Game 7 of the 1985 World Series

Improbable teams have won the World Series, but none has come back from such improbable odds as the 1985 Royals.

After coming back from a 3-games-to-1 deficit against the St. Louis Cardinals — and following the same scenario against the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series — the Royals seemed to hit Game 7 with an unbeatable attitude. "That's usually what happens when you tie [the series] up," said Royals Hall of Fame second baseman Frank White. "You have to hope that your ace is better than their ace for Game 7."

Indeed, as he'd been in most of his outings that year, Royals ace Bret Saberhagen was better than the other team's ace. In this case it was John Tudor. Saberhagen held the Cardinals to five hits and no runs. The Royals, on the other hand, turned in their most lopsided win of 1985 as they won 11–0.

In many ways right fielder Darryl Motley, who batted .364 in the 1985 World Series, symbolized the beginning and the end of the Royals' victory in Game 7. In the second inning after belting a foul ball down the left-field line and missing a two-run home run by a few feet, Motley got nearly the same pitch from Tudor. Motley didn't miss the second time. That dinger ignited the Royals' scoring binge. "I was trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark," Motley said. "My agent told me before the game that if I did something special, I'd remember it the rest of my life. That home run was a special moment for me."

Motley was expecting the pitch. After the Cardinals showed the Royals mainly off-speed pitches throughout the series, leadoff hitter Willie Wilson quickly picked up on a pattern by Tudor. Realizing that Tudor threw back-to-back fastballs and then a change-up, Wilson gave Motley a heads up. "Tudor did that to every batter before Motley and, sure enough, he did it to Mot," Wilson said, laughing. "But Mot still doesn't give me credit for him hitting the home run."

Then there was the final out of the game and the series. As Wilson jogged toward his spot in center field for the ninth inning, he made a prediction to Motley. With the final outcome a foregone conclusion, Wilson proudly told Motley that he, Wilson, would be catching the final out, sealing the Royals' victory. Motley, though, told him this would be the one time he beat the fleet-footed Wilson to the ball.

With two outs St. Louis' Andy Van Slyke drove a ball toward right-center field. As Motley foretold Wilson, he charged over, camped under the ball, and clasped it tightly in his glove as the celebration began. "I got there first, but I could hear Willie coming," Motley said, laughing. "He was too late. I caught it and I still have the ball."

Between the two-run homer and final out, there were plenty of fireworks, and that's not even including the Royals' scoring barrage. After Tudor walked in a run in the third inning, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog went to his bullpen. On the way to the clubhouse, Tudor, who hadn't been taken out of game that early all season, punched an electrical fan in the dugout. He cut his hand on the blade and had to go to a hospital for stitches.

Already leading 5–0 the Royals broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth with six runs. During the inning Joaquin Andujar, who won 21 games that season, was called on as the Cardinals' fifth pitcher of the game. He got into an argument with home-plate umpire Don Denkinger over balls and strikes.

Herzog, still fuming from Denkinger's controversial call in Game 6, went out to defend his pitcher. In the heat of the moment, Herzog reminded Denkinger of Game 6. "I told him, `We wouldn't even be here tonight if you hadn't blown that call last night,'" Herzog said. Denkinger, as Herzog walked away, fired a response: "You wouldn't be here either if your team was hitting." Denkinger had a point. Kansas City's pitching staff held St. Louis to 13 runs and a .185 batting average during the seven-game series. But Herzog heard enough and went back for more. Denkinger tossed Herzog a few moments later.

After Andujar's next pitch to Jim Sundberg — which was called a ball — the pitcher showed his disgust. Denkinger pointed him toward the clubhouse, kicking him out of the game. After going after Denkinger with a level of vehemence not far below George Brett in the Pine Tar Game, Andujar eventually left the game but not before taking a bat to a toilet and a sink. By the time the inning ended, the Royals were up 11–0.

Although the Cardinals were arguing, they had very little fight left. As the ninth inning began, broadcaster Denny Matthews began a countdown with each out, culminating with the most famous call in Royals history, that final Van Slyke at-bat.

High fly ball ...

Motley going back ...

To the track ...

No outs to go!

The Royals have won the 1985 World Series!

Saberhagen, who won 20 games that season, cruised to a complete-game, five-hit shutout. He received World Series MVP honors after winning two games and sporting a staggering 0.50 ERA. "Looking back on my career, the Cy Young awards and the World Series MVP are nice, but to win the World Series is the thing I'll always cherish," Saberhagen said. "Every guy on the team has to go out and play good baseball in order to win the World Series. We had that in '85."

1985 Roster

Pitchers

Joe Beckwith
Bud Black
Mark Gubicza
Larry Gura
Danny Jackson
Mike Jones
Mike LaCoss
Charlie Leibrandt
Dan Quisenberry
Bret Saberhagen

Catchers
Jim Sundberg
John Wathan

Infielders
Steve Balboni
Buddy Biancalana
George Brett
Onix Concepcion
Greg Pryor
Frank White

Outfielders
Dane Iorg
Lynn Jones
Hal McRae
Darryl Motley
Jorge Orta
Pat Sheridan
Lonnie Smith
Willie Wilson

Brett Steps Up in Game 3

Among the general truths in baseball, there's this one: a position player can't dominate a game and lead his team to a win. A pitcher can throw a perfect game and overwhelm his opponent. A non-pitcher, though? No. There are too many factors. Defensively, he might have a chance to record only a few outs. Offensively, he'll likely get only three or four at-bats.

Someone forgot to tell George Brett all of that.

In the 1985 American League playoffs, the Royals looked as if they were going face another playoff disappointment, a similar fate as 1984. And 1978. And 1977. And 1976. Taking a 91–71 record into the postseason, the Royals headed north of the border to face the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays, who had won a league-best 99 games. For the first time, the league championship series would be best of seven instead of best of five. In another first Toronto was hosting a postseason series.

The Blue Jays weren't hospitable hosts. They didn't have any problems with Charlie Leibrandt and the Royals in Game 1, winning 6–1. After taking a 2–0 lead in the third inning of Game 2, the Royals needed a run in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 4–4. Then after taking a 5–4 lead in the top of the 10th, the always reliable Dan Quisenberry couldn't hold the one-run lead in the bottom of the inning, and the Blue Jays took a two-games-to-none lead with a 6–5 victory.

Game 3 would be in Kansas City on Friday, October 11. Cue No. 5, George...