It was always easy to catch sight of Art Stewart at Royals spring training in Arizona, as he could be found zipping around the complex in a golf cart.
But what people remember most is what they heard Stewart say. A legendary storyteller, Stewart would regale reporters with tales like this one.
In 2007, a high school batter in California crushed a home run that not only cleared the outfield wall, it landed in the parking lot, smashing the windshield of the school principal’s Mercedes-Benz. That batter? Mike Moustakas, the former Royals third baseman, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2007 Draft.
Stewart, who had worked for the Royals since their inaugural season in 1969, has died at the age of 94, the team announced Thursday.
A member of the Royals Hall of Fame, Stewart just completed his 69th year in professional baseball and 52nd season with Kansas City, where he had been a Senior Advisor to the General Manager since 2002. He worked as a Senior Special Assistant to the General Manager from 1997-2001, and was the Royals’ Director of Scouting from 1984-96.
“Art was truly an extraordinary human being, whom we all loved and admired for many reasons,” Royals President of Baseball Operations Dayton Moore said in a news release. “His unmatched love and appreciation for the game of baseball, recollection of players and events, combined with his special ability to tell stories will be forever cherished by all.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rosemary, daughter, Dawn Mansfield, along with husband, Brian, and children, David and Mark as they mourn the passing of this very special man who meant so much to them and to our Royals family.”
Stewart was hired away from the Yankees, an organization he had started with in 1953, and spent his first 16 years with the Royals working as a scout in the Midwest.
Among the more than 70 players he drafted to reach the big leagues were Bo Jackson, Carlos Beltrán, Mike Sweeney, Johnny Damon, Kevin Appier, Brian McRae and Joe Randa, the Royals said.
Former Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer responded to the news of Stewart’s passing by tweeting a broken heart emoji.
Stewart was inducted into the the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame in 2008.
The Royals noted that during Stewart’s time as Director of Scouting, the team was named Major League Baseball Organization of the Year by both USA Today (1984) and Baseball America (1994).
Stewart was instrumental in the origination of the Royals Dominican program, helping the club start the Salcedo Academy in the Dominican Republic, the Royals said.
Stewart was named “Mr. Baseball” at the Royals Banquet in 1999, a title befitting of a legend in the franchise’s history.
