Darin Watson

You are 23 years old. You are living your childhood dream, playing for the major league team in your home state, roughly an hour from your hometown. You made the Opening Day roster, even, going from Single-A ball to the majors in one offseason. And then, your body betrays you. Not exactly a physical ailment–that is understandable, just a part of sports. No, this is worse. Because it’s a little-known, barely-understood (even by doctors) neurological disorder. It’s been with you your whole life. And now, with the world at your fingertips, it is destroying your dream. The disorder is Tourette Syndrome. The player is Jim Eisenreich. And the story is inspiring. James Michael Eisenreich was born on April 18, 1959, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Born and raised there, in fact, he attended St. Cloud Tech High School and St. Cloud State University before the Minnesota Twins selected him in the 16th round of the 1980 June amateur draft. Eisenreich signed quickly and played in 67 games for the Elizabethton (Tennessee) Twins in the rookie-level Appalachian League. He did well, hitting .298/.386/.411, and was bumped up to single-A Wisconsin Rapids for a handful of games at the end of the season. In 1981, he returned to Wisconsin Rapids and was sensational, hitting .311/.407/.507 in 585 plate appearances. With the Twins undergoing a youth movement, they extended a non-roster invite to Eisenreich for spring training in 1982. They probably figured they’d get him some experience with the big leaguers. Instead, they got their Opening Day center fielder. Things went well for the first month of the season. The Twins weren’t great, but Eisenreich was hitting around .300 and had smacked a couple of home runs. But then, his lifelong affliction came to the forefront. During a three-game home series against Milwaukee, Eisenreich was removed early from each game, as he was hyperventilating. And then things got worse. The Twins were in Boston. Eisenreich was in center field. And when the tics began, the fans, who by now had read about the rookie’s issues in the newspapers, noticed. The taunts and jeers were too much, and Eisenreich left the game in the fourth inning. The next night, the same thing, except he was removed in the third game. The night after that, he told manager Billy Gardner he didn’t want to play. The team doctors tried different medications. Hypnosis was suggested. He went on the injured list for a few weeks as various remedies were tried. Finally, he found a medication that worked, but it made him tired, and he was not playing as well as he could. When he reduced the dosage, the symptoms returned. Ultimately, he played in 34 games, hitting .303/.378/.424 in 111 plate appearances. Eisenreich reported to spring training in 1983 ready to play, but after a couple of interviews early, he did not want to talk about his condition. “No one seemed able to help me. My attitude became, ‘If you can’t play Major League Baseball, so be it.’ That was tough to admit. Playing in the majors was my lifetime ambition. But I had to face reality, that maybe it wasn’t for me.” --Eisenreich, quoted by Bob Fowler, The Orlando Sentinel, February 22, 1983 But, despite a strong spring training, his struggles returned. After just two regular-season games, he decided to walk away from baseball, with plans to go back to college. The Twins, who had been supportive and understanding throughout, placed him on the disabled list, hoping they could change his mind. They were unsuccessful, at least until the offseason. He returned for spring training in 1984, but things went almost exactly as they did the year before. Good spring training, then the problems returned, and after 12 games, he wanted to walk away again. The Twins, who were now displeased that Eisenreich had changed medications on his own, finally reached a settlement with the player that placed him on the retired list. His career to this point might have been a sad footnote in baseball history. He returned to St. Cloud, getting his baseball fix in softball and semi-pro leagues, where he was, as you might expect, a star. Even better, he figured out the routine that would keep his symptoms at bay. One of his college teammates, Bob Hegman, was by now working in the Royals’ front office and recommended the team take a chance. Shortly after the 1986 season ended, the Royals claimed him for the waiver price of $1. Eisenreich began the 1987 season at double-A Memphis, where he proved he could still hit, posting a video-game-like .382/.469/.705 line in 324 plate appearances. The Royals, trying to hang in the division race with a mediocre offense, called him up in mid-June. He had only appeared in a few games when he got his storybook moment, delivering a pinch-hit double in the ninth for a walkoff win over Minnesota. Because he had suffered an elbow injury in spring training, Eisenreich did not play any outfield in 1987, serving as a DH and pinch-hitter and finishing the year with a .238/.278/.467 line. With the elbow injury and the inability to play outfield, it was tough to find regular playing time, but the important thing was that Eisenreich had proven he could last in the majors. Eisenreich made the Opening Day roster in 1988, but struggled mightily for three months before the Royals optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. He seemed to regain his batting stroke there, hitting .289/.327/.472, and hit .271/.295/.356 when he came back to the majors for 27 games. That might have been the turning point for his career. He enjoyed his finest season to date in 1989, hitting .293/.341/.448 and playing regularly, a total of 134 games. For the next three seasons, he would be a solid bat in the Royals’ lineup and a good glove in the outfield. The Royals let Eisenreich depart as a free agent following the 1992 season, but his career still had quite a bit of time left. He signed with Philadelphia and was their starting right fielder as they made a surprising run to the World Series. Eisenreich hit a three-run home run in Game 2, staking the Phillies to a 5-0 lead in a game they eventually won 6-4, but Toronto would win the Series on Joe Carter’s walkoff home run in Game 6. Eisenreich stayed in Philadelphia through 1996, then signed with the Florida Marlins before the 1997 season. He was now a backup outfielder and first baseman, but his timing was great again as the Marlins reached the World Series. This time, Eisenreich was on the winning side. Although he had only 11 plate appearances in the Series, he posted a .500 batting average, a home run, and 3 RBI. He was on second base when Edgar Renteria’s single scored the winning run and ended the Series in Game 7. Of course, the Marlins followed that title with a fire sale during the 1998 season, and in mid-May, Eisenreich was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the deal that made Mike Piazza a Marlin for about five minutes. A free agent after the season ended, Eisenreich discussed a return to the Royals, but the team, still in financial limbo after Ewing Kauffman’s death and under the control of a temporary ownership group, decided they couldn’t afford him. Like many former Royals, Eisenreich had maintained a home in the Kansas City area, so he stayed in the area. He and his wife had started a foundation for youth with Tourette syndrome in 1996, so that his family became his focus. For his career, Eisenreich finished with 1,160 hits and a .290/ 341/.404 batting line. It was a solid career that could easily have been derailed by his affliction, but he was able to overcome that.

