[jamus23]

I don't normally do two Hall of Fame bios in one post, but for these next two Hall of Famers, I think it makes sense to do them at the same time. For much of their careers, they were teammates, and they wound up getting elected to the Hall of Fame in consecutive seasons. We'll start with Fabian Rosas.

Fabian Rosas:

Of the seven players who have posted career OPS's greater than 1.000, we have looked at the players who rank second(John Rockwood), third(Hector Abad), fifth(Billy Stolztfus), and seventh(Matthew Allman). Now we take a look at the man who ranks sixth: rightfielder Fabian Rosas.

The Kansas City Royals were an up and down team throughout the 10's and 20's. They won division titles in 2011, 2013, and 2016. They also reached, and lost, the 2013 World Series. But as the 10's came to a close and the 20's began, the team began to slide, finishing in last place in both 2018 and 2020. The Royals hovered around .500 as the 20's progressed, and managed to squeak out a division title in 2022 despite an 82-80 record. Though they generally remained competitive, the early 30's would prove to be different. In 2030, the Royals lost 91 games and finished in last place. A year later, they lost a whopping 106 games. It was the first 100 loss season in franchise history. It wouldn't be the last. In 2032, the team improved to 74-88, only to collapse back to 57-105 in 2033. That collapse earned the Royals the number one overall pick in the 2034 amateur draft. With the pick, they selected a tremendously talented 22 year old by the name of Fabian Rosas. Rosas had everything you could want: power, speed, discipline, and a natural grace in the outfield. He was a true 5-tool talent, and he was ready to step into the big leagues right away.

Rosas did, in fact, step into the majors right away, and he responded to the challenge with one of the finest rookie seasons in history. He slammed 35 homeruns, leading his team in that category, drew 86 walks, and swiped 18 bases. He easily won the Rookie of the Year Award, and also took home the Gold Glove Award for his strong efforts in the field. Despite his achievements, however, the Royals could not overcome an absolute trainwreck of a pitching staff. Even in one of the highest offensive eras ever, the Royals' 6.55 team ERA was an embarassment. Naturally, the Royals remained at the bottom of the league, losing 105 games.

2035 was different. The Royals signed two major stars, LF Roberto Torre and CF Reginald Allbritton, to complete one of the most talented outfields in all of baseball. An early season trade netted them a frontline starting pitcher, Francis Beatty, and suddenly, the team was a legitimate contender. Unfortunately, the Tucson Diamondbacks were too strong for Kansas City. Despite the Royals' 86 wins, Tucson rolled to a division title with a 97-65 record. Rosas actually saw a tiny decline in his sophomore season, but his .881 OPS would be the lowest of his career until 2049.

2036 was a difficult year. The Southeast Division was weak that year, so everyone in the Central took advantage. What that meant was that, despite winning 85 games, the Royals wound up in last place. Rosas enjoyed a breakout year, ripping 44 doubles, 11 triples, and 37 homeruns, while batting .322 and putting up a 1.064 OPS. He made his first All Star team that year. Like 2036, the '37 season was frustrating. The Royals weren't terrible, finishing with a 79-83 record, but they again found themselves in last place. Rosas was superb once more, hitting .335 with a 1.031 OPS. Rosas' finest season came in 2038. He batted .371/.475/.688/1.162, posting career highs in all of those categories. The Royals benefited from expansion, winning 94 games, but it wasn't enough as Tucson and Memphis dominated the league, both winning over 100 games.

Finally, in 2039, the Royals returned to the postseason. Rosas was excellent, as usual, hitting .328 with a 1.064 OPS, and Kansas City won 107 games, beating out Tucson for the division by 6 games. Kansas City was pitted against Knoxville in the ALCS. Trailing 2 games to 1, Rosas had 3 hits in a 7-3 Game Four victory. The Royals fell behind in the series once again, but in Game Six, Rosas delivered a run-scoring double in the fourth inning, and Kansas City took a 2-0 lead. The lead stretched to 5-0, and the Royals hung on for a 5-3 win to force a seventh game. And what a game it was! Kansas City drew first blood with a run in the first inning, and increased its lead to 3-0 after three innings. Knoxville fought back, and took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth. The Royals rallied with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-4 lead. The 79ers seemingly took control, however, with 3 runs in the fifth and 2 runs in the sixth, and Knoxville led 9-6. Once again, Kansas City rallied, striking for 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 9. The teams exchanged runs in the seventh inning, and the 10-10 score held through the eighth and ninth innings. In the bottom of the tenth, it would be Rosas who stepped up to be the hero. With one out and one on, Rosas slashed a triple to knock in the winning run. With an 11-10, extra-inning victory in Game Seven, the Royals were headed to the World Series for the first time in 26 years. Back in 2013, Kansas City was just another victim of the great Pittsburgh dynasty of that time period. The Pirates beat the Royals that year for their sixth consecutive championship(their run would be stopped the following year by Atlanta). Now, in 2039, they would take on Pittsburgh again. This Pirates team had won four straight World Series from 2033 to 2036, but had missed in 2037, and lost to Tucson in 2038. This Pittsburgh team was also one of the most dominant of all time, having won an astounding 125 games in the regular season. In Game One, the Royals jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but trailed 4-2 from the second inning into the seventh inning. With runs in the seventh and eighth innings, the Royals managed to tie the game at four apiece. However, in the bottom of the eighth, the Pirates struck for 3 runs, and Pittsburgh took Game One, 7-4. In Game Two, the Pirates scored 4 times in the third inning and twice in the fourth inning. That 6-0 lead held until the ninth inning, when the Royals finally showed up and erupted for 5 runs. Unfortunately, they stopped at 5, and lost Game Two. The remainder of the series wasn't close, as Pittsburgh stomped the Royals by scores of 9-1 and 7-1. Overall, Rosas had an excellent postseason, delivering 7 extra base hits and 8 RBI.

