View source for 1985 World Series

{{short description|1985 Major League Baseball championship series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox World Series Expanded
| image = 1985 World Series logo.gif
| country = World
| year = 1985
| champion = [[1985 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] (4)
| champion_manager = [[Dick Howser]]
| champion_games = 91–71, {{winpct|91|71|}}, GA: 1
| runnerup = [[1985 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]] (3)
| runnerup_manager = [[Whitey Herzog]]
| runnerup_games = 101–61, {{winpct|101|61}}, GA: 3
| date=  October 19–27
| venue = [[Kauffman Stadium|Royals Stadium]] (Kansas City)<br />[[Busch Memorial Stadium|Busch Stadium]] (St. Louis)
| MVP = [[Bret Saberhagen]] (Kansas City)
| television = [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]]
| announcers = [[Al Michaels]], [[Jim Palmer]] and [[Tim McCarver]]
| radio_network = [[Major League Baseball on CBS Radio|CBS]]<br>[[WIBW (AM)|WIBW]] (KC)<br>[[KMOX]] (STL)
| radio_announcers = [[Jack Buck]] and [[Sparky Anderson]] (CBS, KMOX)<br>[[Denny Matthews]] and [[Fred White (sportscaster)|Fred White]] (WIBW)
| umpires  = [[Don Denkinger]] (AL), [[Billy Williams (umpire)|Billy Williams]] (NL), [[Jim McKean]] (AL), [[Bob Engel]] (NL), [[John Shulock]] (AL), [[Jim Quick]] (NL)
| HOFers = '''Royals:''' <br>[[John Schuerholz]] (GM)<br>[[George Brett]]<br />'''Cardinals:''' <br>[[Whitey Herzog]] (manager)<br>[[Ozzie Smith]]
| ALCS = [[1985 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] over [[1985 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]] (4–3)
| NLCS = [[1985 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]] over [[1985 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] (4–2)
| image2 = 
}}
The '''1985 World Series''' was the [[World Series|championship series]] of [[Major League Baseball]]'s (MLB) [[1985 Major League Baseball season|1985 season]]. The 82nd edition of the World Series, it was a [[best-of-seven playoff]] played between the [[American League]] (AL) champion [[1985 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] and the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) champion [[1985 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]]. The Royals upset the heavily favored Cardinals in seven games. The Series was popularly known as the "'''Show-Me Series'''" or the "'''I-70 Showdown Series'''," as both cities are in the state of [[Missouri]] which is nicknamed the "Show Me State" and are connected by [[Interstate 70 in Missouri|Interstate 70]].

The Cardinals won the [[National League East|NL East]] division by three games over the [[1985 New York Mets season|New York Mets]], then defeated the [[1985 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] four games to two in the [[1985 National League Championship Series|NL Championship Series]]. The Royals won the [[American League West|AL West]] division by one game over the [[1985 California Angels season|California Angels]], then defeated the [[1985 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]] four games to three in the [[1985 American League Championship Series|AL Championship Series]].

The Cardinals were seeking to win their NL-leading 10th World Series title, while the Royals were seeking their first World Series title. The Royals were completing one of the most successful decades by any expansion team, with six division titles and two pennants from 1976 to 1985. This was the first World Series in which all games were played at night. Also, this was the second all-Missouri World Series; the first in {{wsy|1944}} was all-St. Louis series between the [[1944 St. Louis Cardinals season|Cardinals]] and [[1944 St. Louis Browns season|Browns]] (a decade later, they became the [[1954 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]]). This was the second of five World Series played completely on [[artificial turf]]; the first was in {{wsy|1980}} and the others were in {{wsy|1987}}, {{wsy|1993}} and [[2020 World Series|2020]].

This is the most recent World Series in which the [[designated hitter]] was not used in an AL baseball park. From {{wsy|1976}} to 1985, the DH was used in all games in even-numbered years. In odd-numbered years, like this World Series, the pitchers from both were required to bat for themselves throughout the series, as in the National League. Beginning with the [[1986 World Series|next]] World Series, the DH rule was used only<!-- in games played--> at the AL representative's park.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/sports/baseball/28dh.html |title=In the D.H., No Obvious Advantage |last=Miller |first=Stuart |work=New York Times |date=October 28, 2009 |access-date=February 11, 2018 |quote=From 1976 through 1985, in a policy seemingly inspired by that era's gasoline shortages, the even-numbered years featured a D.H. in every World Series game and the odd-numbered years had no D.H. at all.}}</ref>

