18. Freddie Patek

Published in Top 50 Kansas City Royals
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General
Awards
Career Stats

Born: October 9, 1944 in Oklahoma City, OK USA
Weight: 148 lbs.
Height: 5'5"
Bats: R
Throws: R
Debut: June 03, 1968
Final Game: October 03, 1981

AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
11060	1472	2680	82	980	770	0.242

A fixture in the Kansas City Royals infield throughout the 1970’s Freddie Patek brought a strong defensive presence to the lineup. While Patek never won a Gold Glove, he was the American League leader in Defensive bWAR and Total Zone Runs in 1972.

Offensively speaking, Patek struggled to get over .300 in On Base Percentage (he had a career .309 OBP with Kansas City) but when he got on base he was always a threat to steal another one. He would lead the AL in swipes in 1977 and had eight straight campaigns where he went over 30. He was also a three-time All-Star.

Patek was chosen for the Royals Hall of Fame in 1992.

The Bullet Points

Position: Short Stop
Acquired: Traded from the Pittsburgh Pirated with Bruce Dal Canton and Jerry May for Jim Campanis, Jackie Hernandez and Bob Johnson 12/2/70.
Departed:
Signed as a Free Agent by the California Angels 12/5/79.
Games Played: 1245
Notable Statistics: 571 Runs Scored
1,036 Hits
182 Doubles
41 Triples
28 Home Runs
382 Runs Batted In
336 Stolen Bases
.241/.309/.321 Slash Line
20.5 bWAR

14 Games
8 Runs Scored
15 Hits
1 Double
1 Triple
1 Home Run
11 Runs Batted In
0 Stolen Bases
.306/.327/.510 Slash Line
Major Accolades and Awards:
All-Star (1972, 1976 & 1978)
Highest Defensive bWAR (1972)
Most Triples (1971)
Most Stolen Bases (1971)
Most Total Zone Runs (1972)
Most Assists (1972)
Most Putouts by a Shortstop (1971)
Most Assists by a Shortstop (1972)
Most Double Plays Turned by a Shortstop (1971, 1972, 1973 & 1974)
Most Total Zone Runs by a Shortstop (1972)
Highest Range Factor per Game a Shortstop (1972 & 1973)