KC Royals Immaculate Grid Cheat Codes: Lonnie Smith

Welcome to the first installment of Kings of Kauffman writer Patrick Glancy's new series focusing on the popular Immaculate Grid game and former KC Royals players.

The Immaculate Grid game became popular in the baseball world this summer, and even if the initial buzz may have died down a bit, I'm guessing quite a few of our Kings of Kauffman readers still play it. Whether you're killing some down time at work or trying to beat your friends' scores, it's the perfect diversion for baseball junkies who enjoy the history section at Kings of Kauffman, or baseball in general. And if you're anything like me, your eyes light up when you see the KC Royals are one of the daily categories.

We're looking for KC Royals who got around and got stuff done

Success in the Grid comes down to three main factors: obscurity, statistical milestones, and, of course, a long list of different teams on the back of players' baseball cards. That's where we come in. This series will help familiarize Kings of Kauffman readers with often-overlooked Royals who recorded landmark performances and, most importantly, have a large and varied collection of major league uniforms in their closets. Stick with us and our series and your rarity scores will be plummeting in no time at all.

First up is Lonnie Smith, a key member of the 1985 World Series championship team and one of the most fascinating players to ever put on a powder blue Royals uniform.

Let's get this new Kings of Kauffman series going...

Filling in the rest of Lonnie Smith's resume

Smith had a brief resurgence with the Braves, finishing 11th in the National League MVP race in 1989 and starting regularly during Atlanta's 1991 World Series run. He played extremely well in the Fall Classic that season, smacking three home runs, but he is probably best remembered for the baserunning blunder he made in Game 7 when he should have scored from first on Terry Pendleton's double.

Perhaps the most surreal aspect of his time in Atlanta was seeing him celebrate with Schuerholz on the field when the Braves clinched the NL pennant. Schuerholz jumped from Kansas City to Atlanta in 1990, becoming the architect behind the Braves' dominant run in the '90s, and luckily, the two were apparently able to coexist much better the second time around.

Smith never won a title with Atlanta, but he had plenty of October success earlier in his career. He won his first World Series ring in 1980 with the Phillies (against the Royals), and his second in 1982 with the Cardinals. Smith made his lone All-Star appearance that season and finished second in the NL MVP vote.

Smith finished his career primarily as a pinch-runner with the Pirates and Orioles, making him a viable option for six teams on the Immaculate Grid. He is also a strong answer for 40+ stolen bases (KC, Philadelphia, St. Louis), a .300 batting average (Philadelphia, St. Louis, Atlanta), and 100+ runs (St. Louis).

His most noteworthy accomplishment is unlikely to ever appear on the Grid, however, because so few players have ever achieved it. But it's still fun trivia — Smith is the first player to win three World Series with three different teams in the same decade.