Royals 2004 Star Series: Wrap

The 2004 Kansas City Royals were far from a good team. They finished the season with a dismal record of 58 wins and 104 losses. Despite their struggles, the team boasted a roster that included a mix of past and future All-Stars:
  • Zack Greinke
  • Carlos Beltran
  • Benito Santiago
  • Juan Gonzalez
  • Jose Bautista
  • Mike Sweeney
However, the Royals' pitching staff, outside of Zack Greinke, was particularly lackluster. Greinke, starting his career in 2004, made his MLB debut on May 22nd against the Athletics. Despite a promising start, his chance to become the youngest player to earn a win in the majors at the age of 20 was spoiled by a blown save from closer Jeremy Affeldt. Nonetheless, Greinke went on to achieve significant success in his career, winning the CY Young Award in 2009, appearing in six All-Star Games, and earning six Gold Gloves, although he never secured a World Series ring.
Outfielder Carlos Beltran, unlike Greinke, expressed reluctance to leave Kansas City: "I cried like a baby that night," he recalled. Despite his emotional attachment to the Royals, he eventually moved on, achieving further success, including nine All-Star appearances and a 2017 World Series championship with the Houston Astros. His managerial stint with the Astros, however, was marred by involvement in the 2020 sign-stealing scandal.
Before Salvador Perez's tenure, the Royals struggled to find a reliable catcher. In 2004, they hoped for a resurgence from Benito Santiago, but the experiment failed, as the 39-year-old managed modest statistics before departing for the Pirates the following season.
The Royals front office continued to add former stars in hopes of making a playoff push, including outfielder Juan Gonzalez, who signed a one-year deal at age 34 but had a brief stint with the team, playing just 33 games. Despite a solid performance in those games, Gonzalez's return to form didn't materialize as expected.
Jose Bautista, who later became a thorn in the Royals' side during his tenure with the Blue Jays in 2015, briefly played for Kansas City in 2004 after being acquired via the MLB Rule 5 Draft. Despite a limited role and modest statistics during his short stint with the Royals, Bautista's career took off after leaving Kansas City, particularly during his standout years with the Blue Jays.
Finally, Mike Sweeney stood out as a consistent performer for the Royals throughout his career. Despite injuries, Sweeney's hitting prowess was a cornerstone for the team. His peak season came in 2000 when he played 162 games, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 79 RBIs. Despite the individual successes of these players, the Royals' overall performance was overshadowed by their poor pitching, which ranked among the worst in the league in 2004.
Following two disappointing seasons, including 2004, team owner David Glass hired former Braves assistant general manager Dayton Moore in 2006. Under Moore's leadership, the Royals experienced a resurgence, reaching two World Series and winning one in 2015.
In conclusion, the 2004 Royals remain a fascinating team due to their roster featuring multiple Hall of Famers and future stars who went on to have successful careers with other teams, despite enduring a difficult season.











Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Royals: Remembering a Murder Victim

Image
The Royals over the years have worn patches on their uniforms to remember tragic periods in American history including 9/11 and more. Kansas City in 2007 was stunned after learning that local teenager Kelsey Smith was abducted and murdered. The Royals wore light blue ribbons on their wrists in remembrance of the 18-year old after former manager Buddy Bell spoke to the Smith family.  Many Kansas Cityians remember the Kelsey Smith case well after the story of her abduction hit the local media and national media. On June 2, Smith was shopping at her local Target in Overland Park, KS looking for a picture frame for her boyfriend John Biersmith. While at Target, Smith's killer followed her throughout the store after noticing her at the jewelry counter. While Smith was in the checkout line, her abductor ran to his vehicle to grab his gun and waited for her to leave the store to grab her. The 18-year old was unable to fight off the kidnapper and was forced into her vehicle and
Read more

Tyler Duffey hit or miss signing for Royals

Image
The boys in blue are looking to boost the bullpen through the minor league free agent market, and Kansas City signed a familiar arm, Tyler Duffey, to a minor league pact. Duffey spent time in the Cubs’ organization last season; however, his last big league stint was with the Twins. The 32-year old was a member of the Twins pitching staff for seven seasons before signing with the Cubs last season. Duffey was designated for assignment by Minnesota on August 5 and released just two days later. The righthander, in my opinion, is a type of pitcher that could boost the pen next season. Last season, Duffey spent most of the season in Triple-A. While in Iowa, Duffey appeared in 36 games and threw a total of 45.1 innings. Duffey started two games for Iowa last season. The decision for the Twins to move on from Duffey was difficult for the organization and rightfully so. The organization had plenty to say about Duffey following his departure from the team. Twins manager Rocco Baldell
Read more

A well traveled arm could boost the Royals’ pen

Image
Kansas City will likely be signing many pitchers to minor league deals this offseason. Spring Training this season will be fun to watch as many arms will be competing for a spot in a wide open bullpen. Matt Wisler in my opinion would fit the Royals’ bullpen perfectly, and he would be cheap. Wisler and the Kansas City coaching staff are familiar with each other. The veteran righthander was a member of the Rays’ bullpen in 2021 along with 2022, and he had good numbers. Wisler's time with Tampa Bay came to a surprising end after being designated for assignment in September of 2022. The 31-year old had good numbers while a member of the Rays bullpen staff. He posted an ERA of 2.25 with 35 punchouts in 44 innings pitched. Following the end of Wisler's tenure with the Ray, he signed minor league deals with the Tigers and the Blue Jays. Last season Wisler didn't see time in the big leagues while as a member of the Detroit and Toronto Triple-A affiliates. Wisler's t
Read more