1990 Kansas City Royals season

The 1990 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 6th in the American League West with a record of 75 wins and 86 losses.

1990 Kansas City Royals
Major League affiliations
Location
Other information
OwnersEwing Kauffman
General managersJohn Schuerholz
ManagersJohn Wathan
Local televisionWDAF-TV
(Paul Splittorff, Denny Trease)
Local radioWIBW (AM)
(Denny Matthews, Fred White)
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Offseason

Kansas City maintained their reputation as one of the American League West's top contenders throughout the late 1980s. The club posted a winning record in three of the last four seasons following their World Series championship season.[1] The Royals finished the 1989 season with a 92–70 record (third best record in franchise history) and a second-place finish in the AL West seven games behind the season's World Series champion Oakland Athletics.[1] Though the team boasted a powerhouse rotation in the AL Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen (set franchise record with 23 wins in 1989), two time All-Star Mark Gubicza (15 game winner in 1989) and 1989 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Tom Gordon (won 17 games in 1989),[2] the organization felt they were still missing a few pieces that would give the Oakland Athletics a run for their money.[3]

The Royals were left without a high-caliber closing pitcher when Dan Quisenberry, the team's All-Star ace closer for much of the 1980s, was dropped from the club in 1988. Mark Davis, last season's league leader in saves (44) and boasting a 1.85 earned run average with the San Diego Padres, became a free agent at the close of the 1989 season.[3] Kansas City had their eye on the 1989 National League Cy Young winner and back-to-back All-Star (1988, 1989), and after several attempts to acquire Davis, the organization was ultimately successful in signing him to a four-year $13 million contract (the largest annual salary in baseball history at the time).[4] Several days earlier, the Royals bulked up their rotation by inking starting pitcher Storm Davis, who was enjoying a career-high 19 game win record (3rd best in the league) with the Athletics in 1989, on a three-year $6 million contract.[4] With a solid pitching rotation, which was now ranked among the best in the league, the team traded away starting pitcher Charlie Leibrandt and prospect Rick Luecken to the Atlanta Braves for 1988 All-Star first baseman Gerald Perry as an added offensive threat.[2] The Royals filled in their fifth starting pitching slot by signing yet another free agent with veteran right-hander Richard Dotson.[2] Kansas City concluded a milestone off-season as its biggest commitment to free agents in the club's entire history.[2]

With the Royals pitching combined with offensive talent the likes of future Hall of Famer George Brett, Bo Jackson (1989 All-Star), Kevin Seitzer (1987 MLB hits league leader), Kurt Stillwell (1988 All-Star), Danny Tartabull and Bob Boone, preseason writers predicted Kansas City as the shoo-in for the 1990 AL West title.[3]

Transactions

Regular season

Despite the promising off-season moves, the team suffered critical bullpen injuries while the newly signed Davis hurlers both experienced lackluster performances throughout the season.[3] The Royals concluded the 1990 campaign with a 75-86 finish and second-to-last place standing in the AL West (worst franchise record since 1970).[1] Though the team would bounce back with winning records during the next several years, the disastrous season would symbolically come to mark the beginning of the end of Kansas City's relevance in professional baseball.[3]

  • George Brett became a three decade batting champ by winning the 1990 American League batting title.
  • July 11, 1990: In a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Bo Jackson performed his famous "wall run", when he caught a ball approximately 2-3 strides away from the wall. As he caught the ball at full tilt, Jackson looked up and noticed the wall and began to run up the wall, one leg reaching higher as he ascended. He ran along the wall almost parallel to the ground, and came down with the catch, to avoid impact and the risk of injury from the fence.
  • July 17, 1990: In a game against the New York Yankees, Bo Jackson would have an outstanding performance where he blasts three home runs in his first three at bats, putting up seven RBI’s, just before he exits the game with a shoulder injury.[10]
  • August 31, 1990: Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners made history by being the first father and son to play in a game together. This historic game was played against the Royals.