The 1985 World Series is best remembered for [[The Call (Kansas City Royals)|an incorrect safe call]] made by first base umpire [[Don Denkinger]] in Game 6. With St. Louis leading the World Series 3-2 and in possession of a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, Denkinger incorrectly called [[Jorge Orta]] safe. The Royals won the game 2-1 on a two-run [[walk-off hit|walk-off single]] and then won Game 7 by a score of 11-0.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://apnews.com/article/don-denkinger-umpire-ea9c024e09ae5de361447edac08c29d3| title=Don Denkinger, umpire whose stellar career was overshadowed by blown call, dead at 86| work=[[Associated Press News]]| date=May 13, 2023| last=Blum|first=Ronald}}</ref>

The 1985 World Series marked the fifth time in World Series history that a team came back from a three games to one deficit to win a championship, and the first in which that team lost the first two games of the series at home<ref name="0_2_home_deficit">{{cite web | title = Teams that came back after losing first 2 games | website = MLB.com | date = October 20, 2025 | url = https://www.mlb.com/news/2-to-0-deficit-baseball-playoff-rallies-c297376582 | accessdate = October 25, 2025}}</ref> (in the following year's Series, the [[1986 New York Mets|New York Mets]] won after losing the first two series games at home).<ref name="0_2_home_deficit"></ref> This also later happened in the [[1996 World Series]], where the [[1996 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] defeated the [[1996 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] after losing the first two games at home.<ref name="0_2_home_deficit"></ref> It is the last time this happened in a World Series, but the [[2025 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]] accomplished the feat against the [[2025 Seattle Mariners season|Seattle Mariners]] in the [[2025 American League Championship Series]].<ref name="0_2_home_deficit"></ref> [[Bret Saberhagen]]'s victories in Games 3 and 7, allowing only a single run across his two starts, earned him the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award]].

In their 17th season, the Royals won their first World Series title; their next appearance was 29&nbsp;years later in {{wsy|2014}} against the [[2014 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]], but they lost in seven games. A&nbsp;[[2015 World Series|year later]], the [[2015 Kansas City Royals season|Royals]] won their second title, over the [[2015 New York Mets season|New York Mets]].

==Summary==
{{MLB Playoff Summary
| summary = AL [[Kansas City Royals]] (4) vs. NL [[St. Louis Cardinals]] (3)
| winner = 
| score = 
| score1 = '''St. Louis Cardinals''' – 3, Kansas City Royals – 1
| date1 = October 19
| loc1 = [[Royals Stadium]]
| time1 = 2:48
| att1 = 41,650
| ref1 = <ref name="Game1">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B10190KCA1985.htm|title=1985 World Series Game 1 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score2 = '''St. Louis Cardinals''' – 4, Kansas City Royals – 2
| date2 = October 20
| loc2 = Royals Stadium
| time2 = 2:44
| att2 = 41,656
| ref2 = <ref name="Game2">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B10200KCA1985.htm|title=1985 World Series Game 2 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score3 = '''Kansas City Royals''' – 6, St. Louis Cardinals – 1
| date3 = October 22
| loc3 = [[Busch Memorial Stadium|Busch Stadium]]
| time3 = 2:59
| att3 = 53,634
| ref3 = <ref name="Game3">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B10220SLN1985.htm|title=1985 World Series Game 3 – Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score4 = Kansas City Royals – 0, '''St. Louis Cardinals''' – 3
| date4 = October 23
| loc4 = Busch Stadium
| time4 = 2:19
| att4 = 53,634
| ref4 = <ref name="Game4">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B10230SLN1985.htm|title=1985 World Series Game 4 – Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score5 = '''Kansas City Royals''' – 6, St. Louis Cardinals – 1
| date5 = October 24
| loc5 = Busch Stadium
| time5 = 2:52
| att5 = 53,634
| ref5 = <ref name="Game5">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B10240SLN1985.htm|title=1985 World Series Game 5 – Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score6 = St. Louis Cardinals – 1, '''Kansas City Royals''' – 2
| date6 = October 26
| loc6 = Royals Stadium
| time6 = 2:47
| att6 = 41,628
| ref6 = <ref name="Game6">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B10260KCA1985.htm|title=1985 World Series Game 6 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score7 = St. Louis Cardinals – 0, '''Kansas City Royals''' – 11
| date7 = October 27
| loc7 = Royals Stadium
| time7 = 2:46
| att7 = 41,658
| ref7 = <ref name="Game7">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B10270KCA1985.htm|title=1985 World Series Game 7 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
}}

