If you were picking this year’s biggest surprise team, several would get a mention.
Not many thought the Giants, Braves and Marlins would be this good. Not many thought the Mets and Tigers would be this bad. Few expected the Twins to struggle like they have. And what about the Cubs?
All very true. But this year’s biggest surprise has been the Kansas City Royals, who lead the American League Central Division and are playing host to the second-place White Sox this week. The Royals?
The last time the Royals had a winning record was when they went 64-51 in the strike year of 1994, their first in the Central after 25 years in the West. Since then they have gone a combined 552-796. They lost 100 games last year and finished 32 1/2 games behind the Twins.
So how did this happen? Let’s look at a few reasons for Kansas City’s success.
Manager Tony Pena
Named the 13th full-time manager in club history last May after Tony Muser was fired in his sixth season, Pena led the Royals to a 49-77 mark last year. This year he looks like the manager of the year.
It started in spring training, when Pena and general manager Allard Baird set a positive tone for a team despite the nine straight losing seasons. Pena arrived with a box of T-shirts reading “We Believe.”
“Those guys had to be thinking, `What the heck? This guy is going crazy,'” Pena recently told the Tribune’s Phil Rogers. “That’s me. I believed, but I needed them to believe.”
After a 19-10 spring record, a 16-3 start to the season and being in first place most of the year, they believe.
Producing on the farm
Seven of the key players have come up through the Royals’ farm system. They include first baseman Ken Harvey (5th round, 1999), outfielders Dee Brown (1st round, 1996) and Carlos Beltran (2nd round, 1995), and pitchers Mike MacDougal (1st round, 1999), Kris Wilson (9th round, 1997), Jeremy Affeldt (3rd round, 1997) and Kyle Snyder (1st round, 1999).
Better hitting, pitching
Last season the Royals averaged 4.54 runs per game and had a .256 team batting average. Going into Tuesday’s game this year, it’s 5.15 runs per game and a .271 team average. Last year’s staff earned-run average was 5.21; this year it’s 4.86.
Angel Berroa
The 25-year-old shortstop was the key prospect in the Johnny Damon/Roberto Hernandez three-way 2001 trade between K.C., Oakland and Tampa Bay. Pena says Berroa deserves rookie-of-the-year consideration, and for good reason. He has homered in five of his last 12 games and has 13 homers, 47 runs batted in and a .289 average.
Mike MacDougal
How many times have you seen a rookie closer do the job like the right-handed-throwing MacDougal? Although his ERA is high (4.23) and he’s not a strikeout pitcher (35 in 48 innings), he’s 3-4 with 24 saves.
Jose Lima
The guy was considered done after falling from 21-10 in 1999 to 7-16 in 2000, 6-12 in 2001 and 4-6 last year before being released by the Tigers. He was signed by the Royals to a Triple-A contract June 12 and called up from Omaha on June 16.
All he has done since then is win seven of his eight starts with a 2.17 ERA and a .197 batting average allowed. If he keeps this up, he should lock up Comeback Player of the Year honors.
Mike Sweeney
Injuries have curtailed the All-Star’s playing time, but if the Royals stay on top, he’ll get consideration for MVP. In 62 games he’s hitting .321 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs and is on pace for his fifth straight season topping 20 homers and 80 RBIs.
Division record
The Royals have a major-league best 32-11 record against teams in the AL Central. Looking ahead, they are 37-14 this year against the nine remaining teams on their schedule.