With his recent retirement from broadcasting, it seems like a good time to look back at the career of Buck Martinez. Martinez will likely be remembered as a Blue Jay by most baseball fans due to his long association with the franchise. He played for Toronto from 1981-1986, then worked as a broadcaster for the team in stints from 1987-2000 and 2010-2025. He even managed the Blue Jays in 2001 and 2002. But Martinez was a Royal for many years. And he’s an original Royal, part of the expansion 1969 squad. Although he never played more than 95 games in a season in Kansas City, he was a part of the team’s growth from an expansion team to a division winner. John Albert Martinez was born on November 7, 1948, in Redding, California. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Spain, while his mother was part of the Karuk Tribe of northern California. Martinez was playing amateur baseball in Sacramento when future Royals manager Joe Gordon, then scouting for the California Angels, noticed him. Gordon recommended the Angels sign him, but Philadelphia beat them to the punch. However, the Houston Astros selected Martinez in the Rule 5 draft in 1968. Two weeks later, they sent him to the Royals (with two minor leaguers) in return for minor league catcher Johnny Jones. Gordon, set to manage the initial Royals team, had his man. It was a small example of the shrewd trades the Kansas City front office, headed by GM Cedric Tallis, made in the team’s early days, as Jones never made it past A-ball. Martinez was finishing his junior year at Sacramento State College and didn’t even join the Royals for spring training, but joined the major league team soon after his school year was over. He made his MLB debut on June 18, 1969, with a flyout as a pinch hitter. Less than two weeks later, on June 28, he made his first start behind the plate. It was a game to remember, as he hit his first major league home run, picked off a runner at second, and tagged out two runners at home, one of them a collision with Minnesota’s Bob Allison. All of this on a hot, humid Saturday afternoon that was brutal enough to send Twins third baseman Rick Renick to the hospital with heat exhaustion. Martinez ended the year with a .229/.258/.327 line in 214 plate appearances. Not too shabby for a rookie who didn’t even have spring training. He had impressed the team with his defense. But Martinez would barely get to play in 1970. He was optioned to Triple-A Omaha during spring training, as Ellie Rodriguez won the starting job and the team wanted Martinez to catch every day. But then Buck was called up… to active military duty. The Army stint lasted until early August. Martinez played in just six games for the Royals that year, then headed to Florida for Instructional League play and then on to Puerto Rico for winter ball, where he played for Frank Robinson on the Santurce club. Martinez reported to spring training in 1971 with his eyes on the starting job, although the Royals had acquired Jerry May from Pittsburgh in the same trade that brought Freddie Patek to Kansas City. Martinez did indeed make the Opening Day roster and even got the nod for the opener, as the Royals were facing a left-hander. But Martinez was soon returned to the minors because the Royals wanted him to play every day. He bounced back and forth between Kansas City and Triple-A Omaha, ending the year with 53 plate appearances for the Royals and a .152/.231/.196 mark. At least he made the American Association all-star team for Omaha. That obviously took some of the shine off his status as a prospect. Martinez spent the entire 1972 season in Omaha. Perhaps fighting off disappointment, he hit just .174/.299/.282 before a foul tip broke a bone in his right hand in mid-July. While Buck’s arm and defense had never been in question, his bat definitely was a concern. When Martinez was optioned to Omaha again at the end of spring training in 1973, he apparently took that decision better. He batted .272/.345/.382, earning a September callup. Although he only played in 14 games, he hit .250/.333/.375, putting him back on the Royals’ radar. In fact, Martinez had played in the minors for the last time. Hitting coach Charley Lau is most famous in Royals history for turning a poor-hitting rookie third baseman into George Brett, but he also helped Martinez turn his career around following that horrid 1972 season. “I had no rhythm, no timing, no feel for hitting the ball. We worked on it over and over – sometimes he’d even throw it to me underhanded, trying to get it right. Day after day, I’d be down in the cage, maybe some days taking 300, 400 swings. And finally, I saw where it was making a difference. I felt like it was just a matter of putting in the time, like if I’d go out and work on it seven, eight hours a day I would have it. And of course the beautiful thing about Charley… I mean, he never quits. If you show him a sincere effort and a willingness to learn, he’ll be out there with you until… it’s done." --Martinez, quoted by Gib Twyman, Kansas City Star, April 3, 1974 After five seasons, the Royals had finally sorted out their catcher situation, with Fran Healy the starter and Martinez now the backup. He played in 43 games, hitting just .215/.317/.290. But when