==Matchups==
{{See also|1985 MLB Postseason}}

===Game 1===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 19, 1985
|Time=7:35 pm ([[Central Time Zone|CT]])
|Location=[[Royals Stadium]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]]
|Road='''St. Louis'''|RoadAbr=STL
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=1|R4=1|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=1|RR=3|RH=7|RE=1
|Home=Kansas City|HomeAbr=KC
|H1=0|H2=1|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=1|HH=8|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[John Tudor (baseball)|John Tudor]] (1–0)|LP=[[Danny Jackson]] (0–1)|SV=[[Todd Worrell]] (1)
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|57|F|C}}, overcast}}

When [[Lonnie Smith (baseball)|Lonnie Smith]] led off for the Royals, he became the first player in MLB history to be traded from a team (the [[St. Louis Cardinals|Cardinals]]) during a season and play against that team in the World Series the same season.<ref name="Game1"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/sports/baseball/28dh.html |title=In the D.H., No Obvious Advantage |last=Chass |first=Murray |work=New York Times |date=October 20, 1985 |access-date=February 11, 2018 |quote=Smith, Kansas City's left fielder, is one of five players in the Series who have played for both the Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. But he is the only one to have played for both teams this year, spending the first six weeks with the Cardinals, then moving to the Royals May 17 in a trade for the minor-league outfielder John Morris. That makes him the first player in major league history to play in the World Series against the team he started the season with.}}</ref>

[[John Tudor (baseball)|John Tudor]] scattered seven hits in {{frac|6|2|3}} innings for the Cards and won with relief help from [[Todd Worrell]]. The Royals struck first in the second on [[Steve Balboni]]'s RBI single with runners on first and second, but the Cardinals tied it off of [[Danny Jackson]] in the third on [[Willie McGee]]'s RBI groundout with runners on second and third. Next inning, [[Tito Landrum]] doubled with one out, then scored on late-season acquisition [[César Cedeño]]'s RBI double to give Jackson the loss despite Jackson throwing seven innings of two-run ball. The Cardinals padded their lead in the ninth off of [[Dan Quisenberry]] when [[Tom Herr]] singled to lead off and scored on [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]]'s double.<ref>[https://kingsofkauffman.com/2017/10/19/kansas-city-royals-history-1985-team-opens-world-series/ Kansas City Royals History: 1985 Team Opens World Series], Kings of Kauffman, Fansided, Nicholas Sullivan, 2017.</ref>

This was the first Saturday night game in World Series history. The Series began on a Saturday from [[1969 World Series|1969]] through [[1976 World Series|1976]], and again from 1985 through [[2006 World Series|2006]] (with the exception of [[1990 World Series|1990]], which began on a Tuesday night).

===Game 2===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Sunday, October 20, 1985
|Time=7:30 pm (CT)
|Location=Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
|Road='''St. Louis'''|RoadAbr=STL
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=4|RR=4|RH=6|RE=0
|Home=Kansas City|HomeAbr=KC
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=2|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=2|HH=9|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Ken Dayley]] (1–0)|LP=[[Charlie Leibrandt]] (0–1)|SV=[[Jeff Lahti]] (1)
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|58|F|C}}, overcast}}

The Royals went up 2–0 in the fourth off of [[Danny Cox (baseball)|Danny Cox]] when [[Willie Wilson (baseball)|Willie Wilson]] hit a leadoff single that was followed by back-to-back RBI doubles by [[George Brett]] and [[Frank White (baseball)|Frank White]]. However [[Charlie Leibrandt]] continued a history of tough luck in the postseason. The previous year, he had lost Game 3 of the [[1984 American League Championship Series|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. Clinging to a two-run lead in the ninth of this game, manager [[Dick Howser]] opted to not send in his relief ace [[Dan Quisenberry]] to close out the game. Leibrandt allowed a leadoff double to [[Willie McGee]], then was only one out from tying the series at one apiece when he allowed an RBI single to [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]]. After a double and walk loaded the bases, [[Terry Pendleton]] cleared them with a double and gave the Cardinals a 4–2 lead. Quisenberry came in and after he walked [[Darrell Porter]] he got out of the inning. [[Jeff Lahti]] earned a save with a scoreless bottom of the inning. The Cardinals' four run ninth would be the only inning in the series in which they scored more than one run.

