Kansas City Royals Franchise Four Candidates

credit: kshb.com

Frank White

The fact that Frank White is not in the Hall of Fame, yet Bill Mazeroski is, is somewhat strange. Both players were very similar overall, yet White did not get off the first ballot. Perhaps hitting a game winning World Series home run truly makes that much of a difference.

Nonetheless, White is truly one of the greats in Kansas City Royals history. A truly special defensive player, White won eight Gold Glove awards, and is second all time with 126 runs saved at second. White was more than just a glove first player, making five All-Star teams and even earning a Silver Slugger award in 1986 when he posted a .272/.322/.465 batting line with 22 home runs and 37 doubles.

Taking away his defensive prowess, Frank White still made his presence felt on the Royals. White ranks second all time with 2006 hits, is fourth in runs and RBI and ranks fifth in home runs and stolen bases. A key part of the Royals Golden Era, White may well be the second greatest player in Royals history.

Not surprisingly, White is one of three members of the Royals to have his number retired. Currently estranged from the team, hopefully those issues with the Royals will be cleared up and White can be a part of the team in some capacity going forward.

Next: The somewhat forgotten man