In 2040, Rosas enjoyed both his first 200 hit season and his first 40 homerun season. He also led the American League in OPS for the third consecutive season. Unfortunately, the defending AL champion Royals came crashing back to earth, finishing in fourth place in the Central with an 81-81 record. Kansas City wasn't much better the following season, but the Central was very weak, and that allowed the Royals to compete. In mid-September, however, Rosas was sidelined with a fractured hand. One wonders what would have happened if he had not been injured. The Royals wound up finishing 76-86, only 3 1/2 games out of first. Grand Rapids and Tucson tied for the division lead with records of 79-83, and the Tigers prevailed in a one game playoff.

Rosas returned from injury in 2042 to post his second 40 homerun season, while also setting career highs in doubles(49) and RBI(147). Kansas City emerged victorious in a tight race for the Central Division crown, finishing 87-75 and beating out Denver and Tucson by 4 and 6 games, respectively. The Royals were pitted against the up and coming Miami Dolphins in the ALCS. They proved to be no match for Miami, losing in four games. Rosas did little, batting .250 with a single homerun.

In '43, Rosas set a career high with 42 homeruns, and Kansas City finished the regular season tied with Denver atop the Central with identical 87-75 records. The Broncos defeated the Royals in a one game playoff, ending Kansas City's season. In '44, Rosas posted his second career season with double digits in doubles, triples, and homeruns, and he drew 100 walks for the fifth time in his career. The Royals were good, winning 91 games, but they finished in second place, 6 games behind Denver. In '45, Rosas posted his third career, and second consecutive, season with double digits in each of the extra base hit categories. He also set a career high by drawing 132 walks. The Royals won 88 games, but it was another second place finish for them, as Tucson paced the Central with 95 wins.

Rosas' time in Kansas City came to an end in 2046. He signed with Washington, a team that hadn't made the playoffs in more than ten years, as a free agent. Rosas had a strong season, though he did miss about a month with a broken finger. It's debatable whether that lengthy absence cost the Senators a shot at the playoffs. Washington did win 86 games, but that was a far cry from the division-winning Miami's 108 wins. Without Rosas, meanwhile, Kansas City sunk to 75-87 and a fourth place finish in the Central Division. 2047 played out much the same as 2046: Rosas was excellent, posting his fourth career 40 homerun campaign while getting named to his eighth All Star game. Washington was strong, winning 89 games, but the Senators were still a distant second to Miami, who ripped off 109 wins. In 2048, rinse and repeat. Rosas delivered the 500th homerun of his career in May, but was injured in mid-July and didn't return until more than a month later. The Senators won 90 games, but finished second to the Dolphins, who won 103 games.

In 2049, the 37 year old Rosas got old in a hurry. He got off to a poor start, and other than an excellent month of June, never really got going. He wound up setting career lows in virtually every offensive category: hits, doubles, triples, homeruns, RBI, runs scored, walks, stolen bases, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Washington was unable to survive the decline, and slumped to just 73 wins. And in one of life's little coincidences, in the same year that Rosas saw his abilities disappear, the Kansas City Royals captured their first World Series title in a seven game thriller against Pittsburgh. Rosas signed with Rochester to start the 2050 season, but was released a week into the season. The Sacramento Kings signed him near the end of May, but a month later, they, too, released him. He retired following the 2050 season.

At the time of his retirement, Rosas ranked 22nd all time in homeruns, 22nd in RBI, 15th in triples, 15th in runs scored, and 20th in walks. He no longer ranks in the top 25 in any of those categories. He does, however, rank sixth all time in OPS, with a 1.013 career OPS. He also won an impressive five Gold Gloves in right field, though other players have won as many or more than that.

Career Batting Stats 
 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI    R   BB    K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS Teams 
2034   150  510  136  18   6  35  107   88   86  138  18  10 .267 .372 .531  .904 KC 
2035   140  522  138  25   5  31   99  112   89  129  23  11 .264 .372 .510  .881 KC 
2036   157  565  182  44  11  37  142  137  105  113  16   7 .322 .428 .635 1.064 KC,AL 
2037   157  546  183  36   5  31  113  121  104   87  23   7 .335 .442 .590 1.031 KC,AL 
2038   124  445  165  39   6  30  127  111   88   65  13  10 .371 .475 .688 1.162 KC,AL 
2039   157  558  183  45   9  35  129  128  106   80  13   6 .328 .435 .629 1.064 KC,AL 
2040   158  572  203  44   6  40  133  138   96   78   7   7 .355 .448 .663 1.110 KC,AL 
2041   139  503  153  26   7  31  105   94   87   87  12   9 .304 .407 .569  .975 KC,AL 
2042   156  562  196  49   6  40  147  144  109   83  13   8 .349 .455 .671 1.125 KC,AL 
2043   157  577  181  29   8  42  138  123   99   84  13   9 .314 .414 .610 1.024 KC 
2044   152  544  180  33  11  34  113  138  115   78  18  14 .331 .448 .619 1.067 KC 
2045   156  528  164  33  11  32  106  121  132   76  16  15 .311 .448 .597 1.045 KC 
2046   135  485  155  31   5  34  106  111   87   67  11   4 .320 .423 .614 1.038 WAS 
2047   157  536  173  29   4  41  111  113   81   89   5   6 .323 .412 .621 1.033 WAS,AL 
2048   122  462  151  16   4  25   74   89   73   76   3   2 .327 .419 .541  .960 WAS 
2049   139  475  109  16   1  17   74   68   53  118   1   0 .229 .307 .375  .682 WAS 
2050    10   12    2   0   0   0    0    0    0    4   0   0 .167 .167 .167  .333 ROC SAC 
Total 2366 8402 2654 513 105 535 1824 1836 1510 1452 205 125 .316 .420 .593 1.013   
 