===Game 3===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Tuesday, October 22, 1985
|Time=7:35 pm (CT)
|Location=[[Busch Memorial Stadium|Busch Stadium]] in [[St. Louis]], Missouri
|Road='''Kansas City'''|RoadAbr=KC
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=2|R5=2|R6=0|R7=2|R8=0|R9=0|RR=6|RH=11|RE=0
|Home=St. Louis|HomeAbr=STL
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=1|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=1|HH=6|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Bret Saberhagen]] (1–0)|LP=[[Joaquín Andújar]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=[[Frank White (baseball)|Frank White]] (1)|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|64|F|C}}, partly cloudy}}

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). The Royals went up 2–0 in the fourth on [[Lonnie Smith (baseball)|Lonnie Smith]]'s two-run double that scored [[Jim Sundberg]] and [[Buddy Biancalana]], who had walked and singled, respectively. Royals second baseman [[Frank White (baseball)|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 two-run home run off of Andújar in the fifth after [[George Brett]] got on base. The Cardinals scored their only run of the game in the sixth off of Saberhagen on consecutive singles by [[Ozzie Smith]], [[Tom Herr]], and [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]]. The Royals padded their lead in the seventh off of [[Ricky Horton]] when [[George Brett]] drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a balk, then scored on White's double. Two outs later, White scored on Biancalana's single to cap the scoring.

===Game 4===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Wednesday, October 23, 1985
|Time=7:25 pm (CT)
|Location=Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri
|Road=Kansas City|RoadAbr=KC
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=0|RH=5|RE=1
|Home='''St. Louis'''|HomeAbr=STL
|H1=0|H2=1|H3=1|H4=0|H5=1|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=3|HH=6|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[John Tudor (baseball)|John Tudor]] (2–0)|LP=[[Bud Black]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=[[Tito Landrum]] (1), [[Willie McGee]] (1)
||Other={{convert|70|F|C}}, haze}}

[[John Tudor (baseball)|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 (baseball)|Vince Coleman]], continued to make his case for series MVP with a home run in the second off of [[Bud Black]]. Next inning, [[Willie McGee]] homered also to make it 2–0 Cardinals, who added to their lead in the fifth when [[Terry Pendleton]] tripled with one out and scored on Black's throwing error on [[Tom Nieto]]'s bunt attempt. The best chance for the Royals to score was in the seventh inning, when they loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. With pinch-hitter [[Hal McRae]] up for Buddy Biancalana, he grounded to the third baseman to end the threat. Tudor allowed just five hits in a complete game while striking out eight with one walk while Black went just five innings and allowing three runs on four hits and three walks.

===Game 5===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Thursday, October 24, 1985
|Time=7:25 pm (CT)
|Location=Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri
|Road='''Kansas City'''|RoadAbr=KC
|R1=1|R2=3|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=1|RR=6|RH=11|RE=2
|Home=St. Louis|HomeAbr=STL
|H1=1|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=1|HH=5|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Danny Jackson]] (1–1)|LP=[[Bob Forsch]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|70|F|C}}, clear}}

Entering this game, the Royals were 3–0 in must-win games in playoff elimination games. They improved their record to 4–0 with a decisive victory over the Cardinals, again by the score of 6–1. The Royals struck first on [[Frank White (baseball)|Frank White]]'s groundout with runners on second and third in the top of the first off of [[Bob Forsch]], but the Cardinals tied it off of [[Danny Jackson]] in the bottom half on back-to-back two-out doubles by [[Tom Herr]] and [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]]. However, they would not score after that. The Royals broke the game open in the second when [[Buddy Biancalana]] singled to score [[Jim Sundberg]], who doubled with one out. After [[Lonnie Smith (baseball)|Lonnie Smith]] walked, [[Willie Wilson (baseball)|Willie Wilson]] tripled home both runs to make it 4–1. The Royals added to their lead in the eighth off of [[Jeff Lahti]] on shortstop [[Ozzie Smith]]'s throwing error on Danny Jackson's ground ball, then in the ninth on [[Pat Sheridan]]'s RBI double. 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. Jackson threw an [[immaculate inning]] in the 7th, becoming the only pitcher to do so during a postseason game to date.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN198510240.shtml|title=October 24, 1985 World Series Game 5, Royals at Cardinals Play by Play and Box Score|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|date=October 24, 1985|access-date=April 16, 2013}}</ref> Jackson scattered five hits, allowing only one run in a [[complete game]].

