1977 Kansas City Royals season

Major League Baseball team season

The 1977 Kansas City Royals season was their ninth in Major League Baseball. The Royals' franchise-best 102–60 record led the majors and Kansas City won its second consecutive American League West title. Once again, the Royals lost to the New York Yankees in the postseason, falling 3–2 in the ALCS. Hal McRae led the American League in doubles, with 54. Al Cowens set a franchise single-season record with 112 runs batted in.

Offseason

• November 5, 1976: Ruppert Jones was drafted from the Royals by the Seattle Mariners with the first pick in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft.^[1]
• December 6, 1976: Jamie Quirk, Jim Wohlford and a player to be named later were traded by the Kansas City Royals to the Milwaukee Brewers for Jim Colborn and Darrell Porter. The Kansas City Royals completed the trade by sending Bob McClure to the Brewers on March 15, 1977.^[2]
• December 7, 1976: Frank Ortenzio was traded by the Royals to the Montreal Expos for Rudy Kinard (minors).^[3]

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day starters

• George Brett
• Al Cowens
• Pete LaCock
• John Mayberry
• Hal McRae
• Amos Otis
• Freddie Patek
• Darrell Porter
• Paul Splittorff
• Frank White

Notable transactions

• May 27, 1977: Tim Ireland was signed as a free agent by the Royals.^[4]

Roster

Game log

Regular season

Postseason Game log

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

Other events

Before they were to play a game on June 12 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Milwaukee County Stadium, thieves stole gloves and uniforms belonging to Royals players. Due to this, all but seven Kansas City Royals players had to wear Milwaukee road uniforms for the game played that day.^[5]

ALCS

Game 1

October 5: Yankee Stadium, New York City

Game 2

October 6: Yankee Stadium, New York City

Game 3

October 7: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game 4

October 8: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game 5

October 9: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Farm system

Notes

1. Ruppert Jones at Baseball-Reference
2. Jamie Quirk at Baseball Reference
3. Frank Ortenzio at Baseball Reference
4. Tim Ireland at Baseball Reference
5. Kansas City Royals have gloves, uniforms stolen before game

References

• Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.

External links

• 1977 Kansas City Royals at Baseball Reference
• 1977 Kansas City Royals at Baseball Almanac