While it doesn’t match the length and breadth of the Cubs or Indians, the Kansas City Royals’ 29-year wait for a World Series championship is not one filled with near-misses. Rather, the Royals were never very close at all—having not even reached the postseason since that 1985 title. In fact, they only had two winning campaigns leading up this year—and that included an 86-76 mark in 2013.
That long string of failure is quite surprising when you consider the franchise was among the more consistent in baseball from the late 1970s to mid 1980s. After coming into the league via expansion in 1969, the Royals finished second in the AL West on three occasions through 1975.
One year later, Kansas City broke through—and began a run of seven playoff appearances over the next ten seasons.
The New York Yankees initially were be the club that prevented them from winning a pennant and would take down the Royals in three straight ALCS match-ups. But the script was flipped in 1980, as George Brett (who hit .390 that year) bolstered his club to a three-game sweep against the Bombers and into a World Series encounter with the Philadelphia Phillies—also after their first crown.
The Phils won the first two at home, countered by the Royals taking the next two in Kansas City. But Philadelphia took critical Game 5 on the road, giving them a decided advantage heading back east. K.C. fell behind early in Game 6 at Veterans Stadium and was down 4-0 after seven. A run in the eighth and a bases loaded threat in the ninth was the most they could muster in the Royals’ attempt for a rally. Willie Wilson was fanned by Tug McGraw to close the series.
The end result was much more favorable to Kansas City five years later. The means of claiming the 1985 World Championship took Royal fans through a roller coaster of emotions. Manager Dick Howser’s club was 7.5 games behind the California Angels in the Western Division standings by late July. The Royals surged into first place on Sept. 6 and held on by one game.
The ALCS against Toronto saw the odds stacked against them once again, as the Blue Jays took a commanding three-games-to-one lead. Luckily for Kansas City, this was the first year that the format of the Championship Series went from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven. The Royals made the most of this opportunity, as MVP George Brett led them to three straight wins (the last two in Toronto) and a date with cross-state rival St. Louis in the World Series.
Having won the title in 1982, the Cardinals were also used to the stage of the Fall Classic. And as winners of 101 games in ’85, former Royals manager Whitey Herzog had a club that was favored—despite K.C. holding the home-field advantage.
But the Royals lost that edge—and the first two games. The second of which came in demoralizing fashion, as starter Charlie Leibrandt was unable to preserve his 2-0 lead. Instead, the Cards scored four off the tough-luck lefty. If Kansas City were to come back, it would have to buck history. Never before in World Series history had a team won it all after losing the opening two at home.
Bret Saberhagen got the Royals back on track with a brilliant effort in Game 3. But with John Tudor and St. Louis shutting out Kansas City in Game 4, the Royals were in familiar territory—albeit not an envious position. Danny Jackson, however, seemed quite comfortable on the mound—allowing one early run and holding off the Cards the rest of the way. Kansas City won, 6-1, and sent the series back home and into high drama.
A scoreless tie reached the eighth, until a Brian Harper single of Leibrandt plated the first run of Game 6. That tenuous lead for the Cardinals held into the last of the ninth with their closer, rookie Todd Worrell, on the mound and controversy on-deck.
Lead-off hitter Jorge Orta sent a chopper to the right of first baseman Jack Clark. Worrell ran over to cover first. Clark completed a toss to Worrell just before Orta touched the bag. But first base umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe. Several Cardinals argued briefly, but to no avail.
The Royals were further helped when Clark (an inexperienced first baseman) misjudged a pop-up by the next batter, Steve Balboni. Shortly after, Balboni laced a single to left. Jim Sundberg tried to bunt the two over, but Worrell was able to get Orta on a close force play at third.
A passed ball by Darrell Porter allowed both runners to advance and led to an intentional walk of Hal McRae—loading the bases with one down.
That set the stage for Dane Iorg, whose single to right field drove in pinch runner Onix Concepcion and a sliding Sundberg to finish off the rally and send Kansas City into hysteria.
The incredible infusion of momentum on the side of the Royals carried over to Game 7. Darryl Motley’s second inning homer began the scoring—and there would be plenty of it for K.C. St. Louis starter John Tudor departed in the third, and a succession of five Cardinal pitchers would give up six Royal runs. By the end of the fifth, it was 11-0.
Meanwhile, Bret Saberhagen was cruising. In a performance that locked up the series MVP, the 21-year-tossed a complete game to give Kansas City its first World Series championship.
The magic of 1985 is a source of nostalgia for Kansas City baseball fans that’s been made even greater due to the drought this franchise endured. In 2014, a new string of memories have been created by a team that possesses a similar feeling of karma nearly three decades in the making.