Career Minor League Batting Stats
 
 
Year      G AB H 2B 3B HR RBI R BB K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
2050, AAA 5 19 4  0  0  0   2 2  1 3  0  0 .211 .227 .211 .438 
 
Career Postseason Batting Stats
 
 
Year   G AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
2039  11 42 15  3  1  2   8  9  6 7  4  0 .357 .438 .619 1.057 
2042   4 16  4  0  0  1   1  2  1 2  2  0 .250 .294 .438  .732 
Total 15 58 19  3  1  3   9 11  7 9  6  0 .328 .400 .569  .969 
 
 
Player History
 
 
Drafted in 1st round, 1st overall pick, by Kansas City in 2034...
Had first career hit (homerun) on 4/2/2034, off Lawrence Erwin (GR)...
Hit 3 homeruns against Atlanta, driving in 7 runs on 9/20/2034...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/22/2034, hitting .577 with 6 HR, 17 RBI...
Won Batter of the Month award on 10/1/2034, hitting .337 with 14 HR, 29 RBI...
Won Rookie of the Year Award in 2034, hitting .267 with 35 HR, 107 RBI...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2034...
Drove in 6 runs against Memphis on 5/25/2036...
Was selected to the 2036 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 4/28/2037, hitting .577 with 3 HR, 12 RBI...
Was selected to the 2037 Allstar game...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2037...
Had 6 hits with 5 RBI against Nashville on 6/23/2038...
Was selected to the 2038 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/11/2038, hitting .667 with 4 HR, 11 RBI...
Injured on 8/27/2038 with a Broken Hand, out for 7 weeks...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 6/21/2039...
Was selected to the 2039 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/29/2039, hitting .522 with 2 HR, 7 RBI...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2039...
Drove in 6 runs against Miami on 5/10/2040...
Won Player of the Week award on 5/12/2040, hitting .556 with 3 HR, 13 RBI...
Was selected to the 2040 Allstar game...
Won Batter of the Month award on 9/1/2040, hitting .385 with 11 HR, 30 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/1/2040, hitting .519 with 6 HR, 15 RBI...
Was selected to the 2041 Allstar game...
Injured on 9/15/2041 with a Fractured Hand, out for 4 weeks...
Was selected to the 2042 Allstar game...
Had 5 hits with 7 RBI against Miami on 7/8/2042...
Won Batter of the Month award on 8/1/2042, hitting .383 with 9 HR, 32 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/4/2042, hitting .563 with 2 HR, 7 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/25/2042, hitting .565 with 2 HR, 11 RBI...
Won Batter of the Month award on 10/1/2042, hitting .389 with 13 HR, 33 RBI...
Had 5 hits with 1 RBI against Grand Rapids on 4/17/2043...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/23/2043, hitting .556 with 5 HR, 11 RBI...
Had 5 hits with 5 RBI against Tucson on 7/19/2044...
Had 5 hits with 3 RBI against Washington on 8/9/2044...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2044...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/2/2045, hitting .500 with 3 HR, 7 RBI...
Had 2000th career hit on 7/18/2045, off Gregorio Martinez (DEN)...
Signed as a free agent by Washington on 2/5/2046 to a 4-year deal worth $14,867,500 per year...
Drove in 7 runs against Tucson on 4/9/2046...
Injured on 6/26/2046 with a Broken Finger, out for 4 weeks...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/1/2046, hitting .545 with 2 HR, 4 RBI...
Won Gold Glove Award at Rightfield in 2046...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/30/2047, hitting .600 with 3 HR, 7 RBI...
Was selected to the 2047 Allstar game...
Drove in 7 runs against Tucson on 8/11/2047...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/18/2047, hitting .435 with 4 HR, 10 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Kansas City on 9/19/2047...
Had 500th career homerun on 5/3/2048, off Henry Sotan (KC)...
Injured on 7/14/2048 with a Herniated Disc Back, out for 5-6 weeks...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 9/9/2048...
Drove in 6 runs against Memphis on 6/11/2049...
Injured on 8/14/2049 with a Strained Back, out for 1-2 weeks...
Signed as a free agent by Rochester on 2/9/2050 to a 2-year deal worth $535,000 per year...
Released by Rochester on 4/7/2050...
Signed as a free agent by Sacramento on 5/26/2050 to a minor league contract...
Released by Sacramento on 6/23/2050, refused assignment to minors...
Retired and inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2051.
 
 
Batting Leader Boards Appearances 
 
AVG
2037 - .335 - 7th
2038 - .371 - 2nd
2039 - .328 - 10th
2040 - .355 - 5th
2042 - .349 - 8th
2048 - .327 - 8th
 
OBP
2036 - .428 - 4th
2037 - .442 - 4th
2038 - .475 - 1st
2039 - .435 - 7th
2040 - .448 - 3rd
2041 - .407 - 9th
2042 - .455 - 2nd
2043 - .414 - 8th
2044 - .448 - 4th
2045 - .448 - 1st
2046 - .423 - 7th
2047 - .412 - 8th
2048 - .419 - 4th
 
SLG
2036 - .635 - 5th
2037 - .590 - 5th
2038 - .688 - 1st
2039 - .629 - 1st
2040 - .663 - 1st
2041 - .569 - 4th
2042 - .671 - 1st
2043 - .610 - 7th
2044 - .619 - 7th
2045 - .597 - 7th
2046 - .614 - 6th
2047 - .621 - 6th
 
OPS
2036 - 1.064 - 4th
2037 - 1.031 - 3rd
2038 - 1.162 - 1st
2039 - 1.064 - 1st
2040 - 1.110 - 1st
2041 -  .975 - 3rd
2042 - 1.125 - 2nd
2043 - 1.024 - 8th
2044 - 1.067 - 6th
2045 - 1.045 - 2nd
2046 - 1.038 - 5th
2047 - 1.033 - 6th
2048 -  .960 - 9th
 
