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The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time - #89 Paul Byrd

The 89th Greatest Royal is Paul Byrd


Paul spent almost two decades portraying Dr. Frasier Crane on "Cheers" and "Frasier"

Royals Review Remembers Paul Byrd

Paul Byrd is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and attended St. Xavier in Louisville before going on to pitch at Louisiana State University. There, he was part of the 1991 College World Series champions. That June, he was selected in the fourth round of the draft by the Cleveland Indians. After five seasons in the minor leagues, the Indians dealt him to the New York Mets in a trade involving Jeromy Burnitz.

Paul Byrd was pretty much a replacement-level pitcher for the first seven years of his major league career. He bounced around the NL East from New York to Atlanta to Philadelphia, only once making twenty starts in a season. In his one full healthy season, he was an All-Star, but won just four games after the All-Star break and ended with a 4.60 ERA. In 2001, his injuries and ineffectiveness got him exiled to the Siberia of baseball - Kansas City.

The Royals acquired the thirty-year old Byrd in a mid-season trade for oft-injured reliever Jose Santiago. He had gone just 2-10 with a 6.69 ERA with Philadelphia since his 1999 All-Star season, so there was little reason to think he'd be much of an improvement over the existing rotation of Jeff Suppan, Chad Durbin, Chris George, and Kris Wilson.

But he did pitch well, giving the Royals quality starts in eight of his fifteen starts. He finished 6-6 with a 4.05 ERA, and if you take out a six run, one inning appearance in Houston, his ERA drops to 3.51. Most impressive was his pair of consecutive one run complete games in July on the road in Seattle and Chicago.

His strong finish to 2001 gave Byrd a leg-up on a rotation spot in 2002. He had an awful spring training, but manager Tony Muser stuck with him, mostly because the other options were not appealing. He rewarded the manager's faith by giving the Royals victories in his first four starts, all quality starts, capped off by a complete game shutout against Detroit. By Memorial Day, Byrd was 8-2 with a 2.88 ERA with quality starts in eight of his eleven appearances. He had also developed a cult following with some fans donning beaks and wings to form the "Byrd's Nest".

Byrd was a free agent at the end of the season, and was a sought-after commodity for contenders at the trade deadline. The Braves, Giants, Cardinals, Mariners, Mets, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Reds were all rumored to be interested. Some of the trade rumors included:

    * Byrd to Cincinnati for P Dustin Moseley

    * Byrd to New York Mets in a three way trade with P Aaron Heilman to Toronto and 2B Orlando Hudson to Kansas City

    * Byrd to Atlanta for 2B Marcus Giles

But in the end, no deal was made.

"I can tell you we explored every avenue," Baird says. "We tried to be creative. We tried all sorts of things. But the bottom line is, we weren't going to just trade Paul Byrd without getting an impact player who could help us opening day next year.

"Could we have gotten low-level prospects? Yes. Could we have gotten a couple of backup infielders? Yes. But the value that Paul Byrd brings to the ballclub, the value that Paul Byrd brings to the fans, I was not going to do that."

Byrd's performance tapered off after his great start, but he still managed to finish tenth in the league in wins with seventeen. It was made all the more impressive considering the Royals ended up losing 100 games that year. He led the league in complete games with seven, led the league in WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched), was second in the league in fewest walks per nine innings, and finished second in innings pitched.

During the season, Byrd indicated he might be willing to sign an extension with the Royals for less than market value.

"If my market value is, say, around $6 million, I'd take a third off of that and start there...Put some light incentives on it on a three-year deal and go from there,"

However, Allard Baird was not authorized to give Byrd a contract extension, and was instead ordered to trim the $47 million payroll. Byrd signed a two year $10 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, but made just nineteen starts in two seasons due to injuries.

In the end, all the Royals received for losing Paul Byrd was a free agent compensatory pick in the 2003 June Amateur draft, which they used to select Mitch Maier.

The acquisition of Paul Byrd was probably the best trade in Allard Baird regime. Unfortunately, his failure to trade the pitcher was one of many bungles during his stay that caused the Royals to become perennial 100 game losers.

0 recs | Comment 11 comments

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The thing to remember about trade rumors
Is they may have been just that.  I doubt Baird passed on a Byrd for Marcus Giles trade, for example.

by jbrocato on Sep 17, 2007 12:27 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Very true
I do seem to remember Giles being asked for and the Braves saying they didn't want to deal him. I also doubt that we could have had O-Dawg.

But he did pass on deals for "low level prospects". That's what kinda irked me on the Baird administration. The team sucked so he always felt like he had to get guys close to MLB ready instead of taking a chance on a guy with higher upside in the lower levels. I generally prefer guys close to MLB ready, but in his circumstances, going for the best talent available, regardless of the level of minors probably would have been the best fit.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 17, 2007 12:38 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

The most recent Royal to win 15 games
unless Brian Bannister manages three more W's before season's end. Not that bullpen blow-ups like Friday night's, which cost him win # 13, are his fault.

But to be fair, I'll bet Paul Byrd lost a few to the Roberto Hernandez/Jason Grimsley bullpen himself.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Sep 17, 2007 1:02 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

More offense than bullpen
The only game I could find where the bullpen blew it.

May 22 - Byrd led 5-4 when he left. Darrell May gives up three runs, Royals lose 7-6.

Byrd was hurt more by poor offensive support

July 7 - Royals manage just two runs in a 3-2 loss.

July 24 - Royals manage no runs in a 3-0 loss to Detroit.

August 3 - Royals manage just three runs behind Byrd in a 4-3 loss.

August 14 - Royals manage just two runs in 3-2 14 inning loss to New York.

August 19 - Royals manage no runs in 2-0 loss to Toronto

Kevin Appier, Paul Byrd, Gil Meche, why does KC gives its ace pitchers so little offensive support?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 17, 2007 1:11 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thanks for looking that up
Maybe that bullpen was better than I thought it was - or maybe that was just for Paul Byrd. A closer with an ERA over 4 doesn't say good things about a team's bullpen situation.

(P.S. - eagerly waiting to see # 81 on your site!)

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Sep 17, 2007 2:01 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Won't get to it today
I was too busy this weekend and have too much work today. Maybe later this week. Sorry!
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 17, 2007 2:11 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

No prob
You'll find that I'm very patient when it comes to entertainment I get for free. I just get to wondering, when things seem to come on a regular schedule and then there's a noticeable delay. But of course, real life comes first (blasphemy! take that back!).
Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Sep 17, 2007 2:15 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Ack
I couldn't resist. I put something together.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 17, 2007 3:03 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Wow, thanks
I hope my off-handed comment hasn't caused you any real-life time troubles now.
Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Sep 17, 2007 3:32 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Not at all
I can always find time for the Royals
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 17, 2007 4:16 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

byrd's nest for life
Anyone but Terry

by FireBell on Sep 17, 2007 1:24 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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