Naturals Named Texas League Organization of the Year
The Texas League Honors the Naturals

SPRINGDALE, AR–The President of the Texas League, Tom Kayser, has announced Northwest Arkansas Naturals as the 2012 Texas League Organization of the Year. This honor comes as the club closes out their fifth year in Springdale, Ark. The Organization of the Year in the Texas League is awarded through a combination of off-field rankings and evaluations as provided by the Texas League managers, umpires, and league executives.

“It is very satisfying to recognize the Naturals as the 2012 Organization of the Year for doing everything expected of a good franchise and doing it well,” said Texas League President, Tom Kayser. “The Naturals also do a wonderful job working within their entire community, successfully partnering with a wide range of groups, helping to produce over $270,000 in cash and in-kind donations for over 100 non-profit organizations.”

For the first time this season, I will be in attendance for a St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.

This Sunday, April 29, the Cardinals will take on division rival Milwaukee and I will be in attendance with a group of school kids and Angela Weinhold.  Why should you care?  Well that is simple.

Last year I started a tradition of carrying a messenger bag with me to all games that I was in attendance for.  You see, over the course of the almost two years that we have run the site, I have collected a fair amount of items that have been given to the site in one form or another for means of promotion.

Books, t-shirts, can coolers, and many more products have been sent in to the site to give away at various events.  Companies ranging from RinaWear Clothing company to Fox Sports Midwest have asked us to distribute cool gifts on their behalf, and we have happily obliged.  So before each game, I fill my bag with as much as it will hold and reward anyone who happens to come up to me and either recognize me or identify i70baseball.com with something from it.

This year, it gets better.

On Sunday, if you recognize me and mention i70baseball.com, I will have my normal bag of fan-centric stuff to reward you with.  If you are one of the first to come up to me, however, you are in for a treat.  In my bag this weekend will be one each of the following:

A BluRay/DVD Combo of the newest addition to the A&E Home Video Greatest Games set.  The newest addition?  Game Six of last year’s World Series.

“But, Bill”, you say, “Game Six was outstanding, but there was so much more to the World Series than just that game.”  You’re right, my friends.  Because of that, I will also have a box set of the entire World Series, also from A&E Entertainment.  This set is a massive eight discs and contains every game from the World Series and a ton of extras.

I will have plenty more to give away at the game Sunday.

Winning is simple:

- Follow me on Twitter (@poisonwilliam) as I will tweet updates on my location, my attire, and pictures to help you find me easier
- Find me at the game on Sunday
- Mention that you read i70baseball

See you at the ballpark!

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Chasers Collect Fourth-Straight ‘Best of Omaha’ Award
Omaha Magazine readers tab Storm Chasers as Omaha’s Best Sports Team

OMAHA, Neb. — The Omaha Storm Chasers have been named Omaha’s Best Sports Team by the readers of Omaha Magazine, continuing a four-year run as the first-place selection. The announcement comes on the heels of the Chasers’ Pacific Coast League Championship season and the highly-successful opening of brand-new Werner Park in 2011.

“Even though we received several national accolades throughout the 2011 season, being named Best of Omaha is perhaps the most fulfilling for our organization,” said team president and general manager Martie Cordaro. “The overwhelming positive support from fans and readers of Omaha Magazine throughout the metro area is special. This award signifies the endorsement of all our efforts over the past few years and we couldn’t be more thankful.”

This year’s contest, the 20^th in the history of Omaha Magazine’s Best of Omaha program, garnered more than 424,000 votes by just over 20,000 readers – both all-time records. The 424,000 votes cast is just shy of the Storm Chasers’ total attendance this past season of 425,742, the club’s highest total since 1997.

Check out the Omaha Storm Chasers Franchise Highlight Sheets by clicking here. (PDF File)

MLB ASKS FANS TO ARRIVE EARLY TO GAME ONE OF
WORLD SERIES DUE TO INCREASED SECURITY

Due to the attendance of dignitaries and special guests, security will be increased in and around Busch Stadium for Game One of the 2011 World Series. Game One will be in support of returning veterans and their families. Fans entering the ballpark will be required to pass through security which will cause delays in getting to their seats.

MLB is offering the following tips to fans attending the game:

• ŠŠ Arrive early to allow for enough time Arrive early to allow for enough time to enter the park as you should to enter the park as you should expect long lines.
• Š The gates open at 4:00 p.m. Central
• Š On-field ceremonies begin at 6:20 p.m. Central
• Š Do not bring bottles or coolers of any kind into the ballpark. They will not be permitted.
• Š Do not bring anything that you would not be allowed to bring on a plane. The rules for what items you can bring into the ballpark will be the same as TSA restrictions which you can find at www.tsa.gov. Any items surrendered at the gates will not be returned.
• Š Please minimize items you bring into the stadium to speed up the inspection process.

