The next player to make their debut for the Royals will be the 700th player (to see game action) in Royals history.  Will it happen this year?  Probably.  I guess we will have a better idea when the call-up list is released.  Who do you think it will be? 

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It astounds me that this team has had no players make their MLB debuts yet this season.  The veterans haven't even had a true rookie to haze yet (Tug Hulett is the closest thing to a rookie we had, but he used up his official rookie eligibility last season).  Through the first 40 seasons of Royals baseball, there had only been 3 seasons where the Royals had reached this point in the season without somebody making their MLB Debut.  And all 3 seasons, the Royals were on their way to very good seasons (slight understatement for one of the seasons). 

• In 1971, Lance Clemons became the first to make his MLB debut on August 12 -- the Royals would finish 85-76 in just their 3rd year of existence. 
• In 1985, Bob Hegman made his debut (and only appearance) on August 8 -- as you old timers might recall, the Royals won the World Series that season. 
• In 1994, the Royals had nobody make their MLB debut (however, Dwayne Hosey was on the active roster at the time of the baseball strike so he likely would have debuted in mid-August) -- the Royals had their last good team (unless we're counting 2003) and finished 64-51 -- just 4 games out of 1st.

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He's the lone player elected to the Hall of Fame by the new revamped veteran's committee.  Congrats to Joe Gordon.  However I've got to wonder exactly what he did in the past year to push his vote total from 12% to 87%.  I'm all for a more open hall of fame so I'm disappointed he was the only one (not really sure he should have been the one in if only one was going to be elected). 

One of my friends just set up an autograph signing with former this former 1998 Royal.  I'm trying to come up with a Royals photo of him (even a photo from a yearbook would be great - he may be in the 1998 yearbook - which is, of course, the only one I haven't been able to locate).   I have his 1999 Omaha Golden Spikes card but would love to get his auto on a Royals item.

Thanks in advance.

-- Andy

(kimballscards at Yahoo.com)

I've read on a couple other message boards that Bruce Dal Canton (Royals 1971-75) passed away on October 7.  This has been a terrible year for Royals alumni.  We've never lost more than 2 ex-Royals in a single year.  This marks the 5th death of 2008 (Lance Clemons, Steve Mingori, Bill Sorrell, Todd Cruz are the others).

Hopefully this will be the last one of 2008.  RIP Mr. Dal Canton.

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