WASHINGTON — So we didn’t get the “Battle of the Beltways.”
But the D.C. area can take credit for playing a role in the development of the men who developed the Kansas City Royals into American League Champions.
With a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship series, the Royals are in the World Series for the first time since they won it in 1985. It’s an amazing journey that has been put together by Patriots and Colonials.
The Royals’ recovery from small-market loser to a member of Major League Baseball’s elite has been crafted by graduates of George Mason and George Washington universities. Four key members of the baseball operations side of Kansas City’s front office earned degrees in either Fairfax, Virginia, or Foggy Bottom.
The D.C.-area connection to the Royals’ success starts at the top with General Manager Dayton Moore. In 1989 Moore earned an undergraduate degree from George Mason in physical education and health, then stayed in Fairfax to complete a master’s degree in athletic administration.
In addition to getting an education from George Mason, Moore served as the Patriots’ assistant baseball coach from 1990 to 1994. It was as Moore was finishing up his time on the sideline at George Mason that he embarked on a career in Major League Baseball as a scout with the Atlanta Braves.
Moore worked his way through the front office of the Braves, and in 2005 was named the team’s assistant general manager. A year later, the Royals tabbed Moore as general manager and charged him with the task of resurrecting a once-proud franchise. From 2002 to 2006, the Royals had four 100-loss seasons out of five.
One of Moore’s assistant general managers is Mike Toomey, who still lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Toomey went to St. John’s College High School, in the District, before going on to play baseball at Montgomery College and George Washington. Toomey graduated from George Washington in 1974 and later served as the school’s head baseball coach.
Toomey then broke into professional baseball as manager of the minor league Alexandria Dukes, in Northern Virginia, and went on to scout with the Pirates, Giants, Rangers, Expos, Nationals and Royals. Mike’s late dad, Frank Toomey, also was a Royals scout, as well as an assistant football coach at both Maryland and Florida State.
The Royals’ assistant general manager for scouting and development is J.J. Picollo, who has connections to both George Mason and George Washington. Picollo played baseball at Mason (Class of 1994), then served as an assistant baseball coach at G.W. in 1995 and 1996 before earning a master’s degree from the school in 1998.
The Royals success is in large part a credit to players developed in the team’s farm system. Reporting to Picollo is Scott Sharp, who serves as the club’s director of minor league operations. With the Colonials, Sharp was a catcher, and graduated in 1994 when he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds.
So while Orioles and Nationals fans may not get to see their teams play in this year’s Fall Classic, there will still be plenty of folks in the D.C. area with a reason to root for the Royals.
Follow @WTOP and @WTOPSports on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
