Royals All Time All-Star Team – Part Two

courtesy of sports.yahoo.com

Closer: Dan Quisenberry (3)

These days, Quisenberry would be an afterthought. A soft tossing submariner, if he was to even make a major league bullpen, Quisenberry would likely be a right handed specialist, coming in to get a ground ball or to get out a tough right handed bat as he would face one or two hitters.

However, for most of the 1980’s, Dan Quisenberry was simply the best closer in baseball. Not only did Quiz make three consecutive All-Star games, but he also finished in the top three in the Cy Young Award vote each year from 1982 through 1985. His 1984 season, where Quisenberry went 6-3 with a 2.67 ERA and 44 saves, was good enough where he finished third in the MVP vote, garnering five first place votes and finishing ahead of such players as Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield.

For his career in Kansas City, Quisenberry posted a 51-44 record with a 2.55 ERA and 238 saves. Not a strikeout artist by any stretch of the imagination, Quisenberry only struck out 3.1 batters per nine innings, but allowed only 1.4 walks during that time. With the Royals, Quisenberry gave up one home run every 18 innings, relying upon his sinking fastball and ability to induce weak contact to get outs.

Jeff Montgomery also had three All-Star appearances, and Greg Holland may surpass them both in the next couple of years, but Quisenberry was a unique closer, even back then. Until Holland passes him, Dan Quisenberry gets to close out games for the All Time Royals All-Star Team.