First, I have a confession to make. During his playing days, I was not a fan of John Wathan. I viewed him as an excellent utility player, not as an integral, everyday piece of a pennant-winning team. Guess what? I was wrong.
Wathan had the unfortunate timing of replacing two Kansas City legends: John Mayberry, one of the best players of his era and a very popular fan favorite, and Darrell Porter, another wildly popular and productive player. Mayberry was the first Royal to drive in 100 runs, led the league in walks twice and in OBP once, and slugged 143 home runs in his six years with the Royals.