1985 World Series

The 1985 World Series began on October 19, 1985 and ended October 27. The American League champion Kansas City Royals played against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, winning the series four games to three. The Series was popularly known as the "Show-Me Series", or the "I-70 Showdown Series," as both cities are in Missouri, connected by Interstate 70.

The Cardinals won the National League East division by three games over the New York Mets, then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, four games to two, in the National League Championship Series. The Royals won the American League West division by one game over the California Angels then defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, four games to three, in the American League Championship Series.

The Cardinals were seeking to win their NL-leading tenth World Series title, while the Royals were seeking to become the first AL expansion team to win the World Series.

This was the first World Series in which all games were played at night. This was also the first World Series that featured commentator Tim McCarver, who called the 1985 World Series with Al Michaels and Jim Palmer for ABC. Howard Cosell was originally supposed to be in the booth, but he was removed from his assignment just prior to Game 1 because of the controversy surrounding his book I Never Played the Game.

This World Series was also the last time to date that the DH was not used in an American League baseball park. It is also the most recent playoff appearance for the Royals.

Summary

Two missed calls had impacts on the outcome of Game 6. In the fourth inning of the 0–0 scoreless tie game, the Royals' Frank White was called out on an attempted steal of second base, but replays show he had beaten the tag. The following batter, Pat Sheridan, hit a single to right field.

Then in the ninth inning with St. Louis leading 1–0, Jorge Orta led off the bottom of the ninth with a ground ball to Cardinal first baseman Jack Clark, who flipped the ball to Cardinal pitcher Todd Worrell covering first. First base umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe, but television replays showed that Worrell beat him to the base. Then, after Clark and catcher Darrell Porter let a foul pop drop between them, Steve Balboni made them pay for their mistake with a single to left on the very next pitch, moving Orta to second base. Jim Sundberg's sacrifice bunt, instead of moving up the runners, ended up getting Orta thrown out at third. With Hal McRae batting next, Cardinals' catcher and 1982 World Series MVP Darrell Porter, who had played four seasons with the Royals, allowed a passed ball, and both Kansas City runners moved up a base. McRae was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Dane Iorg would then pinch hit for Dan Quisenberry, and his single to right field drove in two runs giving Kansas City a 2–1 win. The only out recorded by the Cardinals in the inning was Orta (at third instead of first). Years of debate between Cardinals' and Royals' fans have followed over what might have happened if Orta had been put out at first instead of third.

The following night, with Denkinger behind home plate, the Cardinals suffered an epic meltdown, as ace pitcher John Tudor got off to a terrible start, giving up five earned runs and four walks in only 2 ¹⁄₃ innings. In addition, ABC television cameras caught Herzog screaming and belittling Denkinger from the Cardinals' dugout throughout the contest. Pitcher Joaquín Andújar exploded twice over Denkinger's calls at the plate during the fifth inning, finally being ejected with Herzog after a heated argument over Denkinger's strike zone. Kansas City would take the series with an 11–0 shutout. Disgusted by their performances, Tudor punched an electrical fan with his pitching hand and Andújar vandalized a toilet in Kauffman Stadium's clubhouse. In the offseason, Joaquín Andújar was traded to the Oakland Athletics.

It was the second Missouri-only World Series: the first was the 1944 World Series between two St. Louis teams, the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the St. Louis Browns (a team that later moved and is now the Baltimore Orioles).

Although the Royals lost the first two games at home, they overcame their poor start and became World Series champions for the first time thanks to MVP Bret Saberhagen's victories in Games 3 and 7. To date, this is the Royals' sole World Series championship. It is also the Royals' last trip to the MLB post-season to date.

