Frank White (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Frank White |
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White with the Kansas City Royals in 1979
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| Kansas City Monarchs – No. 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Second baseman / Coach | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: September 4, 1950 Greenville, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| debut | |||||||||||||||||||||
| June 12, 1973, for the Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||
| September 30, 1990, for the Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .255 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hits | 2,006 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 160 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 886 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Frank White Jr. (born September 4, 1950) is an American politician and former professional baseball player. He also worked as a coach and television sports commentator. Today, he is the first base coach for the Kansas City Monarchs.
White played his entire 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman. He played for the Kansas City Royals from 1973 to 1990. He was a key player on the team that won the 1985 World Series.
He was chosen as an All-Star five times. Many people thought White was one of the best defensive second basemen of his time. He won eight Gold Glove Awards between 1977 and 1987. He was the first second baseman in the American League (AL) to win this award eight times. Even though he was known for his defense, he also played well offensively. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1980 American League Championship Series (ALCS).
After his playing days, White became a baseball coach and a TV commentator. He also got involved in public office in Jackson County, Missouri. The Royals honored him by retiring his uniform number 20 in 1995. He was also added to the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Frank White was born in Greenville, Mississippi. He went to Longview Community College in Lee's Summit, Missouri. From there, he worked his way up through Minor League Baseball to reach the major leagues.
He played for several minor league teams in the Royals' system:
- The rookie league Gulf Coast League Royals in 1971
- The Class A San Jose Bees in 1972
- The Class AA Jacksonville Suns in 1972
- The Class AAA Omaha Royals in 1973
Playing Career Highlights
Frank White was one of only three MLB players who came from the special Royals Academy. When he first joined the Royals, some fans didn't like him because he took the spot of a popular player named Cookie Rojas. But White soon became a fan favorite.
He and teammate George Brett set an MLB record by playing in 1,914 games together. This record lasted until 1995.
Defensive Skills and Awards
White was a very smooth fielder. He was selected for the All-Star team five times. He won the Gold Glove Award eight times. This included six years in a row from 1977 to 1982. In 1977, he played 62 games in a row without making any errors.
In 1980, White won the first-ever American League Championship Series MVP award. This was during the 1980 ALCS against the New York Yankees. His great play helped the Royals reach their first World Series.
Offensive Improvements
When White first started playing, he was mostly a singles hitter. He didn't hit many runs for the Royals. But he got much better at hitting as his career went on. He hit 22 home runs two years in a row, in 1985 and 1986.
In the 1985 World Series, White even batted cleanup (meaning he hit fourth in the batting order). This was because the World Series that year didn't use the designated hitter rule. Before White, the only other second baseman to bat cleanup in a World Series was Jackie Robinson. In the 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his solo home run helped the American League win 3–2.
Career Statistics and Achievements
White retired as a player in 1990. He played 18 seasons, all with Kansas City. He played in 2,324 regular season games. His batting average was .255, and he hit 160 home runs. He also had 886 RBIs (runs batted in).
As a fielder, White had a .984 fielding percentage at second base. He also hit for the cycle twice in his career. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. He did this on September 26, 1979, and again on August 3, 1982.
Life After Playing Baseball
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| Frank White's number 20 was retired by the Kansas City Royals in 1995. |
Coaching Roles
After he stopped playing, Frank White became a first base coach. He coached for the Boston Red Sox from 1994 to 1996. Then he coached for the Kansas City Royals from 1997 to 2001. He wore his old uniform number 20 for both teams.
Later, he managed the Wichita Wranglers minor league team for three years. He then moved to a job in the Royals' front office. White is currently a coach for the Kansas City Monarchs in the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Broadcasting Career
In 2008, White started working for FSN Kansas City. He was a part-time color commentator for Royals TV games. He also worked as an analyst on their Royals Live postgame show. In 2011, his broadcasting contract was not renewed.
Involvement in Politics
Frank White decided to get involved in Jackson County politics. In 2014, he ran for the Jackson County Legislature as a Democrat. He won an at-large seat.
On January 11, 2016, White was chosen to be the county executive by the Jackson County Legislature. He finished the rest of the term after the previous executive resigned. In November 2016, White was elected to the same position for a two-year term. He was reelected in 2018 and again in 2022.
In 2024, White stopped a plan that would have used taxpayer money to help pay for new stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. He believed it was not a good deal for taxpayers to give over $2 billion without a guarantee that the teams would stay in the county long-term.
Honors and Legacy
Frank White was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. On July 2, 1995, the Royals retired his number 20. This means no other Royals player will wear that number. In the same year, he was inducted into the Royals' Hall of Fame.
In 2004, a bronze statue of Frank White was placed outside Kauffman Stadium. It stands alongside statues of other Royals legends.
More About Frank White
- List of American professional sports figures who held elective office
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
