Kansas City Royals: Ten Best Seasons In Royals History

Best Seasons in Kansas City Royals History: 5. 1977 (102-60; Won Division, Lost ALCS 3-2)

1977 is the only season in Royals’ history that saw them win over 100 games in the regular season. It could be argued that this may have been the best Royals team of all-time.

The Royals were stacked that year. They had living legends in their prime in Frank White, George Brett, Amis Otis, Darrell Porter, and Hal McRae.

A young and often forgotten Al Cowens played probably the best year of his career that season. He played in all 162 games and led the team in home runs and RBIs. While he failed to make the All-Star game, he did finish second that season in MVP voting.

It was his lack of hitting in the postseason that probably accounts for him being one of the forgotten components of that 1977 team.

It was also one of the last seasons that fan favorite Freddie ‘The Flea’ Patek played before his decline began. He stole 53 bases that season, a career high.

1977 is also the year that the featured Hal McRae making one of his slides that would ultimately lead to the ‘Hal McRae Rule’. It also further fueled the rivalry between the Royals and the Yankees.

This play makes what Brett Lawrie did look like a tea party. By the time game five rolled around, the Royals and Yankees were at each others’ throats with a benches clearing brawl. With that fight coming in the first inning, it was going to be a knock down drag out fight to the finish.

This time the Royals went into the ninth inning only three outs away from their first World Series appearance.

The Yankees then did their best 2015 Royals impression and came from behind with their final few outs to send the Royals home for a second straight season.

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