The Kansas City Royals have announced the seven former players who fans can vote for to enter their franchise Hall of Fame.
Those players are:
Carlos Beltran, Outfield: 1998-2004, 899 Hits, 123 Home Runs, 516 RBIs, .287/.352/483. Beltran won the American League Rookie of the Year in 1999 on the strength of a 22 Home Run/27 Stolen Base year. Beltran had three 170-Hit years for Kansas City and was an All-Star in 2004 after he was traded to the Houston Astros. Beltran is likely a future Hall of Famer, after stints with the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.
Billy Butler, Designated Hitter and First Base: 2007-14, 1,273 Hits, 127 Hone Runs, 628 RBIs, .295/.359/.449. Butler was an All-Star in 2012, and had two seasons for Kansas City where he managed 20 Home Runs and a .300 Batting Average. Butler also won the Silver Slugger in 2012.
Kyle Davies, Pitcher: 2007-11, 29-44, 5.34 ERA, 1.576 WHIP. Davies played five years with Kansas City and was a dependable starter.
Johnny Damon, Outfield: 1995-2000, 894 Hits, 65 Home Runs, 352 RBIs, .292/.351/.438. Damon’s career began with Kansas City, where he would lead the American League in Rus Scored (136) and Stolen Bases (46) in his final year as a Royal. He would later win a World Series Ring with the Boston Red Soc in 2004.
Jeremy Guthrie, Pitcher: 2012-15, 41-34, 4.38 ERA, 1.365 WHIP. Guthrie won 15 Games in 2013, and pitched at least 200 Innings that year and the year after. Guthrie also helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series.
Luke Hochevar, Pitcher: 2007-16, 46-65, 4.98 ERA, 1.340 WHIP. Hochevar played his entire Major League career in Kansas City, and he was a reliever on the team that won the 2015 World Series.
Yordano Ventura, Pitcher: 2013-16, 38-31, 3.89 ERA, 1.344 WHIP. Another member of the 2015 World Series Championship, Ventura was in Kansas City’s starting rotation for three seasons, all of which saw him win at least 11 Games. Ventura was killed in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic in January of 2017.
You can vote for this year’s class here.
Unlike the Cardinals Hall of Fame, which we discussed yesterday, the winner of the on-line vote does not gain automatic entry. It will count as three votes towards the total. The other voters are:
All living members of the Royals Hall of Fame
Select members of Royals Front Office Staff
Royals Associates with 15 years or more service
Select members of the Kansas City Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America
Select Kansas City electronic media members
According to the Royals.com site, the qualifications are as follows:
To qualify for the Royals Hall of Fame, players must have been active in the Major Leagues at some time during a period beginning twelve years before and ending three years or more prior to election. Eligible players that received a minimum of ten percent (10%) of the vote in the most recent prior election cycle remain on the ballot for up to five cycles. All eligible players must have been active with the Kansas City Royals for at least three seasons and accumulated a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances or 300 innings pitched. Those eligible shall have ceased to be an active on-field member of the Kansas City Royals (or for any other Major League Organization) in the role for which they are being considered for at least three (3) calendar years preceding the election – but may be otherwise connected to the Royals or another Major League Organization.
Any eligible player receiving votes on seventy-five percent (75%) of the ballots cast will be deemed an elected Royals Hall of Fame member. To remain on the ballot for the next RHOF voting cycle, eligible players must receive a minimum of ten percent (10%) of the ballots cast. In odd-numbered years a separate Veterans Committee vote will consider the candidacy of non-player personnel and players who previously received Royals Hall of Fame Voting (Regular Phase) votes but are no longer eligible for election in that manner.
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