ESPN.com will catch up with a notable sports figure from yesteryear each Thursday in its "Where Are They Now?" series.
Claim to fame: Buddy Biancalana played parts of six seasons with the Kansas City Royals in the 1980s and was a key contributor in the 1985 World Series, when the Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
He had become a cult figure months earlier, when his lack of batting prowess was a subject of satire on "Late Night with David Letterman." Following the World Series, in which Biancalana scored twice, batted in two runs, reached base 10 times and played flawless defense, Letterman invited him on the show and introduced the infielder as the "ultimate underdog" and "my kind of ballplayer." A clip of the appearance can be seen here.
Biancalana was a first-round draft pick by Kansas City in 1978 and went on to record 112 hits, six homers and 30 RBIs in 293 games with the Royals. He was traded to Houston for pitcher Mel Stottlemyre Jr. at the trade deadline in 1987 and played the final 18 games of his major league career with the Astros.
Catching up: After his playing career, Biancalana spent several years as a minor league manager and instructor with the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. He also managed the independent Amarillo Dillas for two seasons. Biancalana, 55, lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has three sons, each of whom plays sports. He also co-operates PMPM Sports Zone Training, working with athletes to maximize performance and reduce injuries.
Biancalana still maintains a keen interest in the Royals and enjoys seeing old teammates from time to time. He reunited with members of the 1985 championship team at a fantasy camp in January and again at a Kansas City Baseball Historical Society gathering this summer.
He attended Game 6 of the 2014 World Series in Kansas City and is pleasantly surprised by the Royals' success this postseason after they struggled to an 11-17 record in September and lost closer Greg Holland to an elbow injury.
"It's very difficult to do what they've done," Biancalana said. "To be able to enter the postseason and turn it around says a lot about the makeup of these guys. It's a very impressive team."
If this year's World Series extends to six or seven games, Biancalana intends to travel to Kansas City to watch in person.
Quotable: "As a kid, I never dreamed of playing in the World Series, and all of a sudden, you're there on the big stage. ... I don't think one can even understand the magnitude of the event until you participate in it. But it was just a thrill to be on that stage, and I played pretty well."
What's next? Biancalana is focused on growing his athletic training business, with the goal of working closely with major league clubs.
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