» May 7, 1993:
In a Triple-A game between the Omaha Royals and Oklahoma City 89ers, the Royals explode for four consecutive home runs with two outs in the 8th inning of their 11-4 victory. Karl Rhodes, Terry Shumpert, Russ McGinnis, and Bob Hamelin all connected for Omaha, off Gerald Alexander. After the next batter made the 3rd out, Benny Distefano led off the 9th for Oklahoma City with a homer, making five round-trippers in six batters. The Royals win, 11–4. Only once before in the minors have there been four straight homers hit: for Tulsa (Western League) on July 1, 1923. Lyman Smith, Jocko Conlan, Wes Griffin, and Jim Blakesley hit home runs off Wichita's Karl Black. They were the first four batters of the contest in the opener of a doubleheader.
» October 22, 1994: Bob Hamelin, KC outfielder, easily outpaces Manny Ramirez to win the American League Rookie of the Year award. Hamelin hit .282 with 24 homers in 101 games, the most he'll play in his ML career.
» June 12, 1995: The Royals send Bob Hamelin, the 1994 American League Rookie of the Year, to the their Triple-A Omaha team. Hamelin, hitting .175 with two home runs, is the first top rookie to be demoted in his sophomore year since 1982 when the Yankees sent Dave Righetti down.
» May 23, 1996:
David Howard steals home, the 2nd Royal to do it in two days—Bob Hamelin also swiped home against the Tigers—and Kevin Appier pitches seven 2/3 strong innings to give the Royals their 4th straight win, 4–2.
» March 25, 1997:
The Kansas City Royals release Bob Hamelin, the 1994 American League Rookie of the Year. The 29-year-old Hamelin never lived up to his first year, when he smacked 24 homers in strike-shortened season. The Tigers will sign Hamelin to a minor-league contract.
» June 23, 1997:
In Detroit, Yankee righty David Cone strikes out 16, his highest total in six years, and Cecil Fielder hits a three-run homer as New York wins, 5–2. Cone, who had shoulder surgery to repair an aneurysm on May 10, 1996, allows four hits, including homers by Bob Hamelin and Damion Easley, in eight innings.
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