he saw more regular action in September, with the team out of contention, he finished strong with a .261/.333/.413 mark in 51 plate appearances, nearly half his total for the season. The catching arrangement remained the same for 1975, although the rumor mill in spring training said the Royals were hoping for an upgrade on their backup. But Healy was injured in the first series of the season, and Martinez filled in capably, with a .242/.317/.352 line in 30 of the team’s 44 games through the end of May. Healy got injured again in July, allowing Martinez and Bob Stinson to split catching duties for basically the rest of the season. Martinez got the most starts behind the plate among the trio. As the 1976 season began, the status quo was still in place, with Healy the starter and Martinez and Stinson slated for backup duty. But things changed quickly, as the Royals dealt Healy to the New York Yankees in mid-May for pitcher Larry Gura. It turned out to be a great deal for the Royals, as Gura, who had fallen out of favor with Yankees manager Billy Martin and hadn’t even appeared in a game for the New Yorkers all season, would go on to win 111 games with Kansas City. It was also a great deal for Martinez, who now seemed to be the starter. Until, that is, he injured himself sliding into second base a few days later. Somehow, he managed to spike his own leg, requiring six stitches. The hit that resulted in the injury gave him an 11-game hitting streak. He returned to the lineup in early June and quickly re-established himself as the starter as the Royals battled for their first division title. His offensive numbers were still not outstanding (.228/.269/.356 in 295 plate appearances), but he continued to receive praise for his defense. He also performed well in the ALCS, with five hits in 16 plate appearances and four RBI, although the Royals lost the best-of-five series to the Yankees. But once again, change was coming to the Royals’ catcher position. After the season, Kansas City acquired Darrell Porter in a trade with Milwaukee. Porter, a left-handed hitter, offered more power and had been a highly-rated prospect a few years earlier, although his 1976 season had been a disappointment. The two started the season as a platoon, but Porter soon captured the job with a hot hitting start. As a result, Martinez appeared in only 29 games, and not at all in the ALCS. His Royals career came to an end when he was traded to St. Louis with pitcher Mark Littell for pitcher Al Hrabosky during the winter meetings. The Cardinals, the same day, shipped him to Milwaukee for pitcher George Frazier. Martinez was a Brewer for three seasons, then was traded to Toronto early in the 1981 season (a deal, incidentally, that kept Ned Yost on the Milwaukee roster). That began an association with the Blue Jays that lasted more than 40 years. But he should be remembered by Royals fans both as a member of the original team and the franchise’s first AL West title team.

“Come on, Chen!” It was June 4, 2010. An otherwise random Friday night game in an already-lost season, as the Royals entered the game at 22-33 on the year. But the first “Big Slick” charity event to raise money for Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital was held at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City’s favorite celebrity sons - Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, and Jason Sudeikis - were in town for the weekend with some of their show business friends. In a dugout suite, Royals television broadcaster Joel Goldberg attempted to interview some of them. But (a possibly inebriated) Will Ferrell kept hollering at the somewhat obscure pitcher on the mound. “Come on, Chen!” As social media was gaining steam, this moment quickly became a meme, at least among Royals fans. It helped that Bruce Chen was about to embark on the best three-season stretch of his career, with all three of those years in Kansas City as he helped stabilize a rotation that desperately needed dependable arms. Bruce Kastulo Chen was born on June 19, 1977, in Panama City, Panama. You might think “Chen” is an unusual surname for someone born in Panama, but there is an explanation. Many Chinese people fled their home country during a time of civil war in the 1920s, settling in Panama. One of those was Bruce’s grandfather, just a boy when his parents sent him (on his own!) to waiting relatives in Panama. Because he is Panamanian, Chen was not subject to the MLB draft. The Atlanta Braves signed him as an amateur free agent in 1993, just days after he turned 16. He didn’t exactly have a quick climb through the minors, but he did make his major league debut on September 7, 1998. He was able to stick with Atlanta for the second half of the 1999 season, making a few starts but mostly pitching in relief. He pitched in 22 games for the Braves in 2000 before a July trade sent him to Philadelphia. This began the “bouncing around” portion of Chen’s career. A left-handed pitcher is always in demand, and Chen was traded again (to the Mets) in 2001, to the Expos in April 2002, to the Reds in June 2002, and was released by both the Reds and the Astros in 2003, eventually signing with the Red Sox. As a free agent after the season, he signed with