First Gloves: John Mayberry

For the first four years they existed, the Kansas City Royals played in a pretty neutral ballpark. They’d inherited Municipal Stadium, the old home of the A’s and the Monarchs before them, and it played pretty evenly for both pitchers and hitters. Despite that, right from the beginning, the Royals built their team as if they were playing someplace else.

That’s because someplace else was already being built. The plans for Kauffman Stadium, or just Royals Stadium as it was known then, had already been approved and ground had been broken before the Royals ever played a game. The front office already knew they’d eventually be playing in a big park with artificial turf and it would be hard to hit homers there. And that fact guided the team’s style on the field.

Here’s how the team ranked among the twelve American League teams in homers, steals, and defensive efficiency in their first three seasons:

• 1969: HR - 10th; SB - 2nd; DefEff - 7th

• 1970: HR - 12th; SB - 3rd; DefEff - 7th

• 1971: HR - 12th; SB - 1st; DefEff - 6th

It was a pretty clear strategy; field a team without much power but with great speed, who were at least average defensively. This was the style that would be best suited to the big new ballpark they were constructing. Gap-hitting speedsters and good glove men were going to be their brand.

So why the hell did they trade for John Mayberry in December, 1972?