AL Kansas City Royals (4) vs. NL St. Louis Cardinals (3)

Matchups

Game 1

Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

Game 2

Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

Charlie Leibrandt continued a history of tough luck in the postseason. The previous year, he had lost Game 3 of the 1984 ALCS, 1–0, to the Detroit Tigers when he pitched a three-hit complete game. He lost Game 4 in the 1985 ALCS in the ninth inning. And clinging to a two-run lead in the ninth, manager Dick Howser opted to not send in his relief ace Dan Quisenberry to close out the game. Leibrandt faltered, and only one out from tying the series at one apiece, Leibrandt yielded a bases loaded double to Terry Pendleton that scored three runs and gave the Cardinals a 4–2 win at Royals Stadium.

Game 3

Tuesday, October 22, 1985 at Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis, Missouri

The Royals got back into the series by riding ace Bret Saberhagen to a 6–1 victory against twenty-game winner Joaquín Andújar. Saberhagen flashed messages on the television screen to his pregnant wife who was due to give birth any day. She eventually gave birth on October 26 (in Game 6).

Royals second baseman Frank White made history by becoming the first second baseman in the history of the World Series to hit in the clean-up spot in the batting order. White came through with a home run off of Andujar.

Game 4

Wednesday, October 23, 1985 at Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis, Missouri

John Tudor's complete game shutout put the Cardinals on the verge of winning their second World Series in four years. Tito Landrum, only playing due to a tarp injury to Vince Coleman, continued to make his case for series MVP with a home run.

Game 5

Thursday, October 24, 1985 at Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis, Missouri

Entering this game, the Royals were 3–0 in must-win games in playoff elimination games. They improved their record to 4–0 with decisive victory over the Cardinals, again by the score of 6–1. Danny Jackson was the winning pitcher, following the same formula and pitching rotation as the Royals did in the ALCS where Jackson also won Game 5.

Game 6

Saturday, October 26, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

A pitcher's duel unfolded between Danny Cox and Charlie Leibrandt, the tough-luck loser in Game 2. They traded goose eggs until the eighth, when Brian Harper singled home Terry Pendleton to give the Cardinals the lead and the probable clinching victory.

The game was marked by controversy. In the fourth inning of the scoreless game, the Royals' Frank White appeared to have stolen second base, but was called out. The following batter, Pat Sheridan, hit a single to right field.

Whitey Herzog called on rookie reliever Todd Worrell to pitch the ninth. The first batter, Jorge Orta, sent a routine bouncer to Jack Clark. He tossed to Worrell, who tagged the bag ahead of Orta, but umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe. Every replay angle indicated that Orta was indeed out, and a lengthy argument ensued on the field. The Cardinals argued briefly^[8] but Denkinger would not reverse his call, and the runner remained at first. In his book "You're Missing A Great Game", Herzog wrote that he later wished he had asked Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, who was in attendance, to overrule the call and declare Orta out. If Uberroth had refused to do so, Herzog would have pulled his team from the field and forfeited the game.

Instead of one out and no one on, the Royals now had no outs and a runner on first for batter Steve Balboni. Balboni lifted a routine pop-up in foul territory along the first base dugout. Jack Clark had to play in while guarding the runner at first. He was not in position, but attempted to circle over to make the catch before being crossed off by Porter, who had difficulty following the ball. It fell harmlessly beside Clark. Balboni promptly singled, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Onix Concepcion was sent in as a pinch-runner for Balboni. Catcher Jim Sundberg attempted to sacrifice the runners over, but his bunt was fielded by Worrell and thrown to third for the forceout of Orta. Porter then allowed a passed ball allowing the runners to advance one base.

With first base now open and two runners in scoring position, Herzog then chose to walk Royals pinch-hitter Hal McRae to set up a potential double-play. With the bases loaded and one out, pinch-hitter Dane Iorg blooped a single to right field. Pinch runner Onix Concepcion scored the tying run and Sundberg approached the plate with the winning run. Andy Van Slyke's throw was on the money, but Porter was unable to tag Sundberg before he slid home safely with the game-winning run.