Toronto but didn’t pitch in the majors for them, and was sent to Baltimore at the beginning of May 2004. Here, Chen finally found some stability. He only pitched in eight games for the Orioles in 2004, but performed well (2-1, 3.02 ERA) in seven starts. In 2005, with a spot in the rotation for the whole season, he had his best year to date, with a 13-10 record and 3.83 ERA. But he wasn’t as fortunate in 2006, going 0-5 with a 7.71 ERA in his first 10 starts before being demoted to the bullpen. He never did pick up a win that season, finishing 0-7 with a 6.93 ERA. In a case of unfortunate timing, Chen was a free agent after that season. He wound up signing a minor league deal with Texas, but made the Opening Day roster. However, he was soon sent to Triple-A, then sidelined by an elbow injury. The ensuing Tommy John surgery cost him the rest of the season and all of 2008. That led to another minor league deal, this time with the Royals. He finally returned to the majors in late June, and after a few rough outings, seemed to find his groove. Chen finished the year with a 1-6 record and 5.78 ERA, but Kansas City was interested enough to re-sign him, again on a minor league deal, in the offseason. Chen started the year at triple-A Omaha, but was with the Royals before the end of April, as the bullpen had a disastrous beginning to the year. The start where “Come on, Chen!” was born was actually just his second one of the year (by the way, Ferrell’s exhortations helped; Chen outdueled a young Max Scherzer for the win). Roughly a month later, he gave Royals fans a thrill by taking a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Angels. A one-out home run in the eighth ended that, but Chen and the Royals still picked up a win. At the end of the season, Chen led Royals starters in wins (12) and ERA (4.17, tied with Zack Greinke). His final start of the year was another memorable one, as he notched his first career shutout with a 7-0 blanking of Tampa Bay. The 12 wins were the most by a Royals southpaw since Charlie Leibrandt won 13 and Floyd Bannister won 12 in 1988. Chen was granted the Joe Burke Special Achievement award by the Kansas City chapter of the BBWAA. He also received another contract, this one a major league deal, for the 2011 season. And Chen once again delivered. He led the starters in wins (12, again) and ERA (3.77 this time), although a strained back muscle limited him to 25 starts. Still, he received the Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year award from the KC BBWAA voters. Royals fans perhaps didn’t realize it at the time, but the core of the 2014-15 teams was assembling at the major-league level. But the position players were arriving before the pitchers, so Chen was a valuable stabilizing force in a rotation that no longer had Greinke, as he had been traded to Milwaukee in the offseason. The Royals were happy to once again re-sign Chen, this time on a two-year contract. And Chen continued to be an anchor in a still-unsettled rotation in 2012, leading the majors with 34 starts, including the honors on Opening Day. He also tossed the second-most innings of his career (191 ⅔). He did pick up the most strikeouts of his career, with 140. But home runs were a problem; Chen allowed 33 long balls, up from 18 the year before. That led to his ERA jumping to 5.07. The Royals upgraded their rotation for 2013, bringing in Wade Davis, Ervin Santana, and James Shields. With mid-year acquisition Jeremy Guthrie already in the fold, and some spring training struggles on top of that, Chen found himself squeezed out of the rotation to start the year. To his credit, he quickly found his niche in the bullpen, maintaining a 2.41 ERA into early July. With Luis Mendoza struggling, Chen rejoined the rotation. He went 6-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 15 starts down the stretch as Kansas City, for the first time in a decade, played meaningful games in September. Although the Royals missed out on the postseason, things looked promising for 2014. The Royals again re-signed Chen, this time to a one-year deal for 2014 with a mutual option for 2015. He began the 2014 season in the rotation but, at the end of April, was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back. He would miss two months with that ailment, then struggled in his return. He did pick up a win over Chicago on July 22, tying him with Mariano Rivera for the most major league wins by a Panamanian pitcher (82). Unfortunately, that would be his last career win. After more struggles in the bullpen, the Royals designated Chen for assignment at the end of August. Chen signed with Cleveland ahead of the 2015 season, but after two poor performances, he announced his retirement. It was a disappointing ending to a career, but still, he had accomplished a lot. He pitched in the World Baseball Classic four times: for Panama in 2006 and 2009 and for China in 2013 and 2017. He played for 17 seasons in the majors, mentoring future Royals stars like Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura (Chen served as Ventura’s interpreter for much of his time in KC); earning an AL championship ring; and winning the admiration of Royals fans. And of course, becoming a meme, thanks to Will Ferrell.

