This year’s work stoppage has resulted in a shortened spring training and could very well lead to a shortened regular season if labor issues aren’t resolved soon. The last time baseball faced a shortened spring training and regular season came in 1995, when a strike finally ended and brought the game back after a seven month hiatus. The 1995 season would mark the end of one era of Royals baseball and begin a new youth movement that would lead to nearly two decades of futility.
The 1995 Royals
General Manager: Herk Robinson
Manager: Bob Boone
Record: 70-74, 2nd place, 30 games back
Say hello to: Pat Borders, Keith Lockhart, Jon Nunnally
Say goodbye to: Stan Belinda, David Cone, Dave Henderson, Mike MacFarlane, Brian McRae, Keith Miller, Terry Shumpert
All-Stars: Kevin Appier
Team payroll: $27,608,834 (23rd out of 30 clubs)
Highest paid player: Wally Joyner $4,800,000
Rookies: Johnny Damon, Tom Goodwin, Jon Nunnally, Michael Tucker
Top Prospect: Johnny Damon was the #9 ranked prospect in baseball going into the season after hitting .