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The BBWAA has revealed their 2015 Hall of Fame Ballot and it includes two former Royals - pitcher Tom Gordon and outfielder Jermaine Dye.
Tom "Flash" Gordon was originally a sixth-round pick for the Royals out of Avon Park, Florida in 1986. He quickly rose through the system and was named Baseball America Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 1988 after striking out 263 minor league hitters in 186 innings. In his rookie season in 1989, Gordon won 17 games, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. Gordon spent eight seasons in a Royals uniform, bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen, going 79-71 with a 4.02 ERA. His 999 strikeouts are the sixth most in franchise history. After leaving the Royals, Gordon became a dominant closer inspiring a Stephen King novel. Gordon was named by Royals Review as the 28th Greatest Royal of All-Time.
Jermaine Dye was a right-fielder who played for the Royals from 1997-2001. Originally acquired in a trade from the Braves with pitcher Jaime Walker in return for outfielder Michael Tucker and infielder Keith Lockhurt, Dye struggled in his first two seasons in Kansas City. In 1999 he exploded onto the scene with a .294/.354/.526 season with 27 HR 119 RBI, the third most RBI in a season by a Royals hitter. The next season Dye improved upon that performance hitting .321/.390/.561 with 33 HR 118 RBI and earning his first All-Star appearance and his first Gold Glove. His .951 OPS that season is the sixth best in franchise history. Dye was traded to Colorado in 2001 for shortstop Neifi Perez, but ended his Royals tenure hitting .284/.344/.477 with 8.9 WAR over 547 games. Jermaine Dye was named the 44th Greatest Royal of All-Time.
Neither player is expected to get much support for the Hall of Fame, but both were terrific players in their own right. The 2015 Hall of Fame Ballot is a loaded with one with holdovers like Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Tim Raines, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling joined by newcomers like Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield, John Smoltz, and Pedro Martinez.