“Same old Royals.” “Another pointless September.” “Time to trade off our stars.” Those are the statements that you’ll hear from casual Royals fans every fall. Pessimism is normally at an all-time high, everyone is more focused on football, and nobody cares about making it out to Kauffman for a “meaningless” baseball game.

Things have been different this time around.

The hope and optimism surrounding “The K” during the current homestand hasn’t been higher since 2003 (the Royals last winning season). Fans are finally believing that the Royals are close to being a legitimate contender.

Right now, the Royals are 20 games under .500, 22.5 games back in the division, and way past being eliminated from playoff contention. It’s hard to see any fanbase in professional sports rallying behind a team with those numbers, but Royals fans did it during the past week. Kauffman Stadium attendance from last week (September 13^th-18^th) averaged out to 24,621 people per game. Last season during the same time period, attendance was at 16,952 people per game. The 2010 Royals had about the same record as the 2011 Royals (2010: 61-91, 2011:67-87) and both teams were eliminated from the playoffs right around the start of September.

The difference this year is that the players are still having a ton of fun on the diamond, which makes going to games much more exciting. The players on the Royals’ current roster genuinely love playing the game. Not only do they love playing the game, but they love winning, and they love winning together. They are a group of kids who really like each other and want to bring a winning team to Kansas City.

Does anyone think that Jose Guillen really liked playing for the Royals? How about Mike Jacobs? Ross Gload?

Doubtful.

And has any Royals team since 2003 been this excited about winning games in September?

Doubtful.

Has any Royals team had as much camaraderie and chemistry as this team besides in the ‘70’s or ‘80’s?

Highly doubtful.

Everyone on the roster is excited to be playing for this team in Kansas City. There’s no doubt that they are disappointed about how this season went, but you can sense that they are all anxious for 2012 to be here. The excitement on the field has brought excitement to the seats inside Kauffman Stadium. Expect the excitement to multiply in 2012.

The Cardinals are almost certainly headed for their fifth consecutive season without a playoff victory, but there are still some compelling reasons to watch the team during the month of September.

Here are 10 of them:

1. How well this team finishes could play a major role in Tony La Russa’s decision about whether he wants to come back as manager for a 17th season.

The routine has been the same for the past several years. At the end of the year, La Russa says he wants to evaluate how the team performed, whether he still has the desire to manage and whether the front office, players and fans want him back. If all of those responses are positive, he will come back.

There appears to be more of a negative opinion among the fan base towards La Russa this season than in previous years, and that feeling likely will only increase if this team sleepwalks through September. Finish with a strong month, and some of those feelings may be quieted somewhat.

Many of the fans may make their displeasure known by staying away from the ballpark, which is one certain way to attract the attention of ownership. Attendance already is guaranteed to decline from a year ago, and fans who want a new manager also could voice their displeasure by failing to renew their season tickets for next year – sending a very financial message to Bill DeWitt. Perhaps the only way DeWitt would decide it was time for a change, and not let La Russa do whatever he wants, is if he gets the message that fans will stop coming to Busch Stadium if La Russa is back in 2012.

2. Who will win the power struggle between General Manager John Mozeliak and La Russa over the amount of playing time given to the extra players who will be coming up from Memphis.

The results of this interesting clash of egos might also play a role in any decisions about whether DeWitt will make a change in managers or with the general manager. Mozeliak wants the players coming up from Memphis to play, so the team can get a better reading on who can possibly help the big league club in 2012.

La Russa has said publicly that he will play the players who play the best, and he routinely has not been fond of putting too many extra players on the roster for the final month of the season. There are six players occupying spots on the 40-man roster, led by infielder Tyler Greene, who are at the crossroads of their career – it is either time for them to be on the regular major-league roster or time to move them out of the organization, freeing up places for younger players not only on the 40-man roster but for playing time at Triple A Memphis.

In addition to Greene, the other players who fall into this group are catcher Bryan Anderson, first baseman Mark Hamilton, outfielder Andrew Brown, third baseman Matt Carpenter and shortstop Pete Kozma. All, except Anderson, have had very limited chances to play in the majors, but Mozeliak would like to see them play for an extended period to make the decision about their future easier.

