That will the Royals do for an encore? They lost 106 games in 2005, the most in baseball and worst in franchise history, a year after losing 104 games. It was the fourth time in five years the team set or tied the franchise record for losses, and there's no hope on the horizon for an immediate turnaround.
The Royals haven't had a winning season since the strike year of 1994, and haven't been to the playoffs since 1985, when they were regarded as one of baseball's model franchises. The team went through three managers in 2005, with 2003 American League Manager of the Year Tony Pena resigning in May and getting replaced by Bob Schaefer, who went 5-12 before getting replaced by Buddy Bell. Bell brought the team to life for a few weeks, but by August they fell into a 19-game losing streak, worst in the majors since the Orioles' record-breaking 21-game streak in 1988.
Jose Lima had the highest ERA in major league history (6.99) for a pitcher who made at least 30 starts, but the Royals had no one else to send to the mound. Even the young players who are supposed to be the hope for fans in Kansas City performed poorly. Zack Greinke followed his impressive rookie season by going 5-17, 5.80, and a procession of rookies struggled as they were pressed into service before they were ready. The only bright spot was the reliable Mike Sweeney, providing his usual .300 average, 21 home runs and 83 RBIs.
Penurious owner David Glass announced the team would increase its payroll by about $20 million for 2006, but the still-limited budget and poor state of the organization meant the Royals had to settle for players like Mark Grudzielanek, Doug Mientkiewicz and Reggie Sanders, who at best are complementary players on winning teams. |
