Last season, KC Royals rookie pitcher Nate Adcock took the inaugural award because he spent the entire season in the big leagues, but spent more time picking splinters than actually throwing baseballs. I thought about him again this season, but he spent more time on the shuttle back-and-forth to Triple-A Omaha than sitting on the bench.

There wasn’t a sure pick this season, so I decided to split it into halves.

Teaford waiting to catch a ball during BP

In the first half, former outfielder Mitch Maier recorded just 74 at-bats through the month of June. He was then designated for assignment and was never to be seen from again (despite winning Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors in August).

In his final month in the big leagues, Maier had just nine at-bats, but got into 13 games. He went in as a defensive replacement in four straight games in the first week of June.

In the second half, the splinter picker was lefty Everett Teaford, which makes me wonder if he’ll ever get a chance with the Royals. This may have been due to the fact that the Royals always seemed to be saving him in case they needed a starter.

In the month of August, Teaford pitched in just four games. Overall, he pitched in 18 games, totaling 61.1 innings. Sure, he spent time in Triple-A, but that is why I am giving him the award for the second half. He pitched in 15 games since he was recalled from the minors for good at the end of June.

KC Royals manager Ned Yost rode his regulars all season long until the final week of the season. That meant that bench players rarely saw time off the pine. It only seemed appropriate to award the best splinter picker on the Royals.

Outfielder Mitch Maier fits that role. He can play all three outfield positions well, but rarely played any of them in 2011. Many figured he would be traded during the summer, but he was still with the Royals at the end of the season. Even in the final days, September callups Jarrod Dyson and Lorenzo Cain saw playing time before Maier (he played the last three games of the year). He only made four starts in the month of August and in September, did not play from the 7th through the 19th. His longest streak of playing was June 16-19. He started the finale in Oakland and pinch-hit in the next three games in St. Louis.

Overall, Maier played in just 44 games and accumulated just 95 at-bats. He hit .232 with no homeruns, four doubles, three triples, and seven RBIs. He scored 19 runs (22 hits) and had a .345 OBP.

Pitcher Nate Adcock also did a good job of picking splinters. The Rule V draft pick who never pitched above A-ball prior to 2011, only pitched in 24 games. When he did pitch (which seemed to be about every two weeks during the middle of the season), I honestly forgot he was still with the team. Adcock pitched back-to-back games just once in 2011, July 26-27 at Boston.

August was a very good month for him (12.2 IP, 7H, 2R, 5BB, 4K), but he pitched in just five games (one start). Those outings came against the Rays, Yankees, White Sox, Red Sox, and Tigers (not bad teams to pitch well against). He pitched just twice in the final month of the season.

However, when he finally toed the rubber, he took advantage of it. He was 1-1 with a 4.62 ERA in those 24 games with one save (which came in his final appearance on September 17th). In 60.1 innings pitched, he allowed 63 hits, 34 runs (31 earned), and five homeruns, with opponents hitting .272 against him. Adcock walked 26 compared to 36 strikeouts.

To make up for all those lost innings sitting in the bullpen (or sitting on the bench in the dugout), Adcock is starting in the Arizona Fall League for the first-place Surprise Saguaros.

Most likely, Maier will be picking splinters again in 2012 (unless he is traded or God forbid somebody gets hurt). Adcock may end up in the minors just so he can pitch (unless he has an outstanding spring training).