Greg Holland rose up the ranks in the Kansas City Royals organization where he was designed to be a reliever from the get-go.  With his reliable four-seam fastball, Holland would never start a game for KC but would work his way from middle relief to the full-time closer’s role when Jonathan Broxton was traded to Cincinnati on July 31, 2012.  It proved to be a wise trade for the Royals.

An original Kansas City Royal, Al Fitzmorris arrived to KC via the Expansion Draft and he would play eight seasons for the Royals.  In the first half of his run with Kansas City he would be in and out of the bullpen trying to find his groove but he would be promoted to a regular starter in 1973 and from 1974 to 1976 he would win 13 or more Games for the Royals and would win 70 overall against 48 Losses.

In 2004 David DeJesus finished 6th in American League Rookie of the Year voting and while that would be the closest he would come to winning an award in Major League Baseball he would have a productive run with Kansas City.  DeJesus would have three straight 155 Hits seasons (2007-09) and would lead the AL in being Hit by Pitches in 2006.  He would also have a .307 season (2008).

As a Royal, DeJesus batted .289 with 971 Hits.

David Cone would become known (right or wrong) as a “gun for hire”, a Pitcher who could get you over the hump.  While he was often a Cy Young contender the only time he did win the award was in 1994…when he was a member of the Kansas City Royals.