Let’s face it, managing the Kansas City Royals has not always been the easiest job in baseball. There have been a lot of down years when no mere mortal could have led the team to the playoffs, let alone a winning record. But the franchise has also been led by some excellent skippers. Here is a look at them. Joe Gordon (1969) Managerial record: 69-93 The expansion Royals embarked on their maiden voyage with a tremendous former player at the helm. Gordon was a nine-time All-Star during his playing days as a second baseman for the Yankees and Indians, and he won the 1942 AL MVP award. Gordon had managed Cleveland, Detroit, and the Kansas City A’s (briefly) but had not been a skipper since 1961. After one season with the Royals, he decided he’d had enough and stepped aside, although he continued working for the team as a scout for the next two years. Gordon was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a player in 2009. Fun fact: Gordon was apparently quite the violin player; he played with the Portland Symphony Orchestra when he was still a teenager. Charlie Metro (1970) Managerial record: 19-33 Metro was hired by Kansas City as director of player procurement ahead of the expansion draft and took over as manager for the 1970 season. But Metro was a very old-school manager; he yanked reigning Rookie of the Year Lou Piniella from a spring training game for what the skipper felt was a lack of hustle. Metro’s strict ways quickly lost the team, and he was fired after just 52 games. Fun fact: Born in Pennsylvania to Ukrainian immigrants, Metro’s birth name was Charles Moreskonich. His father’s given name was Metro; after years of being called Little Metro, the son legally changed his last name to Metro. Like his father, Charlie worked in the coal mines; unlike his father, baseball gave him a way out. Bob Lemon (1970-1972) Managerial record: 207-218 Lemon was a teammate of Gordon’s in Cleveland and was even briefly managed by Gordon in 1958. A seven-time All-Star as a pitcher, Lemon had been a successful minor-league manager before becoming Kansas City’s pitching coach ahead of the 1970 season. He took over when Metro was fired, and posted a 46-64 record the rest of the way. Kansas City, in just its third season of play, would finish 1971 with an 85-76 record. But after the team fell back to 76-78 in the 1972 season, owner Ewing Kauffman decided he would like a younger manager (Lemon was only 51 at the end of the season). Lemon was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a player in 1976. Fun fact: Lemon was a good enough hitter that he actually reached the majors as an outfielder. But he wasn’t a good enough hitter to stay an everyday player, and was soon moved to the mound. He was still used as a pinch-hitter occasionally and ended his career with 37 home runs. Jack McKeon (1973-1975) Managerial record: 215-205 As Kauffman wished, McKeon was nearly a full decade younger than Lemon when he became manager; he was 42 when the 1973 season began. McKeon had been managing the triple-A Omaha Royals since the team began play in 1969, leading them to league titles in their first two seasons. McKeon’s first year in the majors was mostly a success, with an 88-74 mark and a second-place finish, six games behind Oakland. But KC slipped to 77-85 in 1974, and McKeon alienated many players by trying to fire popular hitting coach Charley Lau. McKeon’s relationship with the team continued to deteriorate (star pitcher Steve Busby threatened to quit the team at one point), and McKeon was fired in late July of 1975. Fun fact: McKeon was hardly done managing; he would skipper Oakland, San Diego, Cincinnati, and two different stints with Florida. He led the Marlins to the 2003 World Series title and served as an interim manager in 2011 at the age of 80. Whitey Herzog (1975-1979) Managerial record: 410-304 With McKeon out, the Royals turned to California’s third-base coach. Herzog had played for the Kansas City A’s and still had a home in Independence, just a few minutes from Royals Stadium. Herzog’s first act was bringing Lau back to the team (he had been working as the team’s roving minor league hitting coach). The Royals went 41-25 the rest of the 1975 season, although they couldn’t catch Oakland. But the next three years were different, as Kansas City captured three straight AL West titles, including the franchise’s lone 100-win season in 1977. However, the Royals also lost three straight AL Championship Series, each time to the Yankees. Never afraid to speak his mind, Herzog followed up a couple of those ALCS losses with public complaints about ownership’s refusal to spend money for free agents (particularly in the bullpen, which had proven to be the razor-thin difference between the Royals and Yankees in a couple of those series). When the Royals dropped to 85-77 in 1979 and missed the playoffs, Herzog was let go. Fun fact: Naturally, Herzog was not unemployed for long. The St. Louis Cardinals hired him partway through the 1980 season. He was then promoted to general manager and then named himself manager for the 1981 season. That made him the first person to hold both jobs in the majors simultaneously since Connie Mack in 1950. Herzog’s managerial success led to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. Jim Frey (1980-1981) Managerial record: 127-105 Frey spent the 1970s as a coach for Earl Weaver’s very strong Baltimore Orioles teams. The Kansas City job was his first managerial role in the majors. Unlike many new managers, he stepped into an enviable situation, heading a good team and expected to win. He also inherited George Brett, who was about to have a season for the ages, making his run at a .400 batting average. The Royals coasted to the AL West title, then finally vanquished the Yankees in the ALCS. But in a close, hard-fought World Series, they came up short against Philadelphia. Frey drew some heavy criticism both inside and outside the locker room for his pitching decisions in the Series; in particular, he basically ignored 14-game winner Paul Splittorff in favor of Rich Gale, who was pulled in the fifth inning of his Game Three start and in the third inning of Game Six. The Royals then went 20-30 before a players’ strike interrupted the 1981 season. After play resumed in August, the team continued to tread water. Twenty games into the second half, Frey was fired. Fun fact: Frey was a childhood, high school, and American Legion ball teammate of Don Zimmer. After Kansas City, Frey’s next managerial post was with the Chicago Cubs (he was their manager when they won the NL