10/08/2025
Otis’ journey through baseball was anything but linear, yet it was unmistakably his own. Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round of the 1965 draft as a shortstop, he quickly revealed a versatility that would define his career. In the minors, he rotated through the outfield, third base, and first base, proving he could adapt even as the game tried to pin him down. By November 1966, the Mets had claimed him, and a year later he jumped straight to Triple-A. A late-season call-up in 1967 gave a glimpse of the majors, but 1968 found him back in Triple-A, grinding, waiting, learning. Finally, in 1969, he earned a spot on the major league roster. Baseball’s shuffle soon moved him again, part of a trade package in a Mets attempt to land Joe Torre—though Torre ended up elsewhere, leaving Otis on a path that would define him.
Early days with the Mets were rocky. Manager Gil Hodges tried to slot him at third base. Otis resisted. After just four games, he returned to the minors for a month. Then, on December 3, 1969, the Royals made a move that would shape both his career and the team’s future. Cedric Tallis traded Joe Foy to the Mets for Otis and pitcher Bob Johnson. Foy’s struggles with drugs ended his career by 1971, while Otis was moved to center field and became the Royals’ everyday starter throughout the 1970s.
From the first moment in Kansas City, Otis made an impact. He made the American League All-Star team in each of his first four seasons and captured three Gold Gloves. His speed fit perfectly with the Royals’ philosophy, turning the outfield into a landscape of precision and agility. September 7, 1971, became a signature night: five stolen bases in a single game, the first player to do it since 1927. He finished the year leading the league with 52 steals. Otis’ knack for the big moment extended beyond stats—he scored the final run ever at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium in October 1972, closing a chapter of baseball history with quiet grace.
Otis could hit for power, too. Seasons of 26 home runs, 90-plus RBIs, league-leading doubles, and a career total of 341 steals illustrate a player who could do it all. He was clutch, consistently delivering as the Royals became a fixture in the league’s upper ranks. Beyond the field, Otis’ character shone through. In September 1977, eight stranded youths emerged from a rainout at Royals Stadium. Otis took them under his wing—dinner, a place to sleep, and a ride home the next day. “If it was my kids,” he said, “I would have wanted someone to do something for them, too.”
The pinnacle of his career came in the 1980 World Series. Over six games, he hit .478 with three homers and seven RBIs, setting a record for putouts in a game by an outfielder and homering in Game 3. His consistency was remarkable—he drove in a run in each of his first five World Series games, a feat only matched decades later.
Time, as always, caught up. Hand injuries slowed his bat, fielding skills eroded, and by the early 1980s, Willie Wilson took over center field. In 1983, after learning he was no longer part of the Royals’ plans, Otis departed. A final chapter with the Pittsburgh Pirates followed: 40 games, a .165 batting average, 10 RBIs, before his release in August 1984.
Seventeen seasons, 1,998 games, 193 home runs, 1,007 RBIs, 341 stolen bases, a .277 career batting average, and a .991 fielding percentage later, Otis’ mark on baseball was indelible. Post-playing days saw him shaping hitters as an instructor with the Padres and Rockies, before retiring to Las Vegas. Yet the game never left him—he still attends Royals reunions, dons a uniform, and steps onto the field in alumni games, a living testament to a career defined by resilience, speed, and heart.
