Amos Otis
His manager, Jack McKeon once said of Amos Otis: "He's the best center fielder in baseball. No question about it. Amos is the most complete player in the majors..." Otis combined speed and power in a career spent mostly with the Kansas City Royals, earning three Gold Gloves and five All-Star selections. In 1978 he was a 20-20 (homers and steals) man for the Royals, and he swiped as many as 52 bases in a season. In Kansas City's first World Series, in 1980, the right-handed hitter slugged three homers and drove in seven runs. He ranks near the top in almost every offensive category in Royals franchise history.
Quotes About Otis
"He's the best center fielder in baseball. No question about it. Amos is the most complete player in the majors, one of the most complete I've ever seen." — Royals manager Jack McKeon, in 1973
Quotes From Otis
"We don't have any fights over here, we just fight the baseball. We all get along on this club. We don't have any fat cats, like some clubs." — on the Royals clubhouse, 1977
Played For
New York Mets (1967-1969)
Kansas City Royals (1970-1983)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1984)
All-Time Rankings
Amos Otis ranks #18 among the Top 50 all-time at CF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1978
The 31-year old batted batted .298 with a .525 slugging percentage, and a .380 on-base percentage. He stoled 32 bases in 40 attempts, slugged 22 homers and drove in 96 runs. He finished fourth in AL Most Valuable Player Award voting.
A-O for A-O?
In the 1975 off-season, the Royals and Pirates agreed on a deal that would have sent Amos Otis and Cookie Rojas to Pittsburgh for Al Oliver. Rojas invoked his 10-5 rights (ten years in majors and last five with same club) and vetoed the trade.
After the Royals won the '76 division title, Otis quipped, "Cookie gets his Series share and 10% of mine. We were on the verge of winning the championship, and I didn't want to go with another club. I had been with this club during the building years. You don't want to be a part of something, then be shipped out before your ship comes in."
Where He Played
Center field, except for a very small handful of games in left and right.
Born
Amos Joseph Otis was born on April 26, 1947, in Mobile, AL.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: KCA
Major League Debut
September 6, 1967
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1967
Reggie Jackson
Graig Nettles
Rod Carew
Johnny Bench
Tom Seaver
Jerry Koosman
Amos Otis
Sparky Lyle
Aurelio Rodriguez
Nicknames
AO, Famous Amos
Similar Players
Cesar Cedeno, Andy Van Slyke
Related Players
Joe Foy
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1990 |
BBWAA |
0 |
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1976 American League Championship Series
1977 American League Championship Series
1978 American League Championship Series
1980 American League Championship Series
1980 World Series
1981 American League Division Playoffs
Awards and Honors
1971 AL Gold Glove
1973 AL Gold Glove
1974 AL Gold Glove
Feats
On April 30-May 1, Otis swiped seven bases in two games, tying an American League record... On September 7, 1971, Otis stoled five bases...
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Missed three weeks in 1975 with tonsilitis... Injured his ankle in the first inning of the first game of the 1976 Playoffs, and did not play the rest of the series.
Hitting Streaks
19 games (1974)
Transactions
June 8, 1965: Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round of the 1965 amateur draft.
November 29, 1966: Drafted by the New York Mets from the Boston Red Sox in the 1966 minor league draft.
December 3, 1969: Traded by the New York Mets with Bob Johnson to the Kansas City Royals for Joe Foy.
This trade is without question the best deal in Royals history. Foy was supposed to finally solve the Mets third base problem. He did not. Johnson was a throw-in, but it didn't matter. Otis starred for 14 seasons in KC.
November 7, 1983: Granted Free Agency.
December 19, 1983: Signed as a Free Agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
August 5, 1984: Released by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
All-Star Selections
1970 AL
1971 AL
1972 AL
1973 AL
1976 AL
Best Strength as a Player
Speed
Largest Weakness as a Player
No glaring weaknesses
Learn More about Amos Otis
Search Amazon.com for Books about Amos Otis ⇒
Search for Amos Otis at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