Hits
2040 - 203 - 6th
 
Doubles
2036 - 44 - 6th
2038 - 39 - 7th
2039 - 45 - 6th
2040 - 44 - 8th
2042 - 49 - 3rd
 
Triples
2036 - 11 - 5th
2039 -  9 - 2nd
2043 -  8 - 8th
2044 - 11 - 1st
2045 - 11 - 1st
 
Homeruns
2036 - 37 - 8th
2037 - 31 - 8th
2039 - 35 - 5th
2040 - 40 - 3rd
2041 - 31 - 8th
2042 - 40 - 8th
2043 - 42 - 4th
2047 - 41 - 5th
 
RBI
2036 - 142 - 3rd
2038 - 127 - 8th
2039 - 129 - 8th
2040 - 133 - 2nd
2041 - 105 - 10th
2042 - 147 - 3rd
2043 - 138 - 5th
 
Runs
2036 - 137 - 1st
2037 - 121 - 5th
2039 - 128 - 4th
2040 - 138 - 1st
2042 - 144 - 1st
2043 - 123 - 8th
2044 - 138 - 4th
2045 - 121 - 3rd
 
BB
2036 - 105 - 5th
2037 - 104 - 3rd
2039 - 106 - 5th
2040 -  96 - 5th
2041 -  87 - 10th
2042 - 109 - 2nd
2043 -  99 - 6th
2044 - 115 - 2nd
2045 - 132 - 1st
 
SB
2035 - 23 - 5th
2037 - 23 - 8th

And onto Walter Mara:




Walter Mara:

There are few things that I enjoy more than seeing a ballplayer spend his entire career with one team. When that career spans twenty years and includes magnificent, Hall of Fame caliber results, well, so much the better. After a decade of mostly mediocre baseball, the 2030's got off to an uninspired start for the Kansas City Royals. They lost 91 games in 2030, and in '31, they sunk to the bottom of all of baseball, tying with Portland for the worst record at 56-106. It was the first 100-loss season in franchise history. A coin toss gave the Royals the first overall pick in the '32 amateur draft. With it, they selected 20 year old third-baseman, Walter Mara. For nearly three months, Mara played at AAA. He showed very good plate discipline, posting a .358 OBP in 294 AB, but his expected power had not quite arrived. Midway through a season in which they unexpectedly contended, the Royals decided to give Mara a taste of the big leagues. He spent a few weeks with the big club after getting promoted near the end of June, but was sent back to AAA in the first week of July. He wouldn't stay down for long. Less than a week after getting sent back to AAA, the Royals dealt their aged star third-baseman, Joel Muir, to Washington for veteran starting pitcher Jose Miranda and a couple of middling prospects. Walter Mara was recalled and began receiving the bulk of the playing time at third. He collected a total of 173 at bats that first season, and in addition to retaining the plate awareness he had shown in the minors(.406 OBP), the power that hadn't yet manifested itself, suddenly did so. Mara belted 13 homeruns and slugged .555 down the stretch for the Royals. In a weak Central Division, the Royals very much had a shot at the postseason, but they ultimately fell short. Kansas City won only 74 games, but the division-winning Memphis Grizzlies won just 78 themselves. One can speculate as to how things might have played out had Walter Mara not gotten injured in mid-August, missing four weeks.

Mara's first full season was a fine one, though he was again hampered by an injury, missing more than a month of action with a strained triceps. Mara smacked 18 homeruns and posted a .402 on base percentage. The Royals, on the other hand, collapsed again, losing a league worst 105 games. Mara was healthy for the entirety of the '34 season, and continued his development by delivering 29 homeruns, a .909 OPS, and his first 100 RBI season. Alas, it didn't do the Royals much good, as their hapless pitching staff sent them spiraling into another 105 loss season.

2035 seemed to be a breakthrough year. The Royals emerged from the shadows and won 86 games, finishing in second place. It was their first winning season since 2029, and the most wins since they won 89 games in 2016. Mara himself enjoyed a breakout year, finishing second in the batting race with a .356 average, and first in both on base percentage and OPS. Kansas City fans were stunned when the Silver Slugger Award was handed to Memphis' James Holsinger, and not Mara. Though Holsinger had a fine season, they argued, the Grizzlies were a last place team, while the Royals tied for the second best record in the American League with Southeast-winning Washington.

In 2036, Mara put up numbers virtually identical to the previous season, only a little bit better. This time, he won the batting title, hitting .359, and also led the league in OBP, while finishing second in OPS. The Royals won 85 games that year, but the American League was significantly unbalanced, with every team in the Central Division finishing over .500, and every team in the Southeast finishing under .500. Thus, the Royals 85 wins weren't good enough to avoid last place.

It was another disappointing last place finish for Kansas City in 2037, as the Royals managed only a middling 79 wins. The season was also a disappointment for Mara, who was off to a rather slow start, when he was lost for the season in the first week of June with a torn bicep muscle.

Mara returned the following year, and the Royals looked like a new team, winning a franchise-record 94 games. It helped to go 27-8 against a pair of expansion teams. Unfortunately for the Royals, those 94 wins were only good enough for third place, as both Tucson and Memphis hit the 100-win mark. Mara had a solid campaign, though it was not as strong as the '35 and '36 ones. He managed 23 homeruns and an .886 OPS.

In 2039, the Royals went a combined 30-5 against the second year Dolphins and Broncos, and rolled to an American League-best 107 wins, breaking the franchise record for wins that had been set just the year before. Mara returned to his previous level, putting up an OPS of 1.021 while collecting 200 hits for the first time in his career. Mara was terrific in the ALCS, hitting .538 with a homerun and 2 RBI against Knoxville. Mara's 2-out RBI double in the seventh inning of Game Seven tied up the game at 10 apiece, and the Royals eventually pulled out an 11-10 victory in 10 innings. The Royals were headed to the World Series for the first time in 25 years. They would be pitted against a juggernaut Pittsburgh team that had just ripped off 125 wins.

