Denny Matthews' Tales from the Royals Dugout FROM THE PUBLISHER
Amos Otis, Frank White, George Brett, Hal McRae, Dan Quisenberry, Bret Saberhagen, Paul Splittorff. One mention of any of those names can bring about visions of great baseball: determined, hard-nosed, and winning. However, one vision outweighs all others: the boys in blue � the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals, an expansion club in the American League in 1969, struggled during their early existence. It didn't take long, however, before they established themselves as one of the most successful franchises in baseball. That success culminated in the winning of the 1985 World Series.
Since 1969, the Royals have developed great players that have had fun. Along the way, they also have developed a winning tradition. Although the Royals have received the "small-market" tag in recent years, the organization still boasts a proud heritage.
In Tales from the Royals Dugout, relive the club's great moments through former players, coaches, broadcasters and others who have been a part of that proud tradition. Sit back and enjoy never-before-told anecdotes about the team's great rivalries with the New York Yankees and Oakland A's, and the remarkable players who have helped form the legend of the Kansas City Royals.
Author Bio: Denny Matthews (right) has been with the Kansas City Royals as a radio announcer since the club's first season, 1969. He teamed with Buddy Blattner until 1975, then became the team's number one announcer, working for 25 years with Fred White, who joined the Royals in 1973. Besides working for the Royals, Matthews has worked games for the CBS Radio Network. He is one of a few broadcasters in baseball who has broadcast exclusively for the same team, without interruption, in five different decades. After the 2003 season, the Royals selected Matthews for the club's Hall of Fame. Matthews, a 1966 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan, lettered in baseball and football for three years and finished eighth in the nation in the NAIA for pass receiving in 1965. In 1999, along with Fred White and Matt Fulks, Matthews coauthored Play by Play: 25 Years of Royals on Radio. Matthews is an avid golfer and hockey player. He resides in the Kansas City area.
Matt Fulks (left) started his journalism career while attending Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., after his baseball career was cut short by a lack of ability. Since then he has worked in every form of the media and now spends his time as a freelance writer, editor and author. He is a regular contributor to various publications, including The Kansas City Star newspaper. He is the author/coauthor of eight other books, including Behind the Stats: Tennessee's Coaching Legends, Play by Play: 25 Years of Royals on Radio, The Road to Canton, coauthored with NFL Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen, and Good as Gold: Techniques for Fundamental Baseball with Royals legend Frank White. Fulks lives in the Kansas City area with his wife, Libby, their children, Helen and Charlie, and their Doberman retriever.
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