The poster-boy for this group likely will be Greene, who will be 28 before the 2012 season starts and needs to either prove he can be a big-league player or hope for a chance somewhere else. Nobody would be served by having him return to Memphis for another season. He has played 143 games spread over the last three years in the majors, but has never played more than five consecutive games. He has a lifetime average in the majors of .213, but everybody except La Russa, it seems, thinks he can hit closer to his current .326 average in Memphis if he gets that extended chance.

The Cardinals do not have a projected starting shortstop for 2012, and if Greene, a former first-round draft pick in 2005, proves he can do the job it will help give the team some financial relief over having to sign a free agent or make another trade for a shortstop. He also would give the team a legitimate stolen base threat, something the Cardinals have badly needed all season.

3. Can Pujols and Lance Berkman finish 1-2 in the National League home run race.

Through Sunday, Pujols and the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp were tied for the league lead with 31 homers while Berkman, Dan Uggla of the Braves and Mike Stanton of the Marlins all had 30. Prince Fielder of the Brewers was one behind that group with 29.

Pujols is trying to win his third consecutive NL home run title, something no Cardinal has ever done. Berkman is trying to break the franchise record for most home runs hit by a switch-hitter, currently 35 by Ripper Collins in 1934.

The Cardinals have never had the 1-2 finishers in the league in the home run category, and in fact no NL team has done it since the Giants in 1965 when Willie Mays and Willie McCovey did it.

4. Can Pujols hit well enough to reach 100 RBIs and finish with a .300 or better batting average.

With 28 games to play, Pujols’ average is at .288 with 78 RBIs, meaning he needs 22 RBIs to get to 100 for the 11^thconsecutive year. In his career, Pujols has driven in more than 22 runs five times during the month of September, with a high of 28 in 2006. He also has driven in less than 22 runs in the month five times, with a low of only 10 RBIs in September of 2003.

No player has ever hit .300 with 30 or more homers and 100 or more RBIs for each of the first 11 years of their career.

5. Who will get the bulk of the playing time at second base and shortstop.

Part of the answer to this question depends on what happens with Tyler Greene. The other player who should get a long look in September, at either second or short, is Daniel Descalso.

The Cardinals know what Skip Schumaker can do at second, and in the outfield, and there is no reason to play Ryan Theriot anywhere. Rafael Furcal has provided better defense at short since his arrival on July 31, but he has not hit and there would appear to be no way he would be returning to St. Louis in 2012.

For the Cardinals to control costs in 2012, and to have a much better defensive infield, it would be a tremendous boost if the team is convinced that Greene can play shortstop and Descalso can play second. They won’t know that answer, however, if they don’t get a chance to show it in September.

6. Can Fernando Salas pitch well enough in the closer’s role to convince the Cardinals he can do the job in 2012, keeping them from going out and adding a proven closer this winter.

Salas, for not even making the team out of spring training, has performed better in the closer role than most could have expected. Still, there is an uneasy feeling when he comes into the game in the ninth inning with a one-run lead.

Much like the situation at shortstop and second base, the Cardinals are going to need to have some positions on the roster which are filled with lower-cost players next year. It would help the budget a great deal if they were convinced Salas will be better closing games in 2012, and another month’s experience in that role will help them make that decision.

There is no other proven closer on the current roster, and Jason Motte failed in his one earlier attempt at the job. Having to go out and acquire a more established closer, if that is the route the Cardinals decide to go, will certainly cost them more money and perhaps force them to make a cutback at some other position.

7. Will Chris Carpenter pitch well enough to force the Cardinals into picking up his option for next season.

This will be a tough call. Carpenter has been one of the team’s best starters the second half of the season, not to mention the last several years, but $15 million might be more than he is worth for 2012.

It’s not like the Cardinals have a lot of backup candidates in line for his job, however. The collapse of the starting pitching was one of the biggest reasons the Cardinals fell out of the race in the NL Central, and it would not appear they should expect more from Jake Westbrook or Kyle Lohse than they got this year.

With the failure of the “offense first” philosophy this year, it probably would be more logical for the Cardinals to try to improve the quality and depth of their starting pitching in 2012, spending whatever it takes, and Carpenter needs to pitch well in September if he wants to be part of that group.