===Game 6===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 26, 1985
|Time=7:25 pm (CT)
|Location=Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
|Road=St. Louis|RoadAbr=STL
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|RR=1|RH=5|RE=0
|Home='''Kansas City'''|HomeAbr=KC
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=2|HR=2|HH=10|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Dan Quisenberry]] (1–0)|LP=[[Todd Worrell]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
||Other={{convert|65|F|C}}, partly cloudy}}

A pitcher's duel unfolded between [[Danny Cox (baseball)|Danny Cox]] and [[Charlie Leibrandt]], the tough-luck loser in Game 2. The game was marked by controversy. In the fourth inning of the scoreless game, the Royals' [[Frank White (baseball)|Frank White]] may have stolen second base, but was ruled out in a close call.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Bill James Baseball Abstract 1986 |last1=James |first1=Bill |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]] |year=1986 |page=61}}</ref> The batter, [[Pat Sheridan]], hit a single to right field two pitches later. If White had been on base when Sheridan singled, the Royals would have likely taken a 1–0 lead.  Instead, Leibrandt and Cox traded scoreless innings until the eighth, when pinch-hitter [[Brian Harper]] singled home [[Terry Pendleton]], who had singled earlier, to give the Cardinals a 1–0 lead.

The Cardinals' 1–0 lead entering the bottom of the eighth was the result of St. Louis taking the upper hand after two situations that were mirror images of each other: In consecutive half-innings – the bottom of the seventh and the top of the eighth – both teams had runners on first and second with their respective starting pitcher coming to bat. Kansas City manager [[Dick Howser]] opted to leave Leibrandt in the game to bat, but the Royals starter struck out to end the inning. In contrast, [[Whitey Herzog]] pulled Cardinals starter Cox for pinch hitter Harper, who then had the game's first hit with runners in scoring position to put St. Louis ahead 1–0.

In the bottom of the ninth, Herzog called on rookie reliever [[Todd Worrell]] to relieve setup man [[Ken Dayley]], who had pitched the eighth and would have been the winner had the Cardinals won. The first batter, pinch-hitter [[Jorge Orta]], sent a chopping bouncer to the right of [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]]. He tossed the ball to Worrell, who tagged the bag ahead of Orta, but Clark's toss was behind Worrell, causing the running Orta to come between umpire [[Don Denkinger]] and his view of the lunging Worrell's glove. Denkinger called Orta safe. TV replays – not used by officials for play review until 2008 – indicated that Orta should have been called out, and an argument ensued on the field. The Cardinals argued briefly,<ref>{{cite news |title=Royals Win to Force Series into 7th Game |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h09eAAAAIBAJ&pg=6420,3748276&dq=jorge+orta+world+series+don+denkinger+charlie+leibrandt&hl=en |newspaper=[[Oxnard Press-Courier]] |volume=49 |number=104 |page=21 |publisher=[[Thomson Newspapers]] |date=October 27, 1985 |access-date=July 30, 2012 }}</ref> but as crew chief and believing he had made the correct call, Denkinger did not reverse it. Orta 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 Ueberroth 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 pop-up in foul territory along the edge of the first base dugout. Jack Clark, who had only recently made the transition from right field to first base that season, lost track of the ball as he looked to find the dugout and the ball dropped on the top step of the dugout. Balboni then singled two pitches later, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. [[Onix Concepción]] was sent in as a pinch runner for the slow-footed Balboni. Catcher [[Jim Sundberg]] attempted to sacrifice the runners over, but he failed. With two strikes, he bunted anyway, and sent it back to Worrell, who threw to third to force out Orta, the only out the Cardinals would record. [[Darrell Porter]] then allowed a passed ball, advancing Concepción and Sundberg to third and second, respectively.

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. McRae was replaced by the faster [[John Wathan]] to pinch-run to avoid a potential double play. With the bases loaded and one out, Royals pinch hitter [[Dane Iorg]] (a former Cardinal who had won a championship ring with them in [[1982 World Series|1982]]) blooped a single to right field. Concepción scored the tying run and Sundberg approached the plate with the winning run. Right fielder [[Andy Van Slyke]]'s throw was on target, but Sundberg slid home safely with the game-winning run.

The Royals celebrated the rally, and mobbed home plate. The Cardinals went to their dressing rooms, only to find champagne waiting for them and plastic over their lockers in anticipation for the celebration that never came. 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. He would later claim that he was waiting to hear the ball land in Worrell's glove while watching the bag for Orta's foot. Due to the crowd noise in Royals Stadium, he ruled Orta safe because he never heard Worrell catch the ball. "I was in good position, but Worrell is tall, the throw was high, and I couldn't watch his glove and his feet at the same time," Denkinger told ''Sports Illustrated''. "It was a soft toss, and there was so much crowd noise, I couldn't hear the ball hit the glove."<ref>{{cite web|last=DiGiovanna|first=Mike|title=When sports crowds get loud, game outcomes get altered There's a long history of crowd noise affecting game outcomes. Monday's incident, when|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-oct-25-la-sp-1026-world-series-noise-20111026-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 25, 2011 |access-date=April 20, 2013}}</ref> ABC showed the play from three different angles; two were high above the field and one was from behind third base, all with what Denkinger claimed he didn't get:  a clear view of Clark's throw and Worrell's catch.  Denkinger was scheduled to be the home plate umpire in Game 7.

