KC Royals: Historical roster of greats who briefly played in Kansas City
By Cullen Jekel
Third base, Gary Gaetti (Royals, 1993-1995)
Over a 20-year career, this former Northwest Missouri Bearcat accumulated more than 42 WAR as he made two All-Star teams and won four consecutive Gold Gloves from 1986-1986. A member of the Minnesota Twins team that won it all in 1987, Gaetti won the ALCS MVP that year after posting a .988 OPS in five games against the Tigers.
After spending the first decade of his career with the Twins, Gaetti spent the second one bouncing around between five teams, including the Royals, arriving in 1993. In 1995, he won a Silver Slugger after cranking 35 home runs and slugging .518, finishing 10th in MVP voting.
In 309 games with the Royals, Gaetti hit 61 home runs, drove in 199 RBI’s, hit 60 doubles, and slashed .267/.323/.491 for an OPS+ of 108.
Shortstop, Ernie Banks* (Monarchs, 1950 & 1953)
Before embarking on a 19-year, Hall-of-Fame career with the Chicago Cubs, that included two MVP Awards and two other top-three finishes as well as one Gold Glove and 14 All-Star selections, Ernie Banks played parts of two seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs.
He joined the Monarchs in 1950, and, according to the Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum, hit only .255 that season. Mr. Cub, as he’d later be known as, then spent two years in military service with the Army before returning for the 1953 season. Upon his return, he greatly improved, hitting .347.
Toward the end of the season, the Cubs came calling, purchasing Banks from the Monarchs before sending him directly to the majors, making him the club’s first ever black player. He played in only a handful of games for the Cubs in 1953, but showed a glimpse of the player he’d become, slashing .314/.385/.571 for a .956 OPS.
In 1955, he became the first ever shortshop to hit at least 40 home runs in a season when he clubbed 44 of them.
He then repeated the feat each season between 1957-1960, hitting 43, 47, 45, and 41 home runs, respectively. He finished his career with 512 home runs.
Banks made his last All-Star team in 1969, his last full season, at age 38 and playing first base. He hit 23 home runs and drove in 106 RBI’s.