Kansas City Royals
Hedlund went 3–6 with a 3.24 earned run average during the Royals' inaugural season. Used as both a starter and relief pitcher,he was far more effective out of the bullpen,posting a 1.69 ERA and earning two saves. His finest start came on September 18 when he held the Oakland Athletics to just one run,and struck out eight to earn the complete game victory. [2]
After the season,Hedlund pitched for Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He set a league record by not allowing an earned run for the first 53 innings he pitched, [3] and finishing with a 0.75 ERA. While in Venezuela,Hedlund would contract the Hong Kong flu and bronchitis,causing him to lose thirty pounds. But he recovered and served as a reinforcement for the Navegantes del Magallanes,eventual champions of the 1970 Caribbean Series.
Hedlund began the 1970 in the majors,but was ineffective,and was reassigned to the triple A Omaha Royals. In 1971,the Royals boasted one of the most talented young starting rotations in the majors with Hedlund,Dick Drago and Paul Splittorff all under 27 years old. After narrowly avoiding one hundred losses in 1970,the Royals improved to 85–76,in 1971 to finish second in the American League West. For his part,Hedlund rebounded to go 15–8 in with the league's fourth best ERA,2.71. After the season,Hedlund traveled to Vietnam with a group of Major League ballplayers on a tour of hospitals and military bases. [4]
Hedlund started 1972 in the Royals' rotation,but after starting the season 0–5,was moved into the bullpen. He improved considerably at that point;winning his next four starts when used by manager Bob Lemon as a spot starter. At the 1972 Winter meetings he was traded back to the Cleveland Indians for utility infielder Kurt Bevacqua. [5]
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