KANSAS CITY, MO (September 24, 2019) -- Prior to Friday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins, the Royals will salute the Pitchers and Players of the Year from each of the Club’s minor league affiliates. Immediately following that presentation, the organization will honor retiring manager Ned Yost with an on-field ceremony and video salute. Fans who attend Friday’s game will also receive a commemorative poster recognizing Ned Yost’s achievements as manager.First pitch has been moved to 7:30 p.m. to allow for proper recognition of the minor league award winners and the retiring manager.

The award winners, who will be announced in a separate release tomorrow, are scheduled to participate in a free autograph session for all fans from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. near Gate A across from the Royals Hall of Fame before receiving their awards in a special pregame ceremony on the field. We encourage fans to be seated by 6:45 p.m. to be able to witness the ceremony in its entirety.

Upon completion of the organization honors that will be presented by Dayton Moore and members of his Baseball Operations executive team, the winningest manager in franchise history will be recognized for his achievements over his 10 seasons at the helm.

Yost announced on Monday that he will retire as manager effective after Sunday’s season finale against the Minnesota Twins. He is the first manager to lead the Royals to consecutive World Series appearances will finish his career 32nd all-time in games managed, with 2,544, three more than Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver. Yost will also finish his managerial career 45th all-time in wins, entering the final week with 1,201 entering tonight’s game.

The 16th full-time manager in team history, Yost was named to the post on May 13, 2010 and five years later became the winningest skipper in franchise history by defeating the only other club he managed, the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-2 on June 18, 2015 for his 411th win, passing Royals Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog.

Yost, 65, led the Royals to a 22-9 postseason record for a .710 winning percentage, which still leads all managers who have managed at least 20 postseason games. His 2014 club was the first in Major League history to begin the postseason with eight consecutive victories, winning the Wild Card Game at home over Oakland, followed by sweeps of the Los Angeles Angels (3-0) in the Division Series and the Baltimore Orioles (4-0) in the Championship Series.

The following season, he managed the Royals to their second World Series title, defeating Houston in the Division Series (3-2) and Toronto (4-2) in the Championship Series, followed by a 4-1 series win over the New York Mets to bring Kansas City its first World Series Championship since 1985.