Opening Day Roster

Season standings
AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road
Oakland Athletics 10359 0.636 — 51–30 52–29
Chicago White Sox 9468 0.580 9 49–31 45–37
Texas Rangers 8379 0.512 20 47–35 36–44
California Angels 8082 0.494 23 42–39 38–43
Seattle Mariners 7785 0.475 26 38–43 39–42
Kansas City Royals 7586 0.466 27½ 45–36 30–50
Minnesota Twins 7488 0.457 29 41–40 33–48

Record vs. opponents
1990 American League record

Sources:
Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET KC MIL MIN NYY OAK SEA TEX TOR
Baltimore —4–97–56–66–76–78–37–66–66–74–83–98–45–8
Boston 9–4—7–56–69–48–54–85–84–89–44–88–45–710–3
California 5–75–7—5–87–55–77–67–59–46–64–95–88–57–5
Chicago 6–66–68–5—5–75–79–410–27–610–28–58–57–65–7
Cleveland 7–64–95–77–5—5–86–69–47–55–84–87–57–54–9
Detroit 7–65–87–57–58–5—5–73–106–67–66–67–56–65–8
Kansas City 3–88–46–74–96–67–5—4–88–58–44–97–65–85–7
Milwaukee 6–78–55–72–104–910–38–4—4–86–75–74–85–77–6
Minnesota 6–68–44–96–75–76–65–88–4—6–66–76–75–83–9
New York 7–64–96–62–108–56–74–87–66–6—0–129–33–95–8
Oakland 8–48–49–45–88–46–69–47–57–612–0—9–48–57–5
Seattle 9–34–88–55–85–75–76–78–47–63–94–9—7–66–6
Texas 4–87–55–86–75–76–68–57–58–59–35–86–7—7–5
Toronto 8–53–105–77–59–48–57–56–79–38–55–76–65–7—

Notable transactions

Roster
1990 Kansas City Royals
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders Manager

Coaches

Player stats
= Indicates team leader
= Indicates league leader

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
CMike Macfarlane124400102.255658
1BGeorge Brett142544179.3291487
2BFrank White8224152.216221
3BKevin Seitzer158622171.275638
SSKurt Stillwell144506126.249351
LFJim Eisenreich142496139.280551
CFBo Jackson111405110.2722878
RFDanny Tartabull8831384.2681560
DHGerald Perry133465118.254857

Other batters

Note: G = Games pitched; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Willie Wilson11530789.290242
Bill Pecota8724058.242520
Pat Tabler7519553.272119
Brian McRae4616848.286223
Bob Boone4011728.23909
Steve Jeltz7410316.155010
Terry Shumpert329125.27508
Jeff Schulz306617.25806
Gary Thurman236014.23303
Rey Palacios415613.23229
Russ Morman123710.27013
Sean Berry8235.21704
Jeff Conine9205.25002
Brent Mayne5133.23101

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Tom Gordon32195.112113.73175
Kevin Appier32185.21282.76127
Bret Saberhagen20135.0593.2787
Storm Davis21112.07104.7462
Mark Gubicza1694.0474.5071
Héctor Wagner523.1028.1014
Jim Campbell29.2108.382

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Steve Farr57127.01371.9894
Andy McGaffigan2478.2433.0949
Luis Aquino2068.1413.1628
Pete Filson835.0045.919
Mel Stottlemyre Jr.1331.1014.8814
Richard Dotson828.2048.489
Chris Codiroli610.1019.588
Daryl Smith26.2014.056

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Jeff Montgomery7365242.3994
Mark Davis532765.1173
Steve Crawford465414.1654
Larry McWilliams130009.727
Israel Sánchez110008.385
Luis Encarnación40007.848
Carlos Maldonado40009.009
Jay Baller301015.431

Awards and honors

All-Star Game

Farm system
See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Omaha Royals American Association Sal Rende
AA Memphis Chicks Southern League Jeff Cox
A Baseball City Royals Florida State League Brian Poldberg
A Appleton Foxes Midwest League Joe Breeden
A-Short Season Eugene Emeralds Northwest League P. K. Kirsch
Rookie GCL Royals Gulf Coast League Carlos Tosca

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Omaha, Memphis[14]

References
  1. "Kansas City Royals Team History & Encyclopedia – Baseball-Reference.com". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  2. Horst, Craig (March 25, 1990). "Royals' lineup for 1990 is virtually set". The Daily Union. p. 15. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  3. Engel, Michael (December 17, 2011). "The Cautionary Tale of the 1990 Royals". Kings of Kauffman. FanSided. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  4. Nightengale, Bob (December 12, 1989). "Royals Sign Mark Davis to $13-Million Contract". Los Angeles Times. p. C1. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. Richard Dotson at Baseball Reference
  6. Storm at Baseball Reference
  7. Willie Wilson at Baseball Reference
  8. Mark Davis at Baseball Reference
  9. Charlie Leibrandt at Baseball Reference
  10. KC@NYY: Jackson blasts three homers before leaving, retrieved February 17, 2022
  11. Steve Jeltz at Baseball Reference
  12. Mark Lee at Baseball Reference
  13. Pat Tabler at Baseball Reference
  14. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997
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