Paul William Splittorff Jr. (/ˈsplɪtɔːrf/; October 8, 1946 – May 25, 2011)[1] was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator.

He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals from 1970 to 1984.

[1] Arlington High School produced several major league baseball players, including Fritz Peterson, Dick Bokelmann, and George Vukovich.

He took the loss in his major league debut, pitching seven innings and giving up three earned runs against the Chicago White Sox.

After finishing second to the Oakland Athletics three of his first five seasons in the majors, Splittorff and the Royals emerged as American League West champions in 1976.

After both teams missed the playoffs in 1979, the Royals and Yankees resumed their postseason rivalry in the 1980 American League Championship Series.

[8] Never an All-Star and usually overshadowed by teammates Steve Busby, Dennis Leonard and Larry Gura, Splittorff's consistency and longevity resulted in his winning more games than any of them.