The 1987

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

season was a season in American

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

. It involved the Royals finishing 2nd in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

West with a record of 83 wins and 79 losses.

Offseason

* December 10, 1986:

Scott Bankhead Michael Scott Bankhead (born July 31, 1963) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from -. Bankhead also pitched for Team USA in the 1984 Olympic Games. He attended the University of North Car ...

, Steve Shields, and

Mike Kingery Michael Scott Kingery (born March 29, 1961), is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues, primarily as an outfielder, from 1986–1992 and 1994–1996. Kingery's career high for home runs in a season was 9, set in 198 ...

were traded by the Royals to the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

for

Danny Tartabull Danilo Tartabull Mora (born October 30, 1962) is a Cuban– Puerto Rican former professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners (1984–1986), Kansas City R ...

and

Rick Luecken Richard Fred Luecken (born November 15, 1960) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. Career Luecken attended Texas A& ...

. * December 22, 1986:

Alan Hargesheimer Alan Robert Hargesheimer (born November 21, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched in parts of four seasons between and for three different teams. Since his retirement, Hargesheimer has worked as a scout for several teams, i ...

was released by the Royals. * March 20, 1987: Derek Botelho was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Kansas City Royals for Eddie Tanner (minors) and Pete Carey (minors). * March 27, 1987:

David Cone David Brian Cone (born January 2, 1963) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, and current color commentator for the New York Yankees on the YES Network and WPIX as well as for ESPN on Sunday Night Baseball.Chris Jelic Christopher John Jelic (born December 16, 1963), is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder who appeared in four games with the New York Mets in 1990. His one career hit was a home run in the final at-bat of his career. Amateur caree ...

were traded by the Royals to the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

for Ed Hearn, Rick Anderson, and

Mauro Gozzo Mauro "Blond Herring" or "Goose" Gozzo (born March 7, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and current manager of the Gastonia Honey Hunters. He played all or parts of six seasons in the majors, from until . Career Playing H ...

. * March 30, 1987:

Jim Sundberg James Howard Sundberg (born May 18, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player, television sports analyst and executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1974 to 1989. A three-time All-Star player, Sundberg estab ...

was traded by the Royals to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

for

Thad Bosley Thaddis Bosley Jr. (born September 17, 1956) is an American former professional baseball outfielder for the California Angels (, ), Chicago White Sox (–), Milwaukee Brewers (), Seattle Mariners (), Chicago Cubs (–), Kansas City Royals (–198 ...

and

Dave Gumpert David Lawrence Gumpert (born May 5, 1958), is a former professional baseball player who attended Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI before pitching in the Major Leagues from - for the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Kansas City Royals. Gumpe ...

. * March 31, 1987: Larry Owen was signed as a free agent by the Royals. *

Billy Gardner William Frederick Gardner (born July 19, 1927) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. During his ten-season active career in the major leagues, Gardner was a scrappy, light-hitting second baseman for the New Yo ...

is officially named the team's manager as

Dick Howser Richard Dalton Howser (May 14, 1936 – June 17, 1987) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach, and manager who was best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980s and for guiding them to the franchise's first W ...

's replacement during spring training. Howser had contracted

brain cancer A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondar ...

the previous season and was relieved of duty at the All-Star break. Howser attempted to return as manager for the season, but was physically incapable due to after-effects from his cancer treatments.

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

* June 2, 1987:

Bret Barberie Bret Edward Barberie (born August 16, 1967) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs. Before his professional career, B ...

was drafted by the Royals in the 65th round of the

1987 Major League Baseball draft The Major League Baseball Draft is the process by which Major League Baseball (MLB) teams select athletes to play for their organization. High school seniors, college juniors and seniors, and anyone who had never played under a professional cont ...

, but did not sign.

Notable events

* June 17, 1987: Manager

passes away from brain cancer.

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; 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

Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', 2nd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997

References

1987 Kansas City Royals
at ''Baseball Reference''
1987 Kansas City Royals
at ''Baseball Almanac'' {{Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals seasons

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...