To younger fans, the name Dennis Leonard is just another name in the record books. To older Royal fans, Leonard was the team’s first true ace. There were others who looked poised to grab the crown. Steve Busby was on his way to being not just the Royals ace, but one of the very best pitchers in all of baseball before arm problems derailed his career. Paul Splittorff fans can certainly make a case. Splitt was the first Royal hurler to win 20 games in a season and his name still dots the club’s top ten pitching records.
Roger Nelson had the stuff to be the number one.