Amos Otis Marquee

b. April 26, 1947 · New York Mets 1967, 1969, Kansas City Royals 1970–1983, Pittsburgh Pirates 1984

New York traded him to Kansas City in December 1969 for Joe Foy, a third baseman who played 99 games for the Mets and was out of the league within two years. Otis played fourteen seasons for the Royals: 2,020 hits, 341 stolen bases, 374 doubles, five All-Star selections and three Gold Gloves.

He led the American League with 52 stolen bases in 1971 and in doubles twice. His best season by the voting was 1973, when he finished third for the Most Valuable Player award, and 1978 was nearly as good. Kansas City won three straight divisions from 1976 and the pennant in 1980, and he hit .478 in that World Series.

He was among the earliest players to steal bases as a matter of calculation rather than instinct, taking large leads and studying pitchers' feet. The 1990 ballot gave him no votes at all and a committee has looked at him once since.

Honors

Award	Times	Years
All-Star selection	5	1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976
Gold Glove	3	1971, 1973, 1974
Player of the Week	2	1974, 1978
The Sporting News All-Star	1	1973

Batting, season by season

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
1967	NYM	19	59	6	13	2	0	0	1	5	13	0	.220
1969	NYM	48	93	6	14	3	1	0	4	6	27	1	.151
1970	KCR	159	620	91	176	36	9	11	58	68	67	33	.284
1971	KCR	147	555	80	167	26	4	15	79	40	74	52	.301
1972	KCR	143	540	75	158	28	2	11	54	50	59	28	.293
1973	KCR	148	583	89	175	21	4	26	93	63	47	13	.300
1974	KCR	146	552	87	157	31	9	12	73	58	67	18	.284
1975	KCR	132	470	87	116	26	6	9	46	66	48	39	.247
1976	KCR	153	592	93	165	40	2	18	86	55	100	26	.279
1977	KCR	142	478	85	120	20	8	17	78	71	88	23	.251
1978	KCR	141	486	74	145	30	7	22	96	66	54	32	.298
1979	KCR	151	577	100	170	28	2	18	90	68	92	30	.295
1980	KCR	107	394	56	99	16	3	10	53	39	70	16	.251
1981	KCR	99	372	49	100	22	3	9	57	31	59	16	.269
1982	KCR	125	475	73	136	25	3	11	88	37	65	9	.286
1983	KCR	98	356	35	93	16	3	4	41	27	63	5	.261
1984	PIT	40	97	6	16	4	0	0	10	7	15	0	.165
Career	—	1998	7299	1092	2020	374	66	193	1007	757	1008	341	.277

On this day & linked events

1947

Born April 26, 1947

Mobile, AL, USA

1967

Major-league debut: Amos Otis

Amos Otis made a major-league debut on September 6, 1967.

1984

Final major-league game: Amos Otis

Amos Otis played a final major-league game on August 5, 1984.

Image: White House Photographic Office (WHPO) - Thomas, public domain