Kansas City Royals All-Time Worst 25 Man Roster

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Sep 17, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals mascot Sluggerrr entertains the crowd before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Gary Thurman

Gary Thurman was a first round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals back in 1983. Early on during his minor league career, he looked like a future star, rocketing through the Royals system as he reached AAA within three years. After an excellent performance in Omaha in 1987, he made his debut with the Royals.

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He struggled during that audition, and was sent back to Omaha the following year for more seasoning. Again, Thurman played relatively well at AAA, earning another promotion. Again, he was unable to produce in the majors. This pattern continued to occur, as Thurman settled in to being the definition of a AAAA player, one who could perform well in Ohama, but was unable to replicate that performance in Kansas City.

Overall, in his 744 plate appearances for the Royals, Thurman had a .245/.297/.299 batting line, with only 29 extra base hits. A speedster by trade, Thurman did manage to steal 53 bases while being caught only 15 times. In 1989, Thurman was a perfect 16-16 while swiping bases, providing slight value despite hitting at a .195/.311/.241 clip.

There have been quite a few players who were never able to have their success at the AAA level translate to the major leagues. Gary Thurman was one of those for the Royals.

Next: At least he could still steal bases

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