average of 20-30 games a year i still love this
team. and like every fan….i look at the positives.
Brett was a once in million guy for this town. He took it over but more importantly
we loved the guy cause he was here with us for many many years and his
entire career.
Now…we get guys here for 2 months…a year…and then they’re gone. won’t work
here. I saw a great difference at the start of this year that became lost as they
juggled the lineup. The guys were excited…pumped and had the enthusiasm i had not
seen in years.
But yost bumgled the roster adding different guys every day and ruining any
cohesion that the team had.
Now we’re really at a cross roads. Glass won’t sell the team (he makes no money)…
and he’s getting rich feeding the fans prospects and a 36 million dollar payroll.
At some time the county and fans need to say to glass…make some changes or
sell the team. It’s that simple. With 36 million dollar payroll he could have bought
2 starting pitchers and had a lower payroll than last year.
I have defended the owners in previous years because they spent 75-80 million
in payroll but they had people who could not evaluate talent. The problem of evaluating
talent is still there. There’s so many prospects for the majors that they’re being held
in minors. Trade them…give all your draft choices in a year for a major starter….they
have so many prospoects waiting to come up they have no positions left open for them.
And when they get a guy who produces they cut him to bring in a prospect.
The other teams say the royals have the best farms system and the largest number
of major league prospects of any team in the last 4 years…then why do they have yost
rotating these guys…leaving pitchers in to see how they will react in a sitatuion…
and do stupid crap that doesn’t lead to winning.
I’m wishing…hoping….dreaming things will change. I’ve spent the money and
rooted for this team. I don’t understand the philosophy behind this team.
Sometime…somewhere there has to be a big move they take that pans out for them.
Trade some starters ….trade all those prospects….and bring in proven talent.
And stop the musical chair routine in the dugout. It’s time glass did his part of the
deal…the county gave him a renovated stadium thats beautiful…now he has to
give us a good product.
Still love the chiefs and royals…even the sporting kc and the mavericks…they
are our team….and I love watching them…but its getting old down at the k.
someone needs to shake things up…..and glass won’t sell the team cause
he’s loving the big profits he gets without sxpending time or money in the
team….something’s gotta give.
but thru wins and losses…they’re still my team.
baseball players should not be married
Glaze… you can stand by your comments all you want. That does not mean they did not marginalize Brett.. they did. And I probably agree with Matt.. Brett probably cut in on some of your plaza/ westport action.
This brings up another issue. Brett did it the right way. He was a known party animal in his playing days. He did not hurt anyone… But the dude hit the bars and was a chick magnet. And he played off the field…
These married milk and cookie eating Leawood church of the Resurrection attending 27 year old athletes make me puke. See.. Mike Sweeney. These dudes should be tearing it up. They should be playing pissed and hung over. They should be seen at the bars at night. They do not have to be committing assault on women and shooting people to be legit partiers and fun teammates.
Brett got married when he stopped playing.
At least Craig didn’t go to the ridiculous…
and fucking stupid gay rumors that dogged Brett for so long. George pissed off so may chicks with his “one nighters” that they cooked up that shit. I guess we’ll give Craig credit for just going after his career and not stooping to that non sense…..as dumb as it is.
I SAW YESTERDAY THE ROYALS PROBLEM…YOST!!!!!!!!
i saw the problem with the royals…the main problem and its this pussy manager.
The games at stake…his top pitcher and just announced all star makes a
very questionable balk that brings in the winning run. It was questionable and
9 out of 10 times it wouldn’t have been called at that time of a game.
So this pussy manager walks out and does really nothing. Wheres the
passion…the intensity this young team needs. He should have gotten in that
umpires face and called him every name he knew. He should have kicked dirt
on the umps pants…maybe even grabbed the idiot. He should have been screaming
and fighting til that ump got secruity to escort him out of the stadium.
Instead our manager sits back in his usual mundane boring unexciting
low key approach take a huge loss like it was just another day at the office.
This young team needs inspiration…needs motivation…needs someone who’s
going to get there and fight for them….they don’t need this laid back know nothing
worthless unimaginative unispiring dog manager.
so what if he gets kicked out of 2 or 3 games. He’s ruined the lineup and hurt the
confidence of the players so much it would not make a difference. he has no
ability to evaluate talent and has made every wrong managerial move possible
in the short time he’s been there…he’s never had a winner….he’s a freaking
nutcase (see past history). And he’s no the guy to run this team right now.
So what if he doesn’t manage the team for a week…at least he got out there and
was pissed and fired up for his players.
This has happened too many time…he needs to learn how to work the umps
so the royals get some calls.
Yost must go….I know you say its not the manager…but the royals are so crowded
now with major league talent that they need a fiery…let’s kick some ass…lets
beat the fuck out of the other team manager…not this pussy yost.
