I love the 80s : 1981 Kansas City Royals

This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

In 1980, The Royals won the American League pennant, ultimately falling short in the World Series 4 games to 2 against the Phillies. The following season they would falter a bit out of the gate, with a 5th place first half. They rebounded in the second half of the season following the strike, with a 30-23 record which was the best in the division. They would fall in the divisional series to Oakland, the first half winners of the AL West.

The Royals were a formidable opponent in the late 70s and early 80s. Future Hall of Famer George Brett led the offense both seasons, but had key contributions from Willie Aikens, Frank White, Hal McRae, and the speedy Willie Wilson. On the mound, Dennis Leonard anchored a talented starting rotation, and Dan Quisenberry locked down the late innings in relief. They mixed power and speed to go with great defense.

The Cards:

Fleer #29 Willie Wilson - Wilson was one of the best players in baseball in 1980, leading the AL in hits, runs, and triples. He hit .326 and stole 79 bases as the Royals leadoff hitter. He also reeled in a Gold Glove award. The only real knock on his hitting was a lack of home run power, but he was everything the Royals could hope for. He didn't really draw walks, either, with just 28 bases on balls in 1980 despite being the league leader in plate appearances.

Topps #401 A.L. Championship - Featured here is George Brett, who ran away with a batting title in 1980 with a .390 average, the highest in the AL since Ted Williams cracked .406 in 1941. The Royals swept the Yankees in the ALCS. Frank White earned MVP honors with 6 hits, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored in the 3 game set. Dan Quisenberry had a save in game 2 and was the winning pitcher in the clinching game 3. Brett's 3 run shot in the 7th inning was the decisive blow to complete the sweep.

Donruss #223 Willie Wilson - Wilson's dominance of the league in 1980 was no isolated incident. He was the 1979 stolen base leader, and had a streak from 1978 thru 1982 with batting averages over .300. He led the AL in triples 5 times, and ranks 56th all time with 147 triples for his career.

Topps #218 Paul Splittorff - Despite over 160 career victories, Splittorff was never named to an All-Star team. He was a 20 game winner in 1973, and was still an effective and valuable part of the Royals' rotation in 1980 and 81. For 1980, he was 14-11 with an ERA just north of 4.00. By this point in his career, he would primarily pitch to contact and rely on the defense behind him. He struck out just 2.3 batters per 9 innings.

Donruss #491 George Brett - Brett was the 1980 AL MVP, thanks in no small part to his otherworldly .390 batting average, though he also led the league in OBP and slugging. His OPS+ was a ridiculous 203. In some ways, his 1980 season is a case of what could have been - he missed time due to injury, playing in just 117 games out of the 162 game schedule.

Topps #585 Amos Otis -  The Royals' everyday centerfielder had a great season in 1979, and again in 1982, but was limited by injury in 1980. He still played over 100 games in 1980, but hit just .251, more than 20 points below his eventual career average. Otis led the league in doubles twice, and stolen bases once, early in his career. He made 4 straight All-Star appearances in the 1970s and was a 3 time gold glove winner.

Fleer Star Stickers #102 Larry Gura -  The lefty Gura was 18-10 in 1980, making his lone all-star appearance. He would follow that up with another solid season in 1981, improving his ERA and WHIP. Gura had 6 of his 16 career shutouts in 1980 and 81. We was a winner in game 1 of the 1980 ALCS, and had a pair of quality starts in the World Series as well.

Fleer #46 John Wathan - It's a nice luxury to have a "back-up" catcher that can also play the corners in the infield and outfield. Essentially a utility man, Wathan still appeared in 126 games in 1980. He hit .305 and had an OPS of .783. Wathan also had sneaky speed for a catcher / corner guy, stealing 17 bags in 1980, 11 in 81, then 36(!) in 1982. He would be a reserve on the 1985 Royals championship team in his final MLB season.

Kellogg's 3-D Super Stars #34 Willie Wilson - Wilson may not have the star power recognition of George Brett, but for my money, Wilson was the best all-around player on those 80s Royals teams. Wilson won his batting title in 1982, and was the the pillar at the top of the lineup for both World Series teams in 1980 and 1985. Wilson finished his MLB career with over 2,200 hits, 1,100 runs scored, and 668 stolen bases.  To go with his Gold Glove in 1980, he also had a pair of Silver Slugger awards. 13 of his 41 career homers were inside-the-park homers. His 1982 batting title was the first in the AL by a switch hitter since Mickey Mantle.