In Game One, the Royals grabbed a quick 2-0 lead, but just as quickly, fell behind 4-2. One run in the seventh inning got the Royals to within a single run, and Walter Mara delivered the big hit that they needed, smacking a solo homerun in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at four. It didn't stay tied for long. Pittsburgh scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth en route to a 7-4 victory. In Game Two, the Royals' lineup did absolutely nothing until the ninth inning. Trailing 6-0 at the start of the ninth, Mara again came through with a huge hit, hammering a three run homerun with one out. The rally fell short, however, as the Pirates prevailed, 6-5. Mara scored the only run in a Game Three, 9-1 rout by Pittsburgh. The series concluded its anticlimactic ending with a 7-1 triumph by the Pirates. Despite the ultimate disappointing finish, no one could cast blame in Mara's direction, who was absolutely magnificent in the postseason run, batting .476 with 6 extra base hits, 6 RBI, 9 runs scored, and 6 walks. Most Royals' fans didn't take the defeat too hard, either, as they expected their team to be a dominant power in the near future. With a lineup filled with stars such as Mara, RF Fabian Rosas, C Maurice Knox, 1B Steve Kempf, and CF Reginald Allbritton, plus an emerging talent in LF Ariel Cuestas, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this team would be back.

Thus, the 2040 season was a huge disappointment for Kansas City. The Royals' change in fortune began with two key free agent losses. The first was obvious at the time: 32 year old 1B Steve Kempf, who had belted 32 homeruns and led the team in RBI the previous season, signed very quickly with the Portland Trailblazers. The second loss wasn't considered as significant, but would prove to have a profound impact on the futures of two franchises, Kansas City and Miami. 26 year old starting pitcher Robert Padgett had won 16 games for the Royals in 2039, but few were excited about his 5.43 ERA. So it was that few Royals' fans were upset to see Padgett leave as a free agent and sign with the Dolphins. Though Mara would have an excellent season, hitting 28 homeruns with a .990 OPS, the Royals stumbled to just 81-81, finishing a distant fourth place in the Central Division. In 2041, the Royals lost two more players to free agency: C Maurice Knox and CF Reginald Allbritton. Kansas City slumped further to 76-86. Mara had a .917 OPS, with 20 homeruns.

Despite the loss of yet another key player, LF Ariel Cuesta, the Royals emerged as winners in the '42 offseason, adding star first-baseman Eugene Spradling. His contributions(42 homeruns and a .997 OPS) helped turn the Royals into the highest scoring team in baseball. Mara posted his fourth season with an OPS over 1.000, coming in at 1.021. Kansas City captured the Central Division crown with an 87-75 record. But who was that on the mound for Miami in Game One of the ALCS? One Robert Padgett, fresh off of a 22 win season with the Dolphins. Padgett went 7 1/3 innings and gave up just two runs in a Miami victory. The Dolphins never looked back, sweeping the Royals on their way to their first championship. Mara wasn't terrible in the series, hitting .357 with a .438 OBP, but he failed to drive in any runs. He did manage to score five runs, however.

In 2043, the Royals' hearts were broken. Mara set a personal best with his league-leading .374 batting average. He had also had career highs in walks(113) and OBP(.482), and posted his fifth season with an OPS greater than 1.000. The Central Division race went down to the wire, with the Royals and the Denver Broncos ultimately tying for the lead with identical 87-75 records. A one game playoff would determine who would play in the postseason. The Royals were defeated, bringing their season to an end.

Mara produced his sixth season with an OPS over 1.000 in 2044, and posted his first 50 double season. The Royals won 91 games, but fell six games short of the Denver Broncos in the Central Division.

2045 was a season of what might have been. Kansas City won 88 games and finished 7 games behind division-winning Tucson. But if not for numerous injuries, one wonders if the Royals could have won the division. It began when Fabian Rosas injured his ribs near the end of April. Though he didn't go on the disabled list, he was clearly effected, hitting just .225 in the month of May. Then relief pitcher Manuel Fresquez had his hand fractured by a line drive and missed about a month. Mara played through a nagging back injury for a few weeks in June. In early June, 15 game winner William Shim, Jr., injured his shoulder and was on the disabled list for two months. Just two days after Shim's injury, another starting pitcher, Donald Youngblood, strained his bicep, and he was knocked out for about two months. In mid-July, Manuel Fresquez was injured again, and missed a couple of weeks. Mara missed two weeks in August with a bruised wrist. Finally, in mid-September, Eugene Spradling suffered a broken finger, effectively ending his season. Could the Royals have won the division without all of the injuries? It's debatable, especially given the fact that the Royals had a tremendous final month of the season, and still finished seven games behind the Diamondbacks. Despite Mara's slightly injury-plagued season, he posted a .930 OPS.

In 2046, the Royals were hit by the free agent losses of long-time star, Fabian Rosas, as well as Eugene Spradling. With the loss of Rosas, only Mara and William Shim, Jr. remained from the '39 team that played in the World Series(catcher Terrell Vanalstyne did have a 5 at bat cup of coffee in 2039). Mara hit a career high 56 doubles in '46 and posted a .981 OPS. Although he had a fine season, the Royals slogged through a 75 win campaign. Where once optimism had been high, it now looked quite bleak for the Royals' franchise. That once fearsome lineup had been almost completely broken up now, and with nothing to show for it. Worse, the Royals' best starting pitcher, Carlos Fernandes, was expected to leave as a free agent in the upcoming offseason, while the franchise icon, Walter Mara, had also reached the end of his contract. Could the team come to an agreement with him, or like so many others over the years, would he desire greener pastures? But then an amazing thing happened. Mara, one of the greatest to ever don a Royals' uniform, agreed to a new contract with Kansas City, saying that he was not interested in playing anywhere else.

