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| George Brett was the leader of the Kansas City Royals, and the most valuable player of the 1985 American League Championship season. Source: http://ultimatebaseballlook.blogspot.com/2013/12/kansas-city-royals.html (may be subject to copyright) |
That’s because that was the last, and only time, the Royals had ever
won the World Series, with two improbable playoff series comebacks.
It was a party in 1985, one that would not be repeated until 30 years
later when, in 2015, the Royals finally won their second World Series.
Playoff consistency
From the 1970s right through to 1985, the Kansas City Royals had
become the class of the American League West Division, winning six times in 10
years.
However, they had consistently run into strong teams from the American
League East Division, and were only able to make it to one World Series, in
1980, when they lost in six games to Pete Rose and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Their most recent playoff appearance was in 1984, when they won the
American League West with a record of 84 wins and 78 losses, but ran into the
Detroit Tigers, who not only would win the World Series, but may have been one
of the best teams in history. The Tigers swept the Royals in the best-of-five American League Championship Series, in the last year before it was expanded to
a best-of-seven affair.
As 1985 dawned, the Royals had fortified their pitching rotation with
several young prospects with lively arms. I recall watching the Royals play my
beloved Toronto Blue Jays. Announcer Tony Kubek told us all to watch out for
these guys, some with strange names, like Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, and
Danny Jackson.
He would turn out to be a baseball prophet.
The Royals were still led by all-star third baseman George Brett,
second baseman Frank White, outfielder and speedy lead-off man Willie Wilson
and a strong pitching staff led by Saberhagen, who would go on to win the Cy
Young Award, Charlie Leibrandt, and ace reliever, sidearmer Dan Quisenberry.
They would better their record to 91-71 on their way to the American
League West crown and a date with the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League
Championship Series, newly expanded to a best-of-seven.
Championship series comeback
The series opened at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto for the first two
games. The Blue Jays won Game 1 by a score by 6-1 on Oct. 8, then outlasted the
Royals in 10 innings on Oct. 9 by a score of 6-5. The Jays seemingly had
control with a 2-0 lead going to Kansas City.
The Royals rebounded to win Game 3 two days later by that same 6-5
score, but Toronto responded on Oct. 12 with a 3-1 win and a 3-1 stranglehold
on the series.
The series was a 2-3-2, so Game 4 was in Kansas City then the final
two games, if necessary, would be back in Toronto.
Well, the Royals kept their season alive, winning Game 5 by a score of
2-0, at the very least saving face in front of their home fans. Lefty Danny
Jackson got the win, beating Toronto’s ace lefty Jimmy Key.
The series returned to Toronto two days later, on Oct. 15, for Game 6.
This time Gubicza beat another Toronto ace, Doyle Alexander, by a score of 5-3.
The noose was tightening now, as the teams would play one game to
decide everything.
The pivotal Game 7 was held Oct. 16 and it would be the next in a series
of Blue Jay heartbreaks that would not end until 1992.
The Royals scored once in the second and once in the fourth before the
Jays got a run back in the bottom of the fifth to trail 2-1 after five
complete.
Then disaster struck for the Blue Jays. The Royals loaded the bases,
bringing up catcher Jim Sundberg. Jay Manager Bobby Cox left starter Dave Stieb
in one batter too many, as Sundberg hit a long fly ball that bounced off the
top of the fence. By the time the Jays got the ball back into the infield,
Sundberg had a three-run triple, and a 5-1 lead. He would eventually score,
giving the Royals a 6-1 lead.
The Royal pitchers took over, shutting out the Jays’ batters in the
sixth, seventh and eighth innings. With their last at bat in the bottom of the
ninth inning, Toronto put two runners on, managing to get one run back, but
that was it.
Improbably, the Royals had come back in the series from 3-1 down, to
win in seven games with the 6-2 victory.
Wikipedia says it was the first time a team had come back from down
3-1 in a League Championship Series, which is true but misleading. This was the
first year the series was expanded to seven games. Had it still been a
best-of-five, the Jays would have won.
George Brett was named the series most valuable player, who went
eight-for-23 with two doubles, three home runs, five runs batted in, seven
walks and a .348 batting average. He also scored six runs.
Parting thoughts
Would the Royals be able to sustain that momentum in the World Series? Stay tuned.
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