When I was looking up players who played for both the Royals and the Giants for my Vida Blue post, I didn't realize how many good players played for both teams. So, here is All-Royants team, featuring the best of the best who played for both the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants.
Catcher: Benito Santiago
Year(s) with KC: 2004
Year(s) with SF: 2001-2003
Why? A great offensive catcher, the Puerto Rican All Star was one of the big reasons for the Giants' trip to the World Series in 2002.
First Baseman: Orlando Cepeda
Year(s) with KC: 1974
Year(s) with SF: 1958-1966
Why? Cha Cha and Willie Mays teared up Candlestick Park in San Fran for the first part of the sixties and Cepeda made six of his seven All Star Games with the Giants.
Second Baseman: Rey Sanchez
Year(s) with KC: 1999-2001
Year(s) with SF: 1998
Why? Although he wasn't the most powerful hitter, Sanchez was a very good fielder and always made the tough plays that very few fielders can make.
Third Baseman: Jeff Keppinger
Year(s) with KC: 2006
Year(s) with SF: 2011
Why? Keppinger is just a solid ballplayer. His batting average is very good (.282) and he has scored a lot of runs for the amount of games he has appeared in (324 runs in 818 games).
Shortstop: Miguel Tejada
Year(s) with KC: 2013
Year(s) with SF: 2011
Why? This slugger from the Dominican Republic had a knack for home runs, hitting 307 of them in 16 seasons. The six-time All Star won the 2002 AL MVP with Oakland, hitting 34 home runs, driving in 131 runs, and batting .308.
Outfielder: Melky Cabrera
Year(s) with KC: 2011
Year(s) with SF: 2012
Why? The Melk Man delivers! As a Yankee fan, I loved Melky because he would constantly get walk-off hits. He was a big help for New York in their 2009 championship season and also aided the Giants in their trek to the Fall Classic in 2012.
Outfielder: Carlos Beltran
Year(s) with KC: 1998-2004
Year(s) with SF: 2011
Why? Beltran was a star with the Royals in the early stage of his career, but he got even better when he was brought over to the Mets. With the Amazins, Carlos hit 149 homers and collected 559 RBIs in 839 games.
Outfielder: Reggie Sanders
Year(s) with KC: 2006-2007
Year(s) with SF: 2002
Why? Sanders hit 307 home runs in 17 years, which is a great accomplishment on its own. But what's even cooler about him is that he went to three World Series in four years...with three different teams! He went to the Fall Classic in 2001 with the Diamondbacks (and got a ring), went to the 2002 World Series with Benito Santiago and the Giants, and then helped the Cardinals win the 2004 National League pennant! How lucky was Reggie Sanders!
Starting Pitcher: Gaylord Perry
Year(s) with KC: 1983
Year(s) with SF: 1962-1971
Why? Perhaps the best player on this team, Perry was an outstanding pitcher during his time, winning 314 games, 17th on the all-time list! The Hall of Famer and five-time All Star led the league in wins three times and had a career ERA of 3.11.
Relief Pitcher: Dan Quisenberry
Year(s) with KC: 1979-1988
Year(s) with SF: 1990
Why? Quiz was one of the best relievers of the 1980s and helped the Royals to three AL West division titles and a World Series win in 1985 versus the Cardinals. Q led the league in saves five times, four of them consecutive, and had a great career ERA: 2.76.
Well, there's my All-Royants team. Who else do you think belongs on this list? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for reading it, make sure you watch the World Series featuring the Royals and Giants, and check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."
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