Rusty Kuntz

Rusty Kuntz
Kuntz with the Royals in 2013
Kansas City Royals – No. 18
Outfielder / Coach
Born: (1955-02-04) February 4, 1955 (age 69) Orange, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 1, 1979, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
April 24, 1985, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
Batting average	.236
Home runs	5
Runs batted in	38
Teams
As player Chicago White Sox (1979–1983) Minnesota Twins (1983) Detroit Tigers (1984–1985) As coach Seattle Mariners (1989–1992) Florida Marlins (1995–1996, 1999–2000) Pittsburgh Pirates (2003–2005) Kansas City Royals (2008–2010, 2012–2017, 2021–present)
Career highlights and awards
2× World Series champion (1984, 2015)

Russell Jay Kuntz (/ˈkuːnts/; born February 4, 1955) is an American baseball coach and former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. He played for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers between 1979 and 1985. He never appeared in more than 84 games in any season during his playing career. In the final game of the 1984 World Series, Kuntz hit a pop fly to the second baseman that became the deciding run batted in (RBI).

Kuntz grew up in Kansas and California, playing three sports in high school and community college. He went to the Division III World Series twice with California State University, Stanislaus before being selected by the White Sox in the 11th round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft.

After the 1984 season, Kuntz was unable to return to form the next year. He was demoted to the minor leagues early in the 1985 season and was out of professional baseball as a player shortly thereafter.

Since his playing career ended, Kuntz has worked with several MLB organizations, including the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. He has worked as an assistant to the general manager, minor league coach, roving instructor and major league base coach. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the first base coach for the Kansas City Royals, and has received substantial praise for his contributions to the team's success during that period. "Rusty Kuntz," Royals manager Ned Yost has said, "is the best first base coach in baseball."^[1]

He elected not to coach in the 2020 season, but he returned to the Royals as their first base coach for 2021.