Not the right guy for this yo0ung team….gotta get rid of him.
Maybe he could have fired up the team for the rest of the year with a little
emotion…no…he’s worhtless
Brett a gamer?
To me, a “gamer” is somebody who is always ready and willing but not necessarily able. He’s the guy who gives it all he’s got but in the end is not talented enough to pull it off.
Example: “Glazer is a gamer when it comes to writing about sports.”
Craig Nailed It
I think Craig’s characterization of Brett was fine. Great player, could hit for power when it counted, but wasn’t really a prolific power hitter. The guy ranks 100th all time in major league homeruns and 128th in slugging percentage. Where power hitting is concerned, that’s not exactly all time material.
I think he might have had the numbers of a great power hitter if circumstances were different. He certainly showed he could muscle up when it was needed. But playing in one of the toughest home run parks in baseball with one of the fastest surfaces in baseball dictated a different style. Both his manager Whitey Herzog and his batting coach Charlie Lau wanted line drive contact hitters who could shoot balls across the astroturf rather than have 370 foot fly balls die at the warning track. Brett’s swing took take advantage of his home park’s characteristics. I think had he played his home games in a park more conducive for homeruns, like Yankee Stadium or Veteran’s Stadium where the other great third baseman of his era, MIke Schmidt, played, he likely would have adjusted his swing to lift the ball more and would have hit many more homeruns. Heck, as it was, he hit 40% more homeruns on the road than he did at home. But he played in Kauffman and ranks 100th all time in homers and even lower in slugging percentage. Great all around player, certainly. But not a great power hitter.
egads
Is this the sports section? Who is the writer? Someone who calls Brett a “gamer?” Really? I was there when he went into Cooperstown with Ryan, Yount, and Cepeda. Even being in Cooperstown, I was closer to the mark than this crap. Write about the only score you know Craig. And that’s pussy. Cause it’s obvious that throwing around some statistic about home runs doesn’t make a column. meh.
Hey Cliffy/kcfred/all the same guys again
Everyone liked it but you, seems to be a pattern. Look I asked Black Barbie and her boyfriends crew on this site to give you a pass, so maybe you should be a good person for once. NOBODY SAID BRETT WASN’T GREAT…he was, as everyone else explained HE WAS FOR THE MOST PART A STRONG TIMELY HITTER WITH JUST DECENT POWER, NOT A POWERHITTER, ok. Thank you.
Gamers don’t drink at the Peanut on Main.
If Billy Martin has to reverse one of your jacks on a technicality… You are a LEGEND… not a gamer.
George Brett singlehandedly changed baseball games. He was a PROLIFIC hitter. He is a freak of nature…. He hit so freaking often, that odds were… there were going to be a few home runs mixed in there. He hit for power when it mattered. He was not “decent.” He was excellent.
Again… 14 people in the HISTORY of the game have more hits than Brett. The word “decent” or “gamer” does not apply to Gerorge Brett with anything having to do with his career in baseball.
Agreed Brett Was Great
Its a silly argument, we just disagree on what a ‘gamer ‘ is, to me its a guy that carries a game, can win it almost by himself, he is the super star, Brett was that. With the Chiefs, Dawson, Taylor, Buck sometimes…after that Marcus Allen and Joe Montana when he was on it. Thats nearly it. Brett was the best gamer of all KC pros, period. He was the Royals. However this for the last time, HE WAS NOT A TRUE POWER HITTER…ok, he didn’t hit 45 plus homers a year, he never hit 35! However he hit MEANINGFUL HOMERS…ONES THAT WON GAMES, NOT JUST TO PAD STATS. He Was the Best Royal ever…YES. HAPPY
Did you stamp your feet and hold your breath while writing that, Craig? Sure sounded like it. Toughen up or stop writing.
Wow Thats Brave Cliffy
Again, your hating for no real reason, Glazer wrote a fine piece and it is correct in my opinion. YOU WANT HIM TO TOUGHEN UP? Here you are a fake name guy that I am quite sure Craig Glazer could demolish in person, so you call him out knowing the guy doesn’t even know who you are. Brave
How Many Times…
…can one guy write a piece about the Royals sucking? Surely your solution is that they sign or trade for Albert Pujols, Justin Verlander and Jose Reyes.
Apparently, Mr.Glazer has never heard of a pro sports franchise called the SanDiego/LA Clippers.
Cowboy …
Read Craig’s comment again. It was in response to Rainbow Man, who has always been one of Craig’s supporters. He rationally questioned the “gamer” characterization of Brett and Glazer responds with a “HAPPY NOW?”
If he’s going to respond this childishly to people who disagree with his opinions he really shouldn’t be writing for a public forum.
I Guess
Oh, maybe you are right, but its still much to do about nothing.
I Moved To LA
Hey I had to move to LA to get away from the Royals and losing. Thank God.