Despite a seemingly rejuvenated Mara setting a career high with a 1.104 OPS, the Royals stumbled through a 78 win season in 2047. It was Mara's seventh, and final, 1.000 OPS season.

2048 was very reminiscent of 2043. The Royals and Broncos went down to the wire in the Central, finishing with identical records of 83-79. This time, the Royals prevailed in the one game playoff, setting up an ALCS against the Miami Dolphins. Despite a fine regular season by Mara, in which he hit 34 homeruns with a .969 OPS, the Royals weren't really that great of a team, and the matchup against Miami was largely a mismatch. The Dolphins swept the Royals in four games. Mara doubled twice, homered once, and drove in 3 runs, but it just wasn't enough.

In 2049, Mara was named to his ninth, and final All Star team, putting up a .932 OPS while posting his fourth season with over 50 doubles. He also drew 100 walks for the fifth time in his career. The division races in the American League that year weren't particularly exciting. Miami blew away its Southeastern rivals, beating Knoxville by a whopping 34 games, as it cruised to a 111 win season. The Royals, meanwhile, won 94 games and captured the Central by 12 games over Tucson. In an ALCS rematch, the Royals were heavy underdogs against a Miami team that had both scored the most runs in all of baseball and allowed the fewest runs. Anchoring the Dolphins' dominant rotation was one of the greatest pitchers of all time: Robert Padgett. The Dolphins' lineup included three future Hall of Famers, as well as a handful of significant stars of the time period. But instead of the expected Miami cakewalk, the Royals played spoiler, upsetting the Dolphins in six games. Kansas City was headed to the World Series, where it would face a familiar foe.

In the Royals' first World Series appearance, back in 2013, they fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games. In their second World Series appearance, in 2039, they were swept by Pittsburgh in four games. Now, in Kansas City's third appearance in the World Series, it would once again face the Pittsburgh Pirates. After getting by the powerful Dolphins in the ALCS, Pittsburgh didn't exactly represent a breather. Like Miami, Pittsburgh had won 111 games. And while Miami had finished first in both runs scored and runs allowed, Pittsburgh had finished second in both categories. Pittsburgh's rotation was anchored by three 20-game winners: Simeon Romero, Dennis Hallowell, and Phillip Traub. The Pirates' offense was an unlikely high-powered one. Instead of bludgeoning teams to death with homeruns, the Pirates simply accumulated base runner after base runner, finishing second in the league in batting average and first in on base percentage, while leading all of baseball in walks drawn. Only four players reached double digits in homeruns, with the team leader having only 19, but three players drew at least 70 walks, with one hitting the 100 mark. Three regulars had OBP over .400, and only two players had over 200 at bats with an OBP under .360.

Game One initially headed south after the Royals grabbed a first inning run. Pittsburgh scored 2 in the second and 1 in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead. It stayed that way until the seventh inning, when Kansas City struck for 3 runs. The Royals added two in the ninth to secure a 6-3 victory. A 3 run second inning was all that the Royals needed in a 3-2 Game Two victory. Then everything unraveled for the Royals. They led Game Three by a score of 2-1 heading into the top of the fifth inning, when Pittsburgh scored twice to take the lead. Two more runs in the eighth inning gave the Pirates a 6-4 win. Kansas City mustered only five hits in a 5-1 Game Four defeat, and the series was all tied up. Game Five was a wild one. Both team scored first inning runs and it remained 1-1 until the fourth inning, when Pittsburgh exploded for 5 runs. In the bottom of the inning, the Royals struck for two of their own, making it a 6-3 Pittsburgh lead. In the sixth inning, they traded runs again, making it 7-4. In the seventh inning, Royals' right-fielder Alonso Perez, who had managed a single homerun in 616 regular season at bats, delivered a game-tying, three-run homerun. In the eighth inning, however, Pittsburgh reserve outfielder Louis Mayor ripped a two out, two run triple to give the Pirates a 9-7 lead. Pittsburgh hung onto that lead, and was now just one game away from capturing the World Series.

Game Six pitted 24 year old Paul Host, owner of 13 wins and a 4.67 ERA against 28 year old Simeon Romero. Romero was 21-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 243 strikeouts that season, and would win the Cy Young Award, one of several in his career. It was scoreless after one inning. It was scoreless after two innings. In the third inning, Pittsburgh threatened, when second-baseman Pete Sims doubled with a runner aboard, but the Pirates couldn't plate the run, and Sims was injured on the play, to boot. It was scoreless through four innings. It was scoreless through five innings. In the sixth, Pittsburgh threatened again, with a two out double by catcher John Brockway. They came up empty. In the seventh inning, Simeon Romero tried to help out his own cause, delivering a two out triple for his second hit of the game. Again, nothing. In the top of the eighth inning, Paul Host gave way to pinch hitter Richard Paton. It was an amazing performance for the young Host: 7 innings, 7 hits, 0 runs, 4 K's, 1 walk. Paton drew a walk. Infielder Freddie Eggen was brought in as a pinch-runner, and promptly swiped second base. One out later, Alonso Perez delivered a run-scoring single. Kansas City had the lead. Now it was up to the bullpen. Tony Gomez and Michael Dunn, both All Star relief pitchers, finished out the game, allowing three base-runners, but no runs. The Royals had gone up against the best Pittsburgh had to offer, and had forced a seventh game. Hope sprang anew among the Kansas City faithful.

