2 new Hall of Famers excelled against the KC Royals

The Hall of Fame focus around Kansas City has been on late KC Royals scout and Monarchs legend Buck O’Neil since Sunday when the Early Baseball Era Committee selected him for membership in Cooperstown.

Almost overlooked in the local O’Neil celebration, but never while they played against the Royals, were Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva, who the Golden Days Era Committee voted into the Hall at the same time O’Neil made it in. The former Twins teammates were impossible for the Royals to forget, much less overlook, during their careers.

They punished Kansas City, boosting their statistics with excellent numbers against a team they faced for the first time in its inaugural season.

But more on that momentarily. No account of Kaat or Oliva is complete without recapping their now Hall of Fame careers.

The KC Royals had plenty of reasons to respect Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva.

Kaat was the big league epitome of longevity and stamina. He debuted with the old Washington Senators in 1959, then moved with them to Minnesota in 1961 and pitched 14½ years in the Twin Cities before making stops with the White Sox, Phillies, Yankees, and finally the Cardinals before retiring after the 1983 season.

“Kitty” appeared in 898 games, started 625, completed 180, and won 283. He threw 31 shutouts and his career 3.45 ERA is one many pitchers would love to have for just one season. He was a three-time 20-game winner (25 in 1966), won 16 Gold Gloves (including six in a row), and made the American League All-Star team three times. The lefthander averaged just under 6.2 innings per start.

Oliva broke in with the Twins in 1962 but played so sparingly that season and the next that he didn’t reach rookie limits until 1964. Playing regularly for the first time, Oliva hit .323, led the majors in hits with 217 and total bases with 374, paced the AL in average, runs, and doubles, and was named AL Rookie of the Year. He also made the All-Star team for the first of eight straight seasons.

Although injuries haunted Oliva in his baseball twilight, he still finished with a .304/.353/476 line, 1,917 hits, and three AL batting titles. He hit a career high .337 and slugged .546 in 1971, and won a Gold Glove in 1966.

But how did Kaat and Oliva fare against the Royals?

Minnesota’s Tony Oliva had an excellent career against the KC Royals.

When Tony Oliva stroked his last hit against Kansas City, an Aug. 3,1976 fifth-inning single off Marty Pattin in the final season of a storied career, injuries and age (38) had combined to make sure he no longer resembled the player whose bat would eventually get him into the Hall of Fame. He’d bow out after the campaign with a .211 average, by far the lowest of his career.

But that average doesn’t diminish the fine 92 games he played against the Royals over 15 years, a total cut short by the injuries that plagued him in his final campaigns. He hit .311 against Kansas City with a .357 OBP.

Oliva battered the Royals in 1974, hitting .389 in 15 games with a remarkable .443 OBP and a four-hit game and six two-hit games. He slashed .333/.357/.556 against them in 1971

And then there was 1969. Oliva had eight multi-hit games and a .342/.390/.566 line against the Royals. But it’s his performance in a June 29 Minnesota-KC doubleheader that stands out most.

Oliva had three singles in the first game, then went 5-for-5 in the nightcap with two home runs, a double, two singles and five RBIs to finish his day’s work 8-for-9.

Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva are finally Hall of Famers, which comes as no surprise to the Royals.