===Game 7===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Sunday, October 27, 1985
|Time=7:30{{nbsp}}pm (CT)
|Location=Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
|Road=St. Louis|RoadAbr=STL
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=0|RH=5|RE=0
|Home='''Kansas City'''|HomeAbr=KC
|H1=0|H2=2|H3=3|H4=0|H5=6|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=11|HH=14|HE=0
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Bret Saberhagen]] (2–0)|LP=[[John Tudor (baseball)|John Tudor]] (2–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=[[Darryl Motley]] (1)
||Other={{convert|61|F|C}}, overcast}}

One night after becoming a father, [[Bret Saberhagen]] tossed a five-hitter and got all the offense he needed when [[Darryl Motley]] homered to left off [[John Tudor (baseball)|John Tudor]] in the second inning, after a walk to [[Steve Balboni]]. In the third, [[Lonnie Smith (baseball)|Lonnie Smith]] led off with a walk, and with one out [[George Brett]] hit an infield single. After a double steal, Tudor issued walks to [[Frank White (baseball)|Frank White]] to load the bases and [[Jim Sundberg]] to force in Smith, making it 3–0. Tudor was replaced with [[Bill Campbell (baseball)|Bill Campbell]] after only {{frac|2|1|3}} innings. Balboni singled to left off Campbell to score Brett and White to make it 5–0. Tudor walked four and was charged with all five runs. In the dugout, he angrily punched an electrical fan, cutting his pitching hand.

The Royals blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth. A succession of five Cardinal pitchers allowed six Royals runs, five coming after two were out. Campbell gave up a single to Sundberg and was immediately replaced by [[Jeff Lahti]], who allowed four hits to score four runs before being replaced by [[Ricky Horton]]. After Horton gave up a single to Brett and fell behind on the count 2-0 to [[Frank White (baseball)|Frank White]], Herzog replaced him with [[Joaquín Andújar]], normally a starter but pressed into relief. Andújar allowed an RBI single to White, increasing the Royals lead to 10–0. With Sundberg at the plate (the Royals had batted around), Andújar twice charged home plate umpire Denkinger to disagree with his strike zone. First, Denkinger called an Andújar pitch a ball. Herzog, who had been berating Denkinger for most of the game, rushed 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!"''<ref>{{cite book | title=The St. Louis Baseball Reader | editor1-first=Richard |editor1-last=Peterson | format=Hardcover | access-date=December 21, 2009 | date=September 30, 2006 | publisher=University of Missouri Press | isbn=978-0-8262-1687-8 | page=411 | quote=We wouldn't even be here if you hadn't missed the call last night! | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oKhjVVKyRvMC&q=%22We+wouldn%27t+even+be+here+if+you+hadn%27t+missed+the+fucking+call+last+night%21%22&pg=RA1-PA411}}</ref> According to Denkinger, he replied, "Well, if you guys weren't hitting .120 in this World Series, we wouldn't be here." It was the sixth manager ejection in World Series history; the others were in [[1907 World Series|1907]], [[1910 World Series|1910]], [[1935 World Series|1935]], [[1969 World Series|1969]] and [[1976 World Series|1976]]. ABC's [[Tim McCarver]] mistakenly said it was the second, after 1969.

The next pitch was also called a ball to walk Sundberg, and Denkinger ejected Andújar, who then charged at Denkinger. 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 that Andújar was the only pitcher who still had anything left in his arm. After Game 5 loser [[Bob Forsch]]'s first pitch was wild to score Brett, he got out of the fifth-inning nightmare. He pitched a clean sixth inning and [[Ken Dayley]] kept the Royals off the scoreboard for the last two innings, but it was not enough as the Cardinals could not score against Saberhagen.

The Cardinals' .185 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] was the lowest for a seven-game [[World Series]] until the [[2001 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] hit .183 in the [[2001 World Series]] against the [[2001 Arizona Diamondbacks season|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.

