Royals All Time All-Star Team – Part One

With the All-Star Game being played tomorrow, it is a good time to look back at some of the participants throughout the history of the Kansas City Royals. While some of those selections may have been questionable at best, that is because there were times when the Royals simply did not have a player truly worthy of the honor.

That is no longer the case. With Salvador Perez as one of the top catchers in baseball, and only 24 years old, the Royals are seemingly guaranteed to be represented by a true budding star for years to come. Greg Holland, since taking over as the Royals closer part way through the 2012 season, has established himself as one of the best in the game. Even though he is not going to play on Tuesday due to a sprained wrist, Alex Gordon may be the best all around player in Kansas City. All three players have made the All-Star team in each of the past two seasons, and may find themselves one day appearing on the Royals all time All-Star roster.

Who is on that list? Here is the first part of the Royals All Time All-Star Roster, as determined by the number of appearances made in the All-Star Game. Today, we will look at catcher and go around the infield, with the outfield, starting pitcher and closer for tomorrow.

1980 Topps Darrell Porter Baseball Card

Catcher: Darrell Porter (3)

As it turns out, Perez is already close to being on this list, as he is only one more All-Star appearance from tying Porter for the most times making the Mid-Summer Classic. However, Perez has a lot of work cut out for him to match porter in the percentage of All-Star seasons he had for the Royals, as Porter received the honor in three of his four seasons in Kansas City.

Overall in his career in Kansas City, Darrell Porter put together a .271/.375/.435 batting line, hitting 61 home runs with 301 RBIs. Porter also had a very good eye at the plate, walking 318 times against 260 strikeouts. During his time as a member of the Royals, Porter twice finished in the top ten in the American League MVP ballot, finishing as high as ninth in 1979, when he posted a .291/.421/.484 batting line with 20 home runs and a league leading 121 walks.

Porter was also a solid defensive catcher with an above average arm. In an era when stolen bases and running games were commonplace, Porter was routinely able to throw out more than 40% of would be basestealers, shutting down the opponents running game to the best of his ability. While Porter had problems with passed balls in during his career, he was still above average behind the dish.

With his overall abilities both behind and at the plate, Darrell Porter was a very good major league catcher. For the Royals, he was one of the best in the game during those four years.

2001 Fleer Tradition Mike Sweeney baseball card

First Base: Mike Sweeney (5)

For years, Mike Sweeney was *the* reason to watch the Kansas City Royals. A solid, if relatively unspectacular player, Sweeney was one of, if not the best player, on quite a few atrocious Kansas City Royals teams. As a result, Sweeney often found himself as the Royals token representative when it came to the All-Star Game, as he was the only player selected from the Royals in three of the five years he made the team.

Yet, Sweeney was more than just someone that was placed on the All-Star team because the Royals needed to be represented. He was, by Kansas City Royals standards, a power hitting first baseman who was capable of also hitting above .300 while playing decent defense at first. While Sweeney was not a Gold Glove caliber first baseman, he was not a complete liability with the glove either.

During his tenure with the Royals, Mike Sweeney posted a .299/.369/.492 batting line with 197 home runs and 837 RBIs. Sweeney was also a solid doubles hitter, with 297 during his time in Kansas City. Despite playing on some truly abysmal teams, Sweeney received MVP votes on three different occasions, finishing as high as eleventh in his first All-Star season in 2000, when he produced a .333/.407/.523 batting line with 29 home runs.

At a time when the Royals often got rid of their better players because they either could not or would not pay them, Sweeney was the one player who remained. It is only fitting that he made this list.

1988 Topps Big Frank White baseball card

Second Base: Frank White (5)

It is fitting that the greatest second baseman in Kansas City Royals history is also the second baseman on the All Time All-Star roster. One of the key pieces of the great Royals teams from the mid 1970’s through the mid 1980’s, White was able to do virtually anything at second for the Royals.

One of the all time greats in Kansas City baseball history, Frank White was an excellent offensive and defensive player. White, who spent his entire 18 year career with the Kansas City Royals, posted a .255/.293/.383 batting line, with 2006 hits, 160 home runs and 178 stolen bases. White even won a Silver Slugger award in 1986, when he posted a .272/.322/.465 slash line with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs.

While White was solid with the bat, he was also a stellar defensive player in Kansas City. His 21.4 defensive WAR ranks 39th all time, ahead of other excellent defensive players such as Dave Concepcion and Graig Nettles. That defensive prowess was recognized as White won eight Gold Glove awards, including six consecutive between 1977 and 1982. He was a rarity in an era of slick fielding middle infielders in that he could also swing a solid bat and was more than capable of doing damage on offense.

One of three Kansas City Royals to have their number retired, Frank White was truly one of the greats for the Royals. That greatness was on display during the All-Star Game as well, as White was a staple there during the Royals peak.

1973 Topps Freddie Patek baseball card

Shortstop: Freddie Patek (3)

Shortstop has not traditionally been a strong position for the Kansas City Royals during their 45 year history. In that time, only Freddie Patek and Kurt Stillwell have been selected for the All-Star Game, with Patek as the only Royals shortstop to make it more than once.

Patek was typical of what was expected from most middle infielders during that time frame. A slick fielding, slap hitting speedster, Patek never had more than six home runs in any major league season, finishing his career with 41 long balls. He was, however, adept at stealing bases, stealing more than 50 bags twice and just missing a third time with 49 in 1971.

For his career with the Royals, Freddie Patek produced a .241/.309/.321 batting line, hitting 182 doubles and stealing 336 bases. In his best season in 1971, Patek produced a .267/.323/.371 batting line with 49 steals, leading the league with eleven triples and finishing sixth in the MVP ballot. Of course, that season, Patek was not named to the All-Star team.

Essentially the typical middle infielder of his era, Patek was good enough to be recognized on the national stage for his abilities. As he paired with Frank White during the first half of the Royals heyday, it is only fitting that he joins his double play partner once again as a member of the Royals All Time All-Star Team.

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Third Base: George Brett (13)

Hardly a surprise, George Brett is the all time Royals leader in virtually every offensive category. The only player to win a batting title in three different decades and the only person to go into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the Royals, Brett is Kansas City baseball. He has stuck around after his playing career, becoming a part of the Royals front office and even serving a stint as the interim batting coach.

As for his playing career, what can be said about Brett that has not been said already? The only player in Royals history to win an MVP award, Brett finished his career in Kansas City with a .305/.369/.487 batting line with 317 home runs, 1596 RBIs, 201 stolen bases and 3154 hits. On top of his 13 All-Star appearances and his MVP award, Brett was a Gold Glove winner and a three time Silver Slugger.

In his final season in 1993, at age 40, George Brett still managed to produce a .266/.312/.434 slash rate with 19 home runs. Only three years before, at age 37, Brett led the American League with a .329 batting average and 45 doubles, finishing seventh in the MVP vote. For his career, Brett finished in the top ten on the MVP ballot five times, including four appearances third or higher.

No one epitomized the glory days of the Kansas City Royals quite like George Brett. The all time greatest player in Royals history, Brett is still watching over the organization as they seek to get back to those days.