Kevin Appier

Inducted 2011
Pitcher 1989-1999; 2003-2004

His one-of-a-kind delivery and devastating mix of pitches made Appier one of the dominant pitchers of his era. The three-time Royals Pitcher of the Year retired as the club's all-time strikeout leader with 1,458. He made more Opening Day starts (7) than any Kansas City pitcher before him. Appier posted the lowest ERA (2.56) in the league in 1993 and was named to the 1995 American League All-Star team. He also threw a pair of one-hit games and finished his career among the Royals top 10 in almost every pitching category including wins (115), ERA (3.49), shutouts (10), games started (275) and innings pitched (1,843.2).

POSITION: Pitcher

BATS: Right

THROWS: Right

HEIGHT: 6'2

WEIGHT: 180

BORN: December 6, 1967 in Lancaster, Calif.

HOW ACQUIRED: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1st round (9th pick) of the 1987 amateur draft.

SIGNED: 1987

DEBUT: June 4, 1989

FINAL GAME: April 23, 2004

Kevin Appier, a hard-throwing right-hander who was known for his ability to strike out hitters, was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2011. Appier was the 24th member to enter the Hall.

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The Royals gave Appier his big league chance, selecting him in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1987 draft. Appier played for the Royals in 13 of his 16 Major League seasons.

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Although he hasn't pitched for the franchise since 2004, Appier still ranks first in team history with 1,458 strikeouts and 21 games with double-digit K's.

-- Getty Images

Kevin Appier, a hard-throwing right-hander who was known for his ability to strike out hitters, was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2011.

-- Getty Images