Kansas City Royals Franchise Four Candidates

Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

George Brett

We all knew that George Brett would be on this list. As it is, 22 years after he had taken his last swing for the Kansas City Royals, Brett is still considered to be the Face of the Franchise. Even after his playing career ended a generation ago, he is still inspiring people to this day, even in the music world as a picture of Brett in National Geographic inspired the Lorde song ‘Royals.’

Brett’s qualifications are beyond argument. A career .305/.369/.487 hitter, Brett had 317 home runs, 1595 RBI and 3154 hits. Not only does Brett easily lead the Royals franchise in those categories, but he is also the all time leader in runs, doubles, triple and walks, while ranking fourth in stolen bases. Brett was truly a player who could do it all. Brett is also the only player to win a batting title in three different decades, doing so in 1976, 1980 and 1990, the latter at the age of 37.

That greatness was recognized throughout George Brett’s career. A 13 time All-Star, Brett was a three time Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove caliber third baseman and the MVP of the American League in 1980. Brett was a true superstar, recognizable across the country and the key player during the Golden Era of Kansas City Royals baseball. That career was given it’s just due in 1999 when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 98.2% of the vote, tied with Ty Cobb for the fourth highest total in baseball history.

It seems a virtual lock that George Brett will end up as one of the Royals Franchise Four. The only question is whether or not he will be unanimous. If, for some reason, Brett does not end up in this pantheon, we may see a repeat of his most famous moment on the diamond.

Next: The new Face of the Franchise