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The Blue & Gold Chronicles: A Deep-Dive Kansas City Royals Trivia
From the expansion era of 1969 to the "Forever Royal" magic of 2015, the Kansas City Royals have carved out a legendary niche in MLB history. Test your knowledge of Franchise History, League MVPs, and World Series Dynasties with these 20 expert-level questions.
Gear up for the next home game at The K!
View on Amazon1. In what year did the Kansas City Royals play their inaugural season?
A) 1967
B) 1968
C) 1969
D) 1970
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C) 1969
The Story Behind the Stat: Following the departure of the Athletics to Oakland, the Royals were established as an expansion team in 1969, winning their first game ever against the Minnesota Twins.
2. Which legendary third baseman is the only player to have his number (5) retired by the franchise based on his playing career?
A) Frank White
B) George Brett
C) Mike Sweeney
D) Alex Gordon
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) George Brett
The Story Behind the Stat: While Frank White (20) and Dick Howser (10) also have retired numbers, Brett remains the ultimate face of the franchise, spending his entire 21-year career in KC.
3. The 1985 World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals is famously known by what nickname?
A) The Show-Me Series
B) The I-70 Series
C) The Gateway Clash
D) The Missouri Massacre
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) The I-70 Series
The Story Behind the Stat: Named after the interstate highway that connects Kansas City and St. Louis, the Royals overcame a 3-1 deficit to claim their first title.
4. Who was the first Royal to win the American League Cy Young Award?
A) Bret Saberhagen
B) Mark Gubicza
C) Dan Quisenberry
D) Steve Busby
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A) Bret Saberhagen
The Story Behind the Stat: Saberhagen won the award in 1985 at just 21 years old, leading the league with 20 wins and a 2.87 ERA.
5. In the infamous 1983 "Pine Tar Incident," which umpire nullified George Brett’s home run?
A) Gaylord Perry
B) Tim McClelland
C) Don Denkinger
D) Joe West
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) Tim McClelland
The Story Behind the Stat: After the Yankees protested the amount of pine tar on Brett's bat, McClelland called him out, leading to one of the most famous outbursts in sports history.
6. Which Royals pitcher threw two no-hitters in a single season (1973)?
A) Paul Splittorff
B) Steve Busby
C) Dennis Leonard
D) Kevin Appier
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) Steve Busby
The Story Behind the Stat: Busby became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw no-hitters in each of his first two complete seasons.
7. Who was the MVP of the 2015 World Series?
A) Eric Hosmer
B) Lorenzo Cain
C) Salvador Perez
D) Mike Moustakas
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C) Salvador Perez
The Story Behind the Stat: Perez batted .364 in the series and became the first catcher to win World Series MVP since 1992.
8. Before moving to Kauffman Stadium (then Royals Stadium) in 1973, where did the team play?
A) Municipal Stadium
B) Sportsman's Park
C) Arrowhead Stadium
D) Liberty Memorial Field
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A) Municipal Stadium
The Story Behind the Stat: Municipal Stadium was the temporary home for the Royals and the former home of the KC Athletics and KC Chiefs.
9. Which multi-sport icon became the first athlete to be named an All-Star in both MLB and the NFL while playing for the Royals?
A) Deion Sanders
B) Brian Jordan
C) Bo Jackson
D) Danny Ainge
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C) Bo Jackson
The Story Behind the Stat: Bo Jackson's 1989 season with the Royals included 32 home runs and an unforgettable All-Star Game MVP performance.
10. Who holds the franchise record for the most career pitching wins?
A) Bret Saberhagen
B) Kevin Appier
C) Paul Splittorff
D) Dennis Leonard
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C) Paul Splittorff
The Story Behind the Stat: The left-hander amassed 166 wins over 15 seasons, all with the Kansas City Royals.
11. In 2014, the Royals ended a 29-year playoff drought. Which team did they defeat in the epic 12-inning Wild Card game?
A) Oakland Athletics
B) Los Angeles Angels
C) Baltimore Orioles
D) San Francisco Giants
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A) Oakland Athletics
The Story Behind the Stat: The Royals stole seven bases in that game, coming back from a 7-3 deficit to win 9-8 in 12 innings.
12. Which Royals second baseman won eight Gold Glove Awards during his tenure in Kansas City?
A) Whit Merrifield
B) Frank White
C) Cookie Rojas
D) Jose Altuve
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) Frank White
The Story Behind the Stat: A local product from the Royals Academy, White is considered one of the greatest defensive second basemen in MLB history.
13. Who was the manager of the 1985 World Series championship team?
A) Ned Yost
B) Whitey Herzog
C) Dick Howser
D) Hal McRae
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C) Dick Howser
The Story Behind the Stat: Howser led the Royals to three consecutive division titles or better from 1984-1986 before his tragic passing from brain cancer.
14. Zack Greinke won the AL Cy Young Award in 2009. What was his remarkably low ERA that season?
A) 1.62
B) 2.16
C) 2.30
D) 2.55
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) 2.16
The Story Behind the Stat: Greinke's 2009 season is one of the most dominant in franchise history, featuring 242 strikeouts and a 1.073 WHIP.
15. Which Royal hit a dramatic game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 1 of the 2015 World Series?
A) Alex Gordon
B) Kendrys Morales
C) Ben Zobrist
D) Paulo Orlando
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A) Alex Gordon
The Story Behind the Stat: Gordon's blast off Mets closer Jeurys Familia sent the game to extra innings, where the Royals eventually won in the 14th.
16. The Royals were founded by which local businessman and philanthropist?
A) Lamar Hunt
B) Ewing Kauffman
C) David Glass
D) John Sherman
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) Ewing Kauffman
The Story Behind the Stat: Kauffman founded Marion Laboratories and brought baseball back to KC; the stadium was renamed in his honor in 1993.
17. How many career hits did George Brett amass before retiring in 1993?
A) 2,995
B) 3,000
C) 3,154
D) 3,242
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C) 3,154
The Story Behind the Stat: Brett is the only player in MLB history to win batting titles in three different decades (1970s, 80s, and 90s).
18. Which closer was known for his "submarine" delivery and led the AL in saves five times for the Royals?
A) Jeff Montgomery
B) Greg Holland
C) Wade Davis
D) Dan Quisenberry
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D) Dan Quisenberry
The Story Behind the Stat: "Quiz" was a three-time All-Star and finished in the top three of Cy Young voting four times as a relief pitcher.
19. In 2015, the Royals defeated which team to win their second World Series title?
A) New York Mets
B) Chicago Cubs
C) Toronto Blue Jays
D) Houston Astros
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A) New York Mets
The Story Behind the Stat: The Royals won the series 4-1, clinching the title with a 7-2 victory in 12 innings at Citi Field.
20. Who is the only Royal to win the American League Rookie of the Year award in the 21st century?
A) Carlos Beltran
B) Angel Berroa
C) Eric Hosmer
D) Bobby Witt Jr.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B) Angel Berroa
The Story Behind the Stat: Berroa won the award in 2003 after batting .287 with 17 home runs and 73 RBIs. (Beltran won in 1999).
How did you score?
15-20: Franchise Legend
10-14: All-Star Starter
5-9: Utility Player
0-4: Back to the Minors
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