The Royals announced Thursday that former player, coach, manager, broadcaster and baseball operations staffer John Wathan has been voted into the Royals Hall of Fame. He will become the 32nd member of the Royals Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be announced at a later date.
“After 52 years in baseball and 47 with the Royals, I can honestly say I have always bled Royal blue,” Wathan said. “This is the ultimate honor for living as a Royal all those years. I couldn’t begin to thank everyone involved on this journey with me. It has been a real privilege to be with one organization that long. It is a rare feat and one that I have been so proud of for all these years.”
“Few people in this organization have impacted the Royals the way Duke has – serving in so many roles and contributing at such a high level over so many years,” Royals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager J.J. Picollo said. “This honor is incredibly well deserved for Duke and his family, and we’re proud to recognize a professional life devoted to the Royals and to Kansas City.”
Wathan was selected 4th overall by the Royals in the 1971 January Draft and played all 10 of his big league seasons for Kansas City as a catcher, first baseman and outfielder. Wathan’s first big league season was 1976, when the Royals won their first American League West championship. His last big league season as a player was 1985, when the Royals won their first World Series. He hit .305 with more walks (50) than strikeouts (42) for the 1980 American League Champion Royals, and in 1982 had 36 stolen bases as a catcher, a single-season Major League record that still stands.
“John Wathan is truly the Royals man for all seasons,” said Curt Nelson, Senior Director of the Royals Hall of Fame. “As a player, he was a key contributor in a career that bookended the entire first Royals championship era. He followed that with decades of service as a coach, manager, broadcaster, instructor and scout. All of it with class and a deep devotion to the Royals and Kansas City.”
After retiring as a player in 1985, Wathan returned as a member of the Royals Major League coaching staff in 1986 took on his first managerial duties with Triple-A Omaha in 1987. He made it back to Kansas City as Royals Manager on Aug. 28, 1987. During his time at the helm (1987-91), the Royals were 287-270 (.515), including a 92-70 record in 1989, which then tied for 3rd most single-season wins in club history. At the end of his tenure, his 287 wins and 557 games managed ranked 3rd in club history (currently 5th and 6th respectively), and his .515 winning percentage still ranks 4th.
After a brief time away, Wathan returned to the Royals as a broadcaster in 1996. He later became a fixture in scouting and player development for more than 20 years. In all, Wathan spent 51 years in professional baseball, including 47 of those as a member of the Kansas City Royals before his retirement following the 2022 season.
Wathan was placed on the ballot by the Royals Hall of Fame Executive Board and elected through the Royals Hall of Fame Veterans Committee voting process. The committee consists of 16 voting members selected by the board, comprised of Royals Hall of Fame members, Royals Club Executives, and media members. Candidates must be named on at least 75% of all ballots cast to be elected.
The Royals Hall of Fame was established in 1986 to celebrate the accomplishments of those players, coaches and other personnel who have made exceptional contributions to Royals baseball. Previous Royals Hall of Fame inductees include:
1986: Pitcher Steve Busby and Outfielder Amos Otis
1987: Manager Dick Howser, Second Baseman Cookie Rojas and Pitcher Paul Splittorff
1989: Pitcher Dennis Leonard and Designated Hitter Hal McRae
1992: Club President Joe Burke, Pitcher Larry Gura and Shortstop Fred Patek
1993: Owner Ewing Kauffman
1994: Third Baseman George Brett
1995: Second Baseman Frank White
1996: Royals First Lady Muriel Kauffman and First Baseman John Mayberry
1998: Relief Pitcher Dan Quisenberry
2000: Manager Whitey Herzog and Outfielder Willie Wilson
2003: Pitcher Jeff Montgomery
2004: Radio Announcer Denny Matthews
2005: Pitcher Bret Saberhagen
2006: Pitcher Mark Gubicza
2008: Scout Art Stewart
2011: Pitcher Kevin Appier
2012: Groundskeeper George Toma
2015: First Baseman/DH Mike Sweeney
2023: Manager Ned Yost
2024: General Manager Cedric Tallis, General Manager John Schuerholz and Outfielder Bo Jackson
2025: Outfielder Alex Gordon