Mark Gubicza and my mom: a KC Royals Mother's Day tribute

From one baseball career to another

He returned to the rotation in 1994 and experienced a brief resurgence. Once again, he led the AL in games started in 1995, and went 12-14 with a 3.75 ERA. Unfortunately, his production dipped again in 1996, and his health limited him to 19 starts. The writing was on the wall.

The Royals traded him to the Anaheim Angels the following offseason, receiving designated hitter Chili Davis in return. Coincidentally, Gubicza was nearly traded to San Francisco for Davis following the 1985 championship season. At the time, the Royals were loaded with pitching and looking to beef up their offense. Over a decade later, as both players neared the end of their careers, the deal went through.

Gubicza only pitched in two games for the Angels, missing most of the 1997 season due to injury. Rather than attempt to work his way back, Gubicza called it a career and retired. Even so, the trade can still be viewed as a success. Chili Davis was very good in his one season in Kansas City, hitting 30 home runs. And while he never did much for them on the field, Gubicza eventually joined the Angels' broadcast team. He has been a staple of the Angels' booth for the last two decades.

If only my mom was around to watch him.

More about the KC Royals from Kings of Kauffman