Given the news we heard last week, this was inevitable, but no less sad: Royals pitcher Paul Splittorff died this morning, losing his battle with melanoma and oral cancer.
Splittorff was the quintessential crafty lefty, never overpowering hitters but always finding a way. His durability and effectiveness led him to become the all-time leader in victories for the Royals. He was a fixture in their rotation from the days right after they entered the league and he played a huge role for them as they rose to the top of the AL West and, in many ways, became the premiere organization in the American League.
Splittorff amassed a career mark of 166-143 with a 3.81 ERA and pitched well in multiple playoff series for the Royals. His final years were spent as a broadcaster for the team.
He was 64-years-old.
