Royals name former player Mike Sweeney Special Assistant to Baseball Operations

KANSAS CITY, MO - The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has named former first baseman Mike Sweeney to the front office staff, carrying the job title of Special Assistant to Baseball Operations. 

"We're thrilled as an organization that Mike will be joining our baseball operations department," Royals Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations/General Manager Dayton Moore said. "He's a tremendous leader and I'm confident that he will impact our players and staff in positive way."

Sweeney, 40, was a five-time American League All-Star with the Royals, whom he played with from 1995-2007 after being drafted in the 10th round in 1991 out of Ontario (Calif.) High School. Sweeney was a .297 career hitter with 325 doubles, 215 home runs, 909 RBI and 759 runs scored. He capped his playing career with the Oakland Athletics (2008), Seattle Mariners (2009-10) and Philadelphia Phillies (2010). 

The club record holder for RBI in a season with 144 in 2000, Sweeney ranks in the top six all-time in Royals history in 17 offensive categories, including second in average (.299) and home runs (197). He narrowly missed winning the 2002 A.L. batting crown, hitting .340 in 2002, the second-highest single-season average in club history to George Brett's .390 mark in 1980. Sweeney represented the Royals as an American League All-Star five times (2000-2003, 2005). He is joined by George Brett (13), Amos Otis (5) and Frank White (5) as the only players in club history to make five or more All-Star appearances.

"It's a great honor to have played in the Kansas City organization for 20 years. To be welcomed back by the Glass family, Dayton Moore, Ned Yost and the entire staff is a dream come true for me," said Sweeney. "The only thing I was unable to accomplish during my playing days was to bring October baseball back to Kansas City. With this new position, my goal is to do as much as I can to help the Royals get back to being one of the prized organizations in baseball, as it was in the 1980's."

Sweeney and his wife, Shara, have three children: sons Michael and Donovan, and a daughter, McKara.