The Royals struck first in Game Seven, on Richard Paton's two out, run-scoring double in the second inning. Pittsburgh responded immediately. First-baseman Alvaro Vargas led off the bottom of the second with his fourth homerun of the postseason. And then it got worse. Pittsburgh shortstop Edson Vega delivered a two run single in the third inning to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead. Both teams put up goose-eggs for the next four innings. Then in the eighth inning, Pirates' second-baseman Damien Gallegos smacked a two out solo homerun, and Pittsburgh had a 4-1 lead with only three outs to go. To the mound stepped Pittsburgh relief ace Inogorou Heikichi, who had notched 37 saves with a 2.72 ERA during the regular season. In the blink of an eye, it all blew up in Pittsburgh's face. Seven hits(all singles), one walk, and two pitchers later, Kansas City had erased the 4-1 deficit and now led 6-4. To the mound strode Michael Dunn, who had earned the save in the 1-0 Game Six victory. 1-2-3. The Royals were World Champions for the first time in franchise history. The perseverance of generations of fans and the loyalty of one Walter Mara had finally been rewarded. Mara himself did not have a great postseason, as despite a .365 OBP, his OPS was just .661. He was, however, a part of that furious ninth inning rally, driving in one of the runs.

Having finally won a championship, there was just one more thing that Mara wanted to accomplish. 3,000. Only 11 players before him had reached such a lofty pinnacle, and Mara stood just seven hits away from joining that elite company. He certainly wasn't going to hang 'em up just yet! Unfortunately for Mara and the Royals, the team was gutted by free agency following the World Series. They didn't recover from the losses, finishing with the worst record in the American League at 64-98. The 39 year old Mara suffered through his worst season in the majors, managing just a .717 OPS. Despite that, Mara joined the 3,000 hit club in the first week of the season, blasting a 3-run homerun against Tucson on April 6th. Mara attempted to play one more season, but after receiving just 2 at bats with the Royals in the first few weeks of 2051, the Royals released him, bringing his career to a close.

At the time of his retirement, Mara ranked 16th all time in batting average, 7th all time in hits, 10th in RBI, 22nd in doubles, 13th in walks, and 9th in runs scored. Today, Mara ranks 20th in hits, 18th in RBI, 18th in walks, and 17th in runs scored.

Career Batting Stats 
 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI    R   BB    K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS Teams 
2032    53  173   50   7  0  13   39   35   34   41  0  0 .289 .406 .555  .961 KC 
2033   121  433  127  13  0  18   72   70   79  102  0  2 .293 .402 .448  .850 KC 
2034   155  597  178  36  3  29  122  110   95  144  3  0 .298 .395 .514  .909 KC 
2035   156  550  196  30  0  35  133  123  102  113  3  0 .356 .457 .602 1.059 KC,AL 
2036   153  549  197  37  3  35  137  136   99  101  1  0 .359 .457 .628 1.085 KC,AL 
2037    57  223   59   9  0   7   37   39   38   51  0  0 .265 .372 .399  .771 KC 
2038   141  542  161  30  2  23   88   97   92  111  0  0 .297 .399 .487  .886 KC 
2039   154  609  209  47  2  33  130  131   94  120  0  0 .343 .431 .589 1.021 KC,AL 
2040   141  488  158  33  0  28  126   92   87   76  1  1 .324 .426 .564  .990 KC,AL 
2041   155  569  181  39  2  20   87   92   98   95  1  0 .318 .418 .499  .917 KC 
2042   156  565  197  45  5  24  124  126  101   94  0  3 .349 .447 .573 1.021 KC,AL 
2043   157  540  202  45  1  26  122  123  113   80  0  2 .374 .482 .606 1.088 KC,AL 
2044   155  557  183  51  0  29  139  125  102   96  5  0 .329 .432 .576 1.009 KC,AL 
2045   138  476  151  31  3  18   98   88   86  102  0  2 .317 .422 .508  .930 KC 
2046   157  591  191  56  1  29  112  100   90  131  1  1 .323 .413 .569  .981 KC 
2047   145  508  184  52  1  32  115  124   77  102  3  0 .362 .446 .657 1.104 KC,AL 
2048   155  593  190  40  3  34  117  119   78  113  4  0 .320 .399 .570  .969 KC 
2049   155  558  179  51  1  17   95  103  101  114  2  0 .321 .425 .507  .932 KC,AL 
2050   140  495  134  24  2   8   54   68   53  133  0  2 .271 .341 .376  .717 KC 
2051     2    2    0   0  0   0    0    0    0    1  0  0 .000 .000 .000  .000 KC 
Total 2646 9618 3127 676 29 458 1947 1901 1619 1920 24 13 .325 .422 .544  .967   
 
Career Minor League Batting Stats
 
 
Year       G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
2032, AAA 79 294 78 13  1  8  37 37 46 60  0  0 .265 .358 .398 .756 
 
Career Postseason Batting Stats
 
 
Year   G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS 
2039  11  42 20  3  0  3   6  9  6  7  0  0 .476 .542 .762 1.304 
2042   4  14  5  1  0  0   0  5  2  4  0  0 .357 .438 .429  .866 
2048   4  15  3  2  0  1   3  4  2  7  0  0 .200 .294 .533  .827 
2049  13  44 11  2  0  0   5  3  8 18  0  0 .250 .365 .295  .661 
Total 32 115 39  8  0  4  14 21 18 36  0  0 .339 .429 .513  .942 
 
