The Kansas City Royals sadly announce the passing of long-time scout, Carl Blando, who passed at the age of 84 on Thursday morning. A native of Kansas City, Blando is survived by his wife, Dianna Nylund Blando, six children: Carl, Jr. (wife, Owen Keenhen), Mary MacDonnell (husband, Donald), Denise Moore (husband, Curt Heeney), Phillip (wife, Katherine), Timothy (wife, Monica) and Jon (wife, Kim), three step-children: Lisa Burgess, Lori Burgess and Richard (wife, Jennifer) Burgess as well as 18 grandchildren.

Blando served as a scout for the Royals from 1977-99, being hired first as a part-time scout, before assuming a full-time role in 1980. He helped Kansas City identify and sign future Cy Young Award winner, David Cone, and 1985 World Series champion, Danny Jackson, among others. He was recognized for his efforts with the club's Ewing M. Kauffman Award in 1987, which was awarded to an individual that furthered professional baseball in Kansas City.

"Carl was more than just a good scout; he was a fine person and a great mentor to both young players and scouts in the game," said Royals Senior Advisor to the General Manager, and long-time Director of Scouting, Art Stewart. "He was from the old school, where you had to earn your way up, but he always gave kids a chance to prove themselves."

He remained with the Royals through the 1999 season, when he left to serve as a professional scout in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization (2000-03), before retiring. He remained active in the game by working part-time with Rockhurst University, while he returned to the Royals in a part-time scouting role in 2009-10. His contributions to the Royals are still felt today as he helped scout Overland Park, Kan. native, Jason Adam, who made his big league debut for the club in 2018.

Blando got his start in baseball by coaching in Kansas City's Ban Johnson League (summer collegiate), during the 1970s. He led the Butternut team (named for its sponsor) to three consecutive league titles, from 1973-75. In 2016, Blando was honored by the Kansas City Metro Baseball Coaches Association for his lifetime of service and contributions, while that same year, he received the Midwest Professional Baseball Scouts' "Special Achievement Award."