The 1969 Kansas City Royals season was the Royals' inaugural season. The team finished fourth in the newly established American League West with a record of 69 wins and 93 losses.
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Offseason
A franchise is born
The club's inception is connected to the Athletics franchise. On October 18, 1967, A.L. owners at last gave Charles O. Finley permission to move the Athletics to Oakland for the 1968 season. According to some reports, Joe Cronin promised Finley that he could move the team after the 1967 season as an incentive to sign the new lease with Municipal Stadium. The move came in spite of approval by voters in Jackson County, Missouri of a bond issue for a brand new baseball stadium (the eventual Kauffman Stadium) to be completed in 1973. When U.S. Senator Stuart Symington threatened to have baseball's antitrust exemption revoked, the owners responded with a hasty round of expansion. Kansas City was awarded an American League expansion team, the Royals. They were initially slated to begin play in 1971. However, Symington was not willing to have Kansas City wait three years for another team, and renewed his threat to have baseball's antitrust exemption revoked unless the teams began play in 1969. The owners complied.
Expansion draft
The 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft for the Royals and the Seattle Pilots was held on October 15.
Other offseason transactions
- June 7, 1968: Dane Iorg was drafted by the Royals in the 16th round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign.
- August 14, 1968: Galen Cisco was purchased by the Royals from the Boston Red Sox.
- December 12, 1968: Hoyt Wilhelm was traded by the Royals to the California Angels for Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke.
- December 15, 1968: Dennis Ribant was purchased by the Royals from the Detroit Tigers.
- March 29, 1969: Dennis Ribant was purchased from the Royals by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Regular season
- May 4, 1969: Bob Oliver became the first Royal to collect six hits in a nine-inning game.
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Notable transactions
- April 1, 1969: Steve Whitaker and John Gelnar were traded by the Royals to the Seattle Pilots for Lou Piniella.
- June 5, 1969: 1969 Major League Baseball Draft
- Keith Marshall was drafted by the Royals in the 5th round.
- Frank Ortenzio was drafted by the Royals in the 47th round.
The first game
Starting lineup
Scorecard
April 8, Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Roster
Player stats
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Omaha
Elmira affiliation shared with San Diego Padres
Notes
References
- 1969 Kansas City Royals team page at Baseball Reference
- 1969 Kansas City Royals team page at www.baseball-almanac.com
- Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBNÂ 978-0-9637189-8-3.Â