 
Player History
 
 
Drafted in 1st round, 1st overall pick, by Kansas City in 2032...
Had first career hit (double) on 6/25/2032, off George Brownlow (NAS)...
Hit first career homerun on 7/24/2032, off George Brownlow (NAS)...
Drove in 6 runs against Knoxville on 8/13/2032...
Injured on 8/17/2032 with a Torn Groin Muscle, out for 4 weeks...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/18/2032, hitting .333 with 5 HR, 13 RBI...
Had 20-game hitting streak snapped on 7/24/2033...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/15/2034, hitting .478 with 3 HR, 8 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 5/13/2035...
Was selected to the 2035 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/22/2035, hitting .480 with 4 HR, 7 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 4/7/2036, hitting .700 with 2 HR, 7 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Atlanta on 6/8/2036...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/9/2036, hitting .500 with 4 HR, 13 RBI...
Was selected to the 2036 Allstar game...
Injured on 6/6/2037 with a Torn Bicep Muscle, out for full season...
Injured on 5/29/2038 with a Strained Groin Muscle, out for one week...
Had 20-game hitting streak snapped on 8/5/2038...
Had 5 hits with 1 RBI against Miami on 6/12/2039...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/16/2039, hitting .571 with 3 HR, 5 RBI...
Had 22-game hitting streak snapped on 6/27/2039...
Won Batter of the Month award on 7/1/2039, hitting .425 with 10 HR, 27 RBI...
Was selected to the 2039 Allstar game...
Won Batter of the Month award on 10/1/2039, hitting .347 with 6 HR, 23 RBI...
Had 5 hits with 6 RBI against Memphis on 4/5/2040...
Was selected to the 2040 Allstar game...
Won Player of the Week award on 7/14/2040, hitting .600 with 2 HR, 8 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Memphis on 8/24/2040...
Injured on 9/7/2040 with a Pulled Groin Muscle, out for 1-2 weeks...
Drove in 8 runs against Tucson on 7/19/2041...
Won Player of the Week award on 7/28/2041, hitting .615 with 1 HR, 8 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/9/2042, hitting .630 with 0 HR, 12 RBI...
Won Batter of the Month award on 7/1/2042, hitting .473 with 2 HR, 27 RBI...
Was selected to the 2042 Allstar game...
Drove in 8 runs against Washington on 9/13/2042...
Drove in 7 runs against Memphis on 9/14/2042...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/15/2042, hitting .571 with 3 HR, 16 RBI...
Had 21-game hitting streak snapped on 9/24/2042...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/2/2043, hitting .474 with 4 HR, 11 RBI...
Had 24-game hitting streak snapped on 6/7/2043...
Was selected to the 2043 Allstar game...
Had 2000th career hit on 6/12/2044, off Melchor Echegaray (KNO)...
Was selected to the 2044 Allstar game...
Drove in 6 runs against Nashville on 7/8/2044...
Drove in 7 runs against Grand Rapids on 7/30/2044...
Injured on 8/16/2045 with a Bruised Wrist, out for one week...
Had 27-game hitting streak snapped on 5/29/2046...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/30/2046, hitting .542 with 3 HR, 11 RBI...
Had 21-game hitting streak snapped on 4/28/2047...
Was selected to the 2047 Allstar game...
Injured on 8/17/2047 with a Scratched Cornea Eye, out for 1-2 weeks...
Won Batter of the Month award on 9/1/2048, hitting .390 with 11 HR, 33 RBI...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/1/2048, hitting .440 with 6 HR, 12 RBI...
Drove in 7 runs against Memphis on 9/1/2048...
Was selected to the 2049 Allstar game...
Won World Series with Kansas City in 2049...
Signed as a free agent by Kansas City on 2/1/2050 to a 2-year deal worth $2,533,100 per year...
Had 3000th career hit on 4/6/2050, off Gerald Sozen (TUC)...
Injured on 9/18/2050 with a Tight Shoulder, out for one week...
Released by Kansas City on 4/21/2051, refused assignment to minors...
Retired and inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2052.
 
 
Batting Leader Boards Appearances 
 
AVG
2035 - .356 - 2nd
2036 - .359 - 1st
2039 - .343 - 3rd
2042 - .349 - 9th
2043 - .374 - 1st
2047 - .362 - 4th
 
OBP
2033 - .402 - 8th
2035 - .457 - 1st
2036 - .457 - 1st
2039 - .431 - 5th
2040 - .426 - 7th
2041 - .418 - 4th
2042 - .447 - 3rd
2043 - .482 - 2nd
2044 - .432 - 7th
2045 - .422 - 5th
2047 - .446 - 2nd
2049 - .425 - 5th
 
SLG
2035 - .602 - 5th
2036 - .628 - 6th
2039 - .589 - 4th
2040 - .564 - 6th
2043 - .606 - 9th
2044 - .576 - 10th
2047 - .657 - 1st
2048 - .570 - 9th
 
OPS
2035 - 1.059 - 1st
2036 - 1.085 - 2nd
2039 - 1.021 - 3rd
2040 -  .990 - 7th
2041 -  .917 - 8th
2042 - 1.021 - 5th
2043 - 1.088 - 2nd
2044 - 1.009 - 9th
2047 - 1.104 - 1st
2048 -  .969 - 8th
 
Hits
2035 - 196 - 5th
2036 - 197 - 4th
2039 - 209 - 2nd
2043 - 202 - 10th
2048 - 190 - 9th
 
Doubles
2039 - 47 - 2nd
2041 - 39 - 8th
2042 - 45 - 5th
2043 - 45 - 7th
2044 - 51 - 7th
2046 - 56 - 2nd
2047 - 52 - 2nd
2049 - 51 - 3rd
 
Homeruns
2036 - 35 - 9th
2039 - 33 - 8th
 
RBI
2034 - 122 - 10th
2035 - 133 - 6th
2036 - 137 - 6th
2039 - 130 - 7th
2040 - 126 - 6th
2042 - 124 - 6th
2044 - 139 - 3rd
2048 - 117 - 10th
 
Runs
2035 - 123 - 3rd
2036 - 136 - 2nd
2039 - 131 - 2nd
2042 - 126 - 2nd
2044 - 125 - 9th
2047 - 124 - 4th
2048 - 119 - 9th
 
BB
2033 -  79 - 10th
2034 -  95 - 6th
2035 - 102 - 7th
2036 -  99 - 6th
2038 -  92 - 10th
2039 -  94 - 8th
2041 -  98 - 3rd
2042 - 101 - 3rd
2043 - 113 - 2nd
2044 - 102 - 5th
2046 -  90 - 10th
2049 - 101 - 6th