8. Can Jaime Garcia figure out what he has been doing wrong the second half of the season and finish on a strong note.

Garcia has won only one of eight starts since the All-Star break, with a 5.01 ERA. Coincidentally or not, that was when he signed a new four-year, $27 million contract which was unnecessary and premature. Garcia obviously is a pitcher the Cardinals expect to be an integral part of their rotation for years to come, but for the last two months he has not pitched like someone the team can count on

With the status of Carpenter questionable for 2012, and Adam Wainwright recovering from Tommy John surgery, the importance of a productive Garcia to the team’s success obviously cannot be minimized.

9. Will the Cardinals break the NL or MLB record for most grounded into double plays in a season, and can they end the year with more than 50 stolen bases.

Allen Craig’s double play grounder Sunday was the team’s 144^th of the season. With 28 games to go, the Cardinals are 23 double plays away from breaking their own franchise and the NL record. The 1958 Cardinals grounded into 166 double plays. The major league record is 174, set by the Boston Red Sox in 1990. Pujols has ground into 25 double plays; the team record is 29 set by Ted Simmons in 1973.

As far as stolen bases go, the Cardinals’ league-low total of 44 is three behind the individual league-leader, Michael Bourne of the Braves. They could become the first St.Louis team to finish with fewer than 50 steals in a season since the 1961 Cardinals finished the year with 46.

10. This might be the last month fans will see Albert Pujols in a Cardinals uniform.

The Cardinals’ final home game of the year, and thus perhaps Pujols’ final game in a St. Louis uniform, is Sunday, Sept 25 against the Cubs. The team ends the year with a three-game road-trip to Houston.

With Pujols’ free agency on the horizon, there is no way of knowing if he will be back in 2012, or if one of the greatest eras in Cardinals’ history is about to come to an end.

(For Rob’s roundup of news around the Majors and Minors and other St. Louis sports news check out RobRains.com)

The St. Louis Cardinals have hosted numerous Social Media Nights over the last few seasons. During these events, they invite your favorite blogs, new media sites, Twitter personalities and Social Media experts to the park to mingle with fans and talk baseball for an evening. I-70 Baseball will have representatives in attendance that night.

Today, the team announced the next event, which will occur on August 25th at the Bowtie Bar in the Left Field section of the ballpark.

Fans can begin buying tickets on August 15th by going to www.cardinals.com/bowtie

Tickets will be $20 each and will feature the following:

• A Lower Left Field Box Ticket for that night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
• $5 in Cardinals Cash, loaded directly on to your ticket
• Access to a pre-game program featuring current Cardinal players.
• Giveaways and prizes

The pregame program is to be held in the Budweiser Bowtie Bar on level 2 in Left Field. In addition, fans (21 and over) will be able to buy a 12 ounce “Bottoms Up” draft for $5 throughout the evening.

You can keep up with all the news and happenings surrounding the event by searching for #CardsSMN and #Bowtie on Twitter. Look for additional information on the various Social Media channels for the Cardinals throughout this weekend and leading up to the event.

Here is how you can keep track of the Cardinals various Social Media Channels:

• You can “Like” the Cardinals Official Facebook Page
• You can “Follow” the Official Cardinals Twitter Account
• You can “Follow” the Official Cardinals Front Office Twitter Account

We look forward to seeing everyone there.

I must admit I’m thoroughly surprised. Not at the early struggles in Saint Louis, but more so the early struggles of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Their lack of production and will to succeed has led to a winning start in Kansas City and gave the Royals their short-lived time in the sun. Don’t get too over your heads Royals faithful, this success will not last.

I was in attendance during Saturday’s game at Kauffman Stadium and let me tell you, the Royals are still a poor team. They still have no clue what actual role they play. They don’t know what they are capable of. They must be shocked that they are 3-1. But I understand their early success. They should thank the Angels for their lack of competitiveness. Talk about a ball club that has all the talent in the world to whip the Royals, but simply doesn’t have heart to produce a solidified win. Yes, they have aged in the past couple of years, but they had the advantage over the Royals in each of the first four games. Better pitchers, better hitters, and better coaching- all of that combined with way more experience. It was simply a team that wanted it against a team that didn’t. The Angels are better than the Royals. But the Royals wanted it more and the Angels just wanted to go home. The Angels bullpen is showing signs they might be the weakest in the league. If Chris Getz and a no name back up catcher are single handedly winning ball games against you, something is missing. I think it’s a lack of heart. Was it the fan base that gave the Royals the much-needed boost? No.

On opening day Kauffman Stadium was filled to the brim. The Royals lost. In game two the stadium was half full. The Royals won. On Saturday, one-third full- mark another win in the books. On Sunday, barely anyone, Royals win!