East in 1984, their first postseason appearances since 1945). When Frey became Chicago’s general manager before the 1988 season, he hired Zimmer to manage the team. Dick Howser (1981-1986) Managerial record: 404-365 In a fun twist, the Royals helped make Howser available to become their skipper. Howser’s first managerial job in the bigs was leading the New York Yankees to 103 wins in 1980. But after Kansas City swept the Yankees in the ALCS, New York owner George Steinbrenner demanded that third base coach Mike Ferraro be fired. Howser refused, so Steinbrenner fired him (but kept Ferraro). Months later, Howser was in the KC dugout in place of Frey. Under Howser, the Royals finished the 1981 season with a 20-13 mark, sneaking into the Division Series necessitated by the split-season format. KC was quickly swept out of the playoffs by Oakland. The Royals fell just short of the AL West title in 1982, then suffered through a horrible 1983–a losing record, 20 games back of Chicago in the division, and a drug scandal that saw four players get arrested. But with almost an entirely new rotation, Howser and the Royals somehow won the West in 1984. Again, they were swept out of the playoffs, this time by Detroit. Of course, they followed that up with a World Series win over St. Louis in 1985. But shortly after the 1986 All-Star Game, doctors discovered that Howser had a brain tumor. He missed the rest of the season, then made a brief attempt to return in spring training for the 1987 season. But he was in no condition to continue, so he resigned. On June 17, 1987, Howser passed away at the age of 51. Fun fact: Howser played at Florida State and returned to manage the Seminoles for one season before getting the Yankees job. The stadium at FSU is named in his honor. Mike Ferraro (1986) Managerial record: 36-38 Ferraro had the unenviable task of taking over when Howser’s brain tumor was discovered. The Royals went 36-38, which seems pretty good considering the circumstances. But the Royals fired him and hitting coach Lee May shortly after the season ended, an odd move since the plan was for Howser to return in 1987. Billy Gardner (1987) Managerial record: 62-64 Gardner was initially hired as Ferraro’s replacement as third base coach. Since Gardner had previous managerial experience (he skippered the Minnesota Twins from 1981 to 1985), perhaps he was brought in as insurance in case Howser couldn’t return. That’s precisely what happened. Gardner had also managed in the Royals’ minor leagues in the 1970s, so he was not a stranger to the organization. However, his time as Kansas City's manager was unsuccessful. Unlike many short-term managerial appointments, Gardner did not lose the clubhouse by being a dictator. Rather, team management felt he was too nice. The Royals were expected to compete for a division title, and they were technically doing that, at 3 ½ games out of first when Gardner was fired on August 26. But the team’s 62-64 record was a disappointment, and Gardner was axed. Fun fact: While Gardner was managing the Twins, he lived in two hotel rooms at a Super 8 motel near the Metrodome. He also kept an offseason job doing p.r. for a company near his offseason home in Connecticut. John Wathan (1987-1991) Managerial record: 287-270 “Duke” (so nicknamed for his spot-on John Wayne impression) had barely retired as a player after 10 years with the Royals before he got the managerial post; his last game as a player was Game Seven of the 1985 World Series. After joining the Royals’ coaching staff for the 1986 season, he began 1987 as the manager at Triple-A Omaha. But when Gardner was canned, Wathan was promoted. The Royals went 21-15 the rest of the season but still missed the playoffs. Kansas City followed that with 84- and 92-win seasons. It appeared to be ready to challenge Oakland for the division title in 1990, particularly after an offseason spending spree that brought in reigning NL Cy Young winner Mark Davis and 19-game winner Storm Davis (no relation). But the Royals got off to a miserable start and never recovered, finishing 75-86. When the Royals continued to struggle at the beginning of 1991, Wathan was fired. Fun fact: In 1982, Wathan stole 36 bases, breaking a major-league record Ray Schalk set in 1916. The record still belongs to Wathan. Hal McRae (1991-1994) Managerial record: 286-277 The Royals went back to the “former player” well by hiring McRae, who had been widely regarded as a team leader pretty much since Kansas City acquired him from Cincinnati in 1972. The Royals went 66-58 for the remainder of the 1991 season. But they began the 1992 season with a horrific 1-16 stretch; although they were better than .500 the rest of the way (74-70), the damage was done. Another slow start in 1993 (7-12) led to one of the most famous postgame press conferences in baseball history, as McRae erupted, throwing just about anything in his office that wasn’t nailed down. But the Royals recovered to post a respectable 84-78 record. The team got off to a better start in 1994 but was only around .500 when, in late July, they rattled off a 16-game winning streak. However, the season ended when the players went on strike, and McRae was fired about a month later. Curiously, the rationale was that the team wanted a manager who would work well with young players. No less an authority than George Brett had long credited McRae with teaching the 1970s Royals how to win. Fun fact: McRae was the fifth Black manager in major league history. He also joined a select group by managing his son, Brian, who was drafted by the Royals while Hal was still an active player. Bob Boone (1995-1997) Managerial record: 181-206 For the third manager in a row, the Royals chose someone who had played for the team. Boone ended a stellar career with two seasons in Kansas City (1989-1990). The Royals, who were dumping as much salary as they could following the double whammy of the strike and owner Ewing Kauffman’s passing, put together a decent season in 1995, finishing 70-74. They finished 75-86 in 1996 and were hovering around .500 midway through 1997 when they began a stretch where they lost 16 of 17, including 13 in a row. Boone was fired after the ninth straight loss, with the Royals at 36-46. Fun fact: Boone’s next managerial post was in Cincinnati, where he joined McRae in the “fathers managing their sons” club. Aaron Boone was the Reds’ third baseman when Bob got the job in 2001. The elder Boone’s tenure there lasted into the 2003 season; Aaron was traded away just days after Bob was fired. Tony Muser (1997-2002) Managerial record: 