The Royals celebrated this stunning turnaround, and mobbed home plate. The Cardinals went to their dressing rooms in stunned disbelief, only to find champagne waiting for them and plastic over their lockers in anticipation for the celebration. Denkinger stated that he still believed he had made the right call until he later met with Commissioner Peter Ueberroth after the game and had the opportunity to see the replay himself. Denkinger was also scheduled to be the home plate umpire in Game 7.

See also:

• MLB.com's coverage Game 6
• The Call

Game 7

Sunday, October 27, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

One night after becoming a father, Bret Saberhagen tossed a five-hitter and the Royals became the only team to ever come from a three games to one deficit twice in the same postseason to win the World Series. They also were the first team to lose the first two games at home and rally to win the Series. Saberhagen got all the offense he needed when Darryl Motley homered to left off John Tudor in the second inning. Tudor left the game trailing 5–0 in the third, and hit a power fan that resulted in a cut fingertip.

In the long fifth inning, the Cardinals came completely unglued. A succession of five Cardinal pitchers allowed six Royals runs. Jeff Lahti bore the brunt of this rally, allowing four runs to score before being relieved by Ricky Horton. Horton fared no better, lasting one batter before Herzog replaced him with the volatile Joaquín Andújar, normally a starter but pressed into relief. Andújar allowed an RBI single to Frank White to increase the Royals lead to 10–0 before things became truly nasty. With batter Jim Sundberg at the plate, Andújar twice charged home plate umpire Denkinger to disagree with his strike zone. First, Denkinger called an Andújar pitch a ball, even though replays seemed to indicate it was a strike. Whitey Herzog emerged from the dugout to defend Andújar, and was ejected—reportedly after saying to Denkinger, "We wouldn't even be here if you hadn't missed the fucking call last night!"^[9] According to Denkinger, he replied "Well if you guys weren't hitting .120 in this World Series, we wouldn't be here." The next pitch was also called a ball, and Denkinger ejected Andújar after misreading a gesture to Tom Nieto. Andújar again lost his cool and charged at Denkinger, and it took three teammates to restrain him and get him off the field. Andújar was suspended for the first ten games of the 1986 season for his outburst. Although it has been rumored that Herzog sent in Andújar specifically to bait Denkinger, Herzog himself has said several times Andújar was the only pitcher who still had anything left in his arm.

The Royals became the first team ever to win the World Series after dropping Games 1 and 2 at home. Next year the New York Mets accomplished the same feat by defeating the Boston Red Sox in seven games. Ten years later, the New York Yankees lost their first two games at home against the defending 1995 World Series champion Atlanta Braves and won the next four to win the 1996 World Series. The Royals also were the sixth and (to date) the last team to come back from a three games to one deficit to win the World Series, the others being the 1903 Boston Red Sox, 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1958 New York Yankees, 1968 Detroit Tigers and 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. Amazingly, the '85 Royals had previously come back from a three games to one deficit to win the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Cardinals .188 batting average was the lowest for a seven-game World Series until the New York Yankees hit .183 in the 2001 World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cardinals also scored only thirteen total runs—an all-time low for a seven game series—scoring only once in the final 26 innings of the series. If they had held on for the win in Game 6, they still would have been outscored in the series 15–13.

Composite box

1985 World Series (4–3): Kansas City Royals (A.L.) over St. Louis Cardinals (N.L.)

Notes

References

• Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series. 1st ed. New York: St Martins, 1990. (Neft and Cohen 407–411)
• Forman, Sean L.. "1985 World Series". Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information.. http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1985_WS.shtml. Retrieved 2007-12-09. 

External links

• 1985 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
• 1985 World Series at Baseball Almanac
• 1985 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com
• The 1985 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) at Retrosheet
• History of the World Series - 1985 at The SportingNews. Archived from the original on 2008.
• K.C. Had A Blast at SI.com
• 1985 Kansas City Royals at baseballlibrary.com
• 1985 St. Louis Cardinals at baseballlibrary.com