Mike Sweeny is being inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame tonight as Johnny Cueto twirls for Kansas City against the Los Angeles Angels.
For his career, Mike Sweeney hit .299/.369/.492 across parts of 12 seasons. He ranks among the franchise career leaders in a multitude of offensive categories, and was the last Royals player to wear the captain's C on his uniform. He was a philanthropist in Kansas City, devoting money and time to a diverse number of causes.
Without equivocation, there is no former Royal that qualifies for induction more worthy of the honor of representing this city and this franchise. He wore criticism of a dysfunctional organization with a grace rarely seen from sports figures. Though he wasn't without his moments, his character was second to none, and his production for the team during his tenure was equally remarkable.
Johnny Cueto pitches for Kansas City, his first start since his complete game shutout against Detroit on Monday. For the Royals, he's 1-1 with a 2.05 ERA. Overall, he's 8-7 with a 2.53.
The Angels counter with Matt Shoemaker, who has struggled this season. While his strikeout and walk rate look good (8.17 and 2.10, respectively), he's giving up 1.56 home runs per nine innings and is getting knocked around a bit. Still, he's capable of domination; on three separate occasions, he has struck out ten batters with three or fewer walks.
LINEUPS
Tricken Every Car I Get Lineup: Escobar 6, Zobrist 4, Hosmer 3, Morales DH, Moustakas 5, Perez 2, Rios 9, Orlando 7, Dyson 8, Cueto 1.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) August 15, 2015
.@Angels vs KC Lineup - Lets Go Halos - TV: FS1 #AngelsBaseball #Angels #LetsGoAngels #Halos #LetsGoHalos .@foxports1 pic.twitter.com/JzsmxC0KgE
— Anaheim Sports (@AnaheimSports1) August 15, 2015