317-431 Muser was the Cubs’ hitting coach when the Royals hired him. The teams he managed in Kansas City were never good. Still, it was at least an interesting period in team history as players like Carlos Beltran, Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, and Mike Sweeney arrived in the majors and established themselves. Of course, none of those guys were pitchers, and that proved to be Muser’s downfall. Kansas City’s high-water mark under Muser was a 77-85 record in 2000, when they scored 879 runs (still the franchise record) but allowed 930 (the team record at the time). After a 67-95 mark in 2001, Muser was on the hot seat. An 8-15 start in 2002 brought his tenure to an end. Fun fact: Well, maybe not that fun. When Muser was a coach for the Brewers in 1986, a natural gas explosion at the team’s spring training facility in Arizona resulted in Muser being burned on over half his body. He did not return to the dugout until mid-May. Tony Pena (2002-2005) Managerial record: 198-285 An exuberant native of the Dominican Republic, Pena is probably most remembered by Royals fans for his antics as much as for his team’s records. The 2002 team he took over became the first one in franchise history to lose 100 games. But the following season, with Pena spending all of spring training projecting optimism, the team stormed out to a 16-1 start and stayed in the AL Central race until late September. The “Nostros Creemos” (“We Believe”) Royals were a rare bright spot in the dark ages of Royals history, and Pena was named Manager of the Year in the AL. But, with actual expectations, the 2004 team never got going and finished with 104 losses. At one point that season, in an odd attempt to lighten the mood, Pena hopped in the shower after a game, in full uniform. When the Royals started slowly in 2005, Pena resigned after 33 games. Fun fact: Pena was the third Dominican native in major league history to become a manager, and along with Luis Pujols of Detroit, the first to manage against another Dominican skipper. Buddy Bell (2005-2007) Managerial record: 174-262 Bell had managed the Tigers for two seasons and most of a third, then the Colorado Rockies for two seasons and 22 games, but was part of Cleveland’s coaching staff when the Royals hired him. Bell thus had a front-row seat for Kansas City’s epic 19-game losing streak that started in late July. The 2006 team lost its first two games, then won two, then lost 11 straight. After loss number 10, Bell uttered a quote that summed up Royals baseball from 1995-2012: “I never say it can’t get worse.” And the team proved him correct, losing 100 games for the third straight season. Even worse, Bell missed the final two weeks of the season after doctors diagnosed him with throat cancer. But he recovered and managed the 2007 season before resigning. Fun fact: Like Boone before him, Bell was part of a three-generation major-league family. His father, Gus, played 15 seasons, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds. His sons, David and Mike, played in the bigs as well; Buddy was the bench coach for Cleveland when David reached the majors with the Indians. Trey Hillman (2008-2010) Managerial record: 152-207 In an outside-the-box move, the Royals hired Hillman based on his managerial success in Japan, where he had piloted the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to titles in 2006 and 2007. They were hardly the only ones interested, as Hillman had been considered by Texas, San Diego, and the Yankees. The Royals won 75 games in 2008, their best mark since 2003, but fell off the next season. A 12-23 start to the 2010 season cost him his job. Fun fact: Hillman did not manage again until he was hired by the Korean KBO league’s SK Wyverns in 2016. That made him the first person to manage in MLB, Nippon Professional Baseball, and the KBO. He then became the first foreign manager to win a KBO title in 2018, making him the only manager ever to hold both the Korean Series and Japan Series titles. Ned Yost (2010-2019) Managerial record: 746-839 Yost, who the Milwaukee Brewers famously fired during a pennant race in 2008, joined KC’s front office before the 2010 season. Soon enough, he was back in the dugout. As the Royals began bringing the core of the 2014-15 teams to the majors, Yost often took the heat for the youngsters’ growing pains. He also came under fire for his handling of relief pitchers. But Yost went from embattled to beloved as the Royals challenged for a playoff spot in 2013, then went on a scintillating run to the World Series in 2014, and capped it off with the title in 2015. After most of the core of those teams left in free agency, Yost stuck around for a couple of lean years in 2018 and 2019 before retiring. He is now an adviser to Royals GM J.J. Picollo. Yost is the longest-tenured manager in team history, as well as the winningest (and losing-est). Fun fact: Yost was good friends with NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. and changed his uniform number to 3 after Earnhardt’s death in a crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Mike Matheny (2020-2022) Managerial record: 165-219 Matheny, like Yost, had a position in the Royals’ front office before taking over in the dugout. Matheny had managed St. Louis for six seasons before being let go halfway through his seventh, with the 2013 NL pennant to his credit. But he couldn’t duplicate that success in Kansas City, with a high-water mark of 74 wins in 2021. The Royals fired general manager Dayton Moore late in the 2022 season, and Matheny was let go after the season ended. Fun fact: When the Cardinals hired Matheny before the 2012 season, he had no professional coaching or managerial experience (of course, he played in the majors for 13 seasons). He then became the first manager in MLB history to reach the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. Matt Quatraro (2023-present) Managerial record: 224-262 Quatraro was Tampa Bay’s bench coach before taking over in Kansas City. His first year was rough, as the Royals tied the franchise record for losses in a season with 106. But with an upgraded rotation, Quatraro guided Kansas City to its first playoff appearance in almost a decade in 2024 and a Wild Card Series win over Baltimore. The 2025 season was something of a letdown, but Quatraro still guided the team through a bunch of injuries to a winning record, the first time since 2014-15 the Royals had two straight winning seasons. Fun fact: Quatraro, perhaps unexpectedly given his quiet, analytical nature, is a fan of the Grateful Dead.

