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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| Second baseman | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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 was also a coach and a television sports commentator. Frank White played his entire 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals. He was a second baseman from 1973 to 1990. He was a very important player on the team that won the 1985 World Series.
Frank White was chosen as an All-Star five times. Many people thought he 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 great defense, he also played well when batting. In the 1980 American League Championship Series, he had a .545 batting average. This helped him win the Most Valuable Player award for that series. White also won the Silver Slugger Award in 1986.
After his baseball career, he became a coach and a TV commentator. He was also elected to a public office in Jackson County, Missouri. In 1995, the Kansas City Royals retired his uniform number 20. He was also inducted into 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. After college, he played in Minor League Baseball. He played for teams like the Gulf Coast League Royals and the Omaha Royals. This helped him get ready for the big leagues.
Playing Baseball for the Royals
Frank White was one of only three MLB players who came from the Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy. At first, some fans did not like him because he took the place of a popular player, Cookie Rojas. But Frank White soon became a fan favorite.
He and his teammate George Brett played in 1,914 games together. This was a major-league record for teammates playing together. This record stood until 1995.
White was a very smooth fielder. He was chosen for the All-Star team five times. He won the Gold Glove Award eight times. Six of these awards were won in a row, from 1977 to 1982. In 1977, he played 62 games in a row without making an error.
In 1980, White won the first American League Championship Series MVP award. This was for his great play in the 1980 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. He helped the Royals reach their first World Series.
Early in his career, White was mostly a singles hitter. But he got much better at hitting as his career went on. He hit 22 home runs in both 1985 and 1986. In the 1985 World Series, he even batted cleanup. This means he hit fourth in the batting order. This was a big deal because the designated hitter rule was not used in that World Series. Before White, only one other second baseman, Jackie Robinson, had ever batted cleanup in a World Series.
In the 1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Frank White hit a solo home run. This home run was the winning run in a 3–2 victory for the American League.
White stopped playing baseball in 1990. He played for 18 seasons with the Kansas City Royals. He played in 2,324 regular season games. He had a .255 batting average, 160 home runs, and 886 RBIs. He was also very good defensively. He had a .984 fielding percentage at second base. He also hit for the cycle twice in his career. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run 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. |
After his playing career, Frank White continued to be involved in baseball.
Coaching and Front Office Roles
Frank White was a first base coach 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. After coaching, he managed the Wichita Wranglers for three years. Then he moved to a role in the Royals' front office.
As of July 2025, White is on the coaching staff for the Kansas City Monarchs. This team plays in the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Working in Broadcasting
In 2008, Frank White started working for FSN Kansas City. He was a part-time color commentator for Royals baseball games. He also worked as an analyst on their postgame show, Royals Live. In 2011, his broadcasting contract was not renewed.
Public Service and Politics
Frank White decided to get involved in politics. In 2014, he ran for the Jackson County Legislature as a Democrat. He won an at-large seat in that election.
On January 11, 2016, the Jackson County Legislature chose Frank White to be the county executive. He took over after the previous executive resigned. In November 2016, he was elected to the same position for a two-year term. He was reelected in 2018 and again in 2022.
In 2024, White did not approve a plan for a sales tax. This tax would have helped pay for new sports stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. White believed that giving over $2 billion of taxpayer money without a long-term promise from the teams was not a good deal for the public.
Awards and Recognition
Frank White was honored in many ways for his achievements. In 1994, he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. On July 2, 1995, the Royals retired his number 20 jersey. 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. This statue joined others honoring important Royals figures.
More to Explore
- List of American professional sports figures who held elective office
- List of Major League Baseball career hits 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