This was Kansas City's second major professional sports championship, joining the [[Kansas City Chiefs|Chiefs]]' victory in [[Super Bowl IV]] in January 1970. These franchises have since added four more championships, with the Royals winning the [[2015 World Series]], and the Chiefs winning Super Bowls [[Super Bowl LIV|LIV]], [[Super Bowl LVII|LVII]] and [[Super Bowl LVIII|LVIII]].

==Composite box==
1985 World Series '''(4–3): [[Kansas City Royals]] (A.L.)''' over [[St. Louis Cardinals]] (N.L.)
{{Linescore
|Road='''[[Kansas City Royals]]'''
|R1=1|R2=6|R3=3|R4=4|R5=8|R6=0|R7=2|R8=1|R9=3|RR=28|RH=68|RE=3
|Home='''[[St. Louis Cardinals]]'''
|H1=1|H2=1|H3=2|H4=1|H5=1|H6=1|H7=0|H8=1|H9=5|HR=13|HH=40|HE=2
|TotalAttendance=327,494 |AveAttendance=46,785
|WinPlayerShare=$76,342 |LosePlayerShare=$54,922<ref name="wsshares">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml|title=World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares|access-date=June 14, 2009|publisher=Baseball Almanac| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090502011628/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml| archive-date=May 2, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>
}}

==Broadcasting==
[[ABC Sports|ABC]] televised the series, with play-by-play announcer [[Al Michaels]] and color commentators [[Jim Palmer]] and [[Tim McCarver]]. This was the first World Series broadcast for McCarver, who would go on to call a record 24 World Series telecasts with ABC, [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]] and [[Major League Baseball on Fox|Fox]]. [[Howard Cosell]] was originally scheduled to be in the booth with Michaels and Palmer, but was removed from his assignment just prior to Game 1 because of the controversy surrounding his book ''[[Howard Cosell#I Never Played the Game and reaction|I Never Played the Game]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Less of Howard Cosell Marked a New Era in TV Sports |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nWVTAAAAIBAJ&pg=5732,40543&dq=howard+cosell+1985+world+series&hl=en |volume=15 |number=1 |page=8 |newspaper=[[Daily News (Kingsport)|Daily News]] |publisher=Kingsport, Inc. |date=January 2, 1986 |access-date=July 30, 2012 }}</ref>  ABC's coverage was simulcast in Canada on the [[Global Television Network]].

[[CBS Radio]] broadcast the series nationally, with [[Jack Buck]] on play-by-play and [[Sparky Anderson]] providing color commentary. Locally, Royals' flagship station [[WIBW (AM)|WIBW]] ([[Topeka]]) aired the games in Kansas City with [[Denny Matthews]] and [[Fred White (sportscaster)|Fred White]] alternating on play-by-play and color, while in St. Louis the Cardinals' flagship [[KMOX]] [[simulcast]] the CBS Radio coverage due to Buck's status as the team's primary local announcer during the regular season, although regular analyst [[Mike Shannon]] was sidelined in favor of Anderson.

==Aftermath==
The Royals became the first team ever to win the World Series after losing the first two games at home. The following year, the New York Mets accomplished the same feat by defeating the Boston Red Sox in seven games in the [[1986 World Series|World Series]]. In the [[1996 World Series]], the New York Yankees lost their first two games at home against the defending [[1995 World Series]] champion Atlanta Braves before winning four straight to claim the title. The Royals also were the fifth team in MLB history to come back from a 3–1 deficit to win a best-of-seven World Series, the previous teams being the [[1925 Pittsburgh Pirates season|1925 Pittsburgh Pirates]], [[1958 New York Yankees season|1958 New York Yankees]], [[1968 Detroit Tigers season|1968 Detroit Tigers]], and the [[1979 Pittsburgh Pirates season|1979 Pittsburgh Pirates]]. The 1985 Royals had also come back from a three games to one deficit to win the [[1985 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] against the [[Toronto Blue Jays]], making them the first and so far only team to do so (the championship series had changed from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven format in 1985). The six elimination games won by the Royals represent a Major League record for a single postseason, a record which would later be equaled by the [[2012 San Francisco Giants season|2012 San Francisco Giants]]. The Royals also became the first team to win two Game 7s in one postseason. The [[2017 Houston Astros season|2017 Houston Astros]] are the only other team to achieve this feat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2017/11/01/astros-beat-dodgers-world-series-game-7/|title=Astros beat Dodgers in Game 7 for first World Series title in franchise history|publisher=[[Denver Post]]|date=November 1, 2017|work=Ben Walker|accessdate=October 27, 2021}}</ref>

