1985 World Series Analysis

What Is it

In Game six of the 1985 World Series, Don Denkinger made an erroneous call at first base in the bottom of the ninth inning. It would serve to be the most memorable part of that World Series that was played between the Royals and Cardinals. This was a play that would cost the Cardinals the series and help the Royals rally and win the game, 2-1 (which would also force a seventh game). The series was called, at the time “I-70 Showdown Series” or “Show Me Series”, due to both cities being in Missouri and connected by I-70

How it started

In late October, the Cardinals were enjoying a one game lead, up three games to two, against the Royals, entering game six. The Cardinals were up by one run (the only run that had been scored the entire
Had he been farther back, he may have seen the whole play. With modern technology, the play could have been reviewed and there could have been conclusive proof that Orta was
Dane Iorg, pinch hitting, hit a single to right field. Balboni scored. Andy Van Slyke, playing right field, threw the ball home to try and get Sunberg out, who was running from second. Sundberg slid into home head first, and beat the tag by a small margin. Royals win the game. The single from Iorg, was one of only two at-bats that he would receive in the entire series.

Repercussions

Denkinger was the umpire for game seven. The Royals jumped out to a big lead, and Cardinals relief pitcher Joaquin Andujar ran up to Denkinger to question his strike zone. Whitey Herzog, Cardinals manager, got in on the action and decided to yell at him too. He said that if he had not blown the call in the previous game, there would be no need for a seventh game. Denkinger replied that if the Cardinals were hitting better than .120, they would not be playing game seven. The Cardinals would finish the series .185. Denkinger ejected Herzog out of the game.

The Royals won the game, 11-0, in a rout; winning their very first World Series. They would not even go to another World Series for thirty