On Opening Day of the 2003 season, the Royals entered the ninth inning clinging to a 3-0 lead over the Chicago White Sox. The previous year, Kansas City had lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history; a win would be a most welcome sight for Royals fans. Chicago had the heart of a dangerous order coming to the plate. But Jose Valentin lined out. Frank Thomas struck out looking on a filthy slider. And Magglio Ordonez grounded out meekly. Although it was not his major league debut, this was how most Royals fans were introduced to Mike MacDougal. Robert Meiklejohn MacDougal was born on March 5, 1977, in Las Vegas, to parents Tom and Dorothy, both of whom were teachers. Tom had pitched a couple of seasons in the minors before beginning his career in education. After attending Mesa (Arizona) High School, the younger MacDougal was chosen by Baltimore in the 22nd round of the 1996 draft. He decided not to sign and instead attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina. The Orioles drafted him again, this time in the 12th round in 1998. With college eligibility left, he again decided not to sign. It was a good bet. After a successful senior season that included a no-hitter against Duke, MacDougal was named a first-team All-American. The Royals used the 25th overall pick in the 1999 draft to select the lanky right-hander. MacDougal breezed through the minors, with 11 starts in Low-A Spokane in 1999, then 25 in High-A Wilmington and two in Double-A Wichita in 2000. After 27 starts for Triple-A Omaha in 2001, MacDougal was called up to the majors near the end of the 2001 season. Although the Royals had only brought him to Kansas City after Omaha’s season ended to work with pitching coach Al Nipper, a series of injuries led the team to activate him. In his first big-league start, he pitched 4 ⅓ innings against the White Sox, allowing six hits and three runs. His next two starts were somewhat better, and it looked like he would be a candidate for the rotation to start 2002. But a freak accident nearly derailed his career. On October 4, the Royals were hosting Cleveland for their final home game of the season. In the fourth inning, Carlos Beltran lost his grip on his bat while swinging. The bat hit MacDougal, who had been leaning on the dugout railing. Although he never lost consciousness, he was taken to a hospital, where he spent the night in intensive care. He had suffered a fractured skull from the bat, with a crack just above his left temple. Even worse, the injury caused numbness in his right hand, a malady that lasted into the following spring. It’s hard to throw a baseball when you can’t feel it. MacDougal struggled through spring training in 2002, ultimately being optioned to Omaha before Opening Day. Midway through the season, he was bumped down to Wichita. His control started to come back as the numbness subsided, and he was able to make it back to the majors as a September call-up, pitching in relief six times. Following a strong showing in winter ball in Puerto Rico, where he was regularly topping 100 mph on the radar gun, MacDougal earned the closer role with a strong spring training in 2003. He hit the ground running as the Royals got off to a surprising 16-3 start, including a 9-0 run to start the season. MacDougal had 10 saves by the end of April, quickly earning the nickname “Mac the Ninth” and eventually made the All-Star team, although he did not appear in the game. He ended the year with 27 saves, a 3-5 record, and a 4.08 ERA. Again, MacDougal’s health betrayed him. During spring training in 2004, he suffered a stomach ailment that cost him several pounds on an already slight frame and a few ticks off his fastball. He opened the season on the disabled list and wasn’t activated until late April. He was wild and ineffective when he returned, and was demoted to Omaha just a few weeks later. Then the elbow soreness started. After some more struggles, he was demoted again, this time to Wichita. Here, he seemed to regain his fastball and his control, and was again a September call-up. Although he did not resume closing duties, he was effective in eight games, salvaging something from a disaster of a season. MacDougal enjoyed a much better 2005 season. He did not begin the year as a closer, but reclaimed it in late May after injuries to Jeremy Affeldt and Ambiorix Burgos. It was another terrible year for the Royals, but MacDougal picked up 21 saves to go with a 5-6 record and 3.33 ERA. His role in 26 wins meant he played a part in nearly half the team’s total of 56. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: MacDougal headed to spring training as the presumptive closer, and then the injury bug got him again. This time, it was a strained right shoulder —a teres muscle injury, rather than the dreaded rotator cuff. But it was enough to cost him half of the 2006 season. In his second outing, he picked up his 50th career save as a Royal. It was also his last. Two weeks later, MacDougal was traded to the White Sox for two minor-league pitchers (Tyler Lumsden and Dan Cortes) as Chicago sought to upgrade their bullpen depth. MacDougal finished his time in Kansas City with a 10-14 record, those 50 saves, and a 3.88 ERA in 163 games. He remained in Chicago for nearly three seasons before the White Sox released him in 2009. He soon caught on with the Washington Nationals and wound up leading the team with 20 saves despite not joining them until early May. A free agent after the season, he signed with Florida but was released during spring training. He then began the bouncing-around phase of his career, going back to Washington’s organization, then to the St. Louis Cardinals, and finally to the Los Angeles Dodgers. When LA released him in May of 2012, his major-league career came to an end, although he would pitch in the minor leagues for two more years and five different franchises. In his post-playing days, MacDougal seems to be participating in a community outreach program run by his father-in-law’s waste management company near Philadelphia. He works with youth, sharing his story of returning to the majors after his skull fracture. He was also inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.