In the immediate aftermath of the 1985 World Series, umpire [[Don Denkinger]] received many hateful letters from Cardinals fans due to his blown call in Game 6 that essentially cost the Cardinals a World Series.<ref name="Cigar">{{cite web|url=https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/fans-behaving-badly-8907|title=Fans Behaving Badly|last=Shouler|first=Kenneth|year=2007|work=Cigar Aficionado|access-date=March 8, 2010}}</ref> Denkinger contacted Major League Baseball Security, which in turn contacted the [[FBI]], when he received a particularly menacing letter with no return address that said that if the writer saw Denkinger in person, he would "blow him away" with a [[.357 Magnum]]. According to Denkinger, FBI agents visited the letter writer and told him, "You're done. This is the end of it. You will not correspond with him in any manner, and life will go on."<ref>{{cite web |title=Ump struggles knowing he blew call |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=5572350 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |date=14 September 2010}}</ref>

Denkinger had other big umpiring assignments after the 1985 Series. He was behind the plate for the All-Star Game the following season, and he was named crew chief for the [[1988 ALCS]], [[1991 World Series]], and [[1992 ALCS]]. He retired in 1998, ironically with his last game being at [[Kauffman Stadium]] on June 2, 1998. After retirement, Denkinger would lean into his fame of the blown call, regularly appearing at sports memorabilia shows (including ones in St. Louis) willing to autograph photos depicting "The Call".<ref name="SI">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/longform/2015/1985/world-series-cardinals-royals/index.html |title=After THE CALL |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=October 26, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-date=June 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621224838/https://www.si.com/longform/2015/1985/world-series-cardinals-royals/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nevertheless, many publications consider his blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series one of the biggest umpire blunders in MLB history.<ref>{{cite web |title=10 biggest gaffes in baseball history |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/worst-baseball-blunders-in-mlb-history-c284342092 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schoch |first1=Josh |title=MLB Power Rankings: The 10 Biggest Blown Calls in MLB History (Video Included) |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/734183-mlb-power-rankings-the-10-biggest-blown-calls-in-mlb-history-video-included |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schindler |first1=Stephen |title=10 Worst Calls in MLB Playoff History |url=https://athlonsports.com/mlb/worst-calls-mlb-playoff-history |website=AthlonSports.com {{!}} Expert Predictions, Picks, and Previews |language=en |date=25 October 2013}}</ref>

In [[1987 Major League Baseball season|1987]], the [[1987 St. Louis Cardinals season|Cardinals]] won the [[1987 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] in seven games over the [[1987 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]]. In the [[1987 World Series|World Series]] against the [[1987 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]], after having fallen behind 2-0 at the [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]], they won their next three games at home. However, back at the Metrodome, they lost the last two and again fell one game short of a World Series title. It would be the Cardinals' last World Series appearance until [[2004 World Series|2004]]. The Cardinals did not win another World Series until [[2006 World Series|2006]].

The Royals did not play in another postseason game until the [[2014 American League Wild Card Game]], and did not win another World Series until the following season, in [[2015 Kansas City Royals season|2015]].

The introduction of [[interleague]] play to major league baseball in [[1997 Major League Baseball season|1997]] allowed the [[Cardinals–Royals rivalry|I-70 Series]] to be revived in regular season games each year. Through the 2022 season, the Cardinals lead the regular-season interleague series, 73-47, though Kansas City still holds the World Series win over St. Louis, as it was the last and only time the two teams have faced off in the postseason.

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
*[[1985 Japan Series]]
*[[1985 MLB Postseason]]
*[[Interstate 70 in Missouri]]

==References==
* {{cite book |last=Angell|first=Roger|year=1988|title=[[Season Ticket: A Baseball Companion]] |location=Boston|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |isbn= 0-395-38165-7}}
* Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series. 1st ed. New York: St Martins, 1990. (Neft and Cohen 407–411)
* {{cite web |author=Forman, Sean L. |title=1985 World Series |work=Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Statistics and Information. |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1985_WS.shtml |access-date=December 9, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071130235354/http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1985_WS.shtml| archive-date=November 30, 2007 | url-status= live}}

==External links==
{{WSExtLinks|year=1985}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010127203100/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/features/1997/wsarchive/1985.html K.C. Had A Blast at SI.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040702081533/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/teams/1985royals.stm 1985 Kansas City Royals at baseballlibrary.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040702064106/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/teams/1985cardinals.stm 1985 St. Louis Cardinals at baseballlibrary.com]

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[[Category:World Series]]
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