By Tim Pafford
What a place Kansas City is. How many other cities have All-Stars and award winners on their sports teams just to sell them to bigger markets as soon as it becomes an option? The Kansas City Royals general managers seem to make this move a modus operandi for the team.
Back in the magical year of 1994 David Cone played for the Kansas City Royals. Not only did he play for the professional team of his home town when grunge rock ruled the airwaves, and the populace of the United States was enjoying economic prosperity; he won a little thing called the Cy Young award too. In a season shortened by a players strike he was the most dominate pitcher of the Åmerican League.
It is odd to see that his only victory for the Cy Young award took place in his home town when most people remember him best from his amazing feats playing for the teams of New York.
After a single season playing for his home town team David went to play 5 very dominate years as a New York Met. Though he and Dwight Gooden made an excellent 1-2 team they were never able to win the World Series.
The Royals picked him back up in 1993 as a free-agent fresh off of a World Series victory with the Toronto Blue Jays. His 1993 season did not look good from the perspective of his stats, but when 1994 come around, David Cone broke out for one of the best single person performances in baseball.
Much like the Royals did years later with Zack Greinke, once the Cy Young was awarded they knew they would not be able to field a team that would keep this award winning pitcher satisfied, so they traded him back to the Blue Jays to never see him again.
David Cone had other great seasons after these I have mentioned. He went on to win four more World Series Rings. He also went on to pitch a Perfect Game for the New York Yankees and is the only pitcher to have 20 win seasons with both the Yankees and the Mets.
Kansas City should feel honored to have had had this man as part of its history. It is rare that the Mid-West has had home grown players that become such stars in their field and are know for their Humanitarian work as well. (Remeber David bar tending to donate his tips for the Hurricane Sandy relief fund?) Let us hope that we will not be waiting much longer to see steller performances by more great men like David Cone here in Kansas City.
Dayton Moore and David Glass have promised Kansas City a competitive team for 2013. I know I want to see it. I'm sure you do too. So let Spring Training get here that much quicker!!
David Cone's perfect game in New York
No comments:
Post a Comment