Buddy Biancalana

Shortstop for 1985 World Series champion Kansas City Royals[11][12]

What is Buddy Biancalana known for?

Roland Americo "Buddy" Biancalana Jr., born on February 2, 1960, is a celebrated baseball alumnus from Redwood High School in Larkspur, California. Born in nearby Greenbrae, California, Biancalana's early baseball prowess led to his selection in the first round (25th overall pick) of the 1978 June Regular Phase draft, straight out of high school. He played four years of high school baseball from 1975 through 1978, earning both local and national honors.

In his professional career, Biancalana was known as a shortstop, playing for two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams - the Kansas City Royals from 1982 to 1987, and the Houston Astros in 1987. He had a batting average of .205, with 6 home runs and 30 runs batted in. Biancalana made his MLB debut on September 12, 1982, for the Kansas City Royals, and his last appearance was on October 4, 1987, for the Houston Astros.

One of the significant highlights of his career was being part of the Royals team that won the 1985 World Series championship. Despite having started only 35 games all season, Biancalana played error-free defense in all 14 post-season games, contributing significantly to several run-scoring innings. His performance, batting .278 with an on-base percentage of .435, was well above his career numbers.

His performance and the media attention it garnered also led to funny mentions on Late Night with David Letterman, where he was part of a running joke about his hit record. He even made an appearance on the show after the World Series, presenting Letterman with a World Series bat.

Biancalana also made contributions off the field, serving as the field manager for Amarillo Dillas of independent United League Baseball, as well as the infield coordinator of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and the manager of the South Atlantic League teams, the Lakewood BlueClaws, and the Charleston Riverdogs. He co-authored a book, 'The 7 Secrets of the World Class Athlete'.

In 2009, Biancalana was inducted into the inaugural Redwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame, further cementing his status as a notable alumnus of the institution.

For more on Buddy Biancalana's statistics, visit Baseball-Reference.com. For a deeper dive into his career and contribution to the 1985 World Series victory, visit Baseball-Reference.com 1985 World Series.

Biancalana's appearance on Letterman can be viewed on YouTube.

You can also read 'The 7 Secrets of the World Class Athlete' co-authored by Biancalana on Amazon.

More information about Redwood High School can be found on their official website.