There are bright spots from any win in Major League Baseball. For the Royals, it’s easy to figure. The Royals are getting production from every player they DIDN’T expect to get production from. Getz especially, but with Treanor coming through in clutch situations and solid relief pitching, we can say that the Royals are thus far playing on a more “complete” level than we anticipated.

Kyle Davies looked inconsistent at times, but his first appearance was appealing. He gave up a fair amount of hits, but got himself out of some sticky situations. Aaron Crow is on fire and reminds me of McDougal in 2003, loaded with tons of confidence and firepower. Whether those attributes remain steady is all a matter of time.

I love how Yost is giving Kila Ka’aihue the nod at first base. I think it’s a great move for the ball cub to let Billy Butler solely focus on driving in every run he possibly can. It nice to see the Royals do something that I actually agree with.

The Royals are squeaking their way to victory so far and it’s encouraging to see the underdog finish in the win column three straight games. Two of them in walk off fashion. The Angels shouldn’t be too stunned. I think this series gave them just what the doctor ordered and provided them with the perfect indication that they are facing serious problems. With the Orioles controlling the AL East, the Royals clutching up in the first series, and the Rangers dominating the West, the American League (so far) is looking unpredictable in the fullest degree.

I know we are only one series down, but teams like Baltimore, Kansas City, and Texas who are off to a fast start, all have tremendous futures by rumor. It’s nice to see Boston shell out a monsoon of dollar signs, only to find themselves in a 0-3 hole to start 2011. But unfortunately we aren’t talking about a 16 game NFL schedule here. This is baseball and there are 159 games left to play out. Such a decent start in Kansas City is already ticking away, as most expect the team to run out of breath sooner or later. Boston will be fine, New York will be fine, and those Angels (aside from a horrendous bullpen performance) will most likely be fine too. It’s baseball. Money talks. You spend it and you usually reap some type of long-term reward. You don’t spend it, you usually got what you paid for.

Who wouldn’t love to see the Royals take this small run all the way into October? It’s what any good man would want. Witnessing a battered and beaten franchise, command a league while at the same time being the underdog in nearly every game they play. It’s the American Cinderella fairy tale. I just don’t believe the Royals have all the pieces in the right place to make it happen during the course of an entire season. The Angels have problems. The Royals took advantage of those problems. The Royals have problems of their own and most teams they play won’t be as dreary and dumbfounded as the Angels were. The Royals won’t win many series with the way they played this weekend. Better performance is needed to come out on top.

Best of luck, but I can’t see it.

Outside the city limits of Kansas City, the 1985 World Series is primarily remembered by a single play: “The Call.” Anyone reading this blog knows the well documented history of Don Denkinger and how his safe call in the bottom of the ninth of Game Six altered baseball history. The magnitude of the play was documented in this archived MLB.com article on the fateful October 26^th.

“One call, that’s all. When fans reflect on the all-Missouri World Series between St. Louis and Kansas City in 1985, first base umpire Don Denkinger is certain to be a focal point in the conversation.”

Emotions ran wild that night. I’m not sure anyone involved could predict how fresh the passion would still feel a quarter of a century later. This offseason the St. Louis Cardinals held a Baseball Writer’s Banquet, with Denkinger in attendance as a guest, seated next to Todd Worrell. I can only imagine what that conversation was like.

Joe Posnanski was in attendance and recalled the scene in a Sports Illustrated article, “When he was introduced at the banquet, he was booed. I suppose an announcer might call them “good natured boos.” I’m not a boo-ologist. They sounded like regular boos to me.

“There was quiet while Denkinger spoke and the quiet followed by polite applause — everyone could admire the man for appearing. But as Denkinger walked out of the Hall, I heard this exchange:

“It’s nice that he came.”

“Whatever. He still blew the World Series for us.”

The fact is throughout history the fans and media have searched for scapegoats to give salvation to their favorite players. What is truly lost when depicting a seven game series on one call are the managers, players, and plays made.

Throughout the years fans have attempted to quantify just how costly Denkinger’s mistake was. Fellow I-70 Baseball blogger Aaron Stilley produced a well researched and interesting piece about quantifying “The Call.” For everyone involved though, it seems a play like this can’t be put into numbers. It’s an unquantifiable spark; I’m not sure how to measure momentum or confidence.

Momentum is a huge factor in every sport. Baseball provides a unique tension in between plays, in between pitches, which especially in the postseason can’t be matched. It allows everyone involved to reset and hold their breath in anticipation for what’s to come. The great thing about it, is just when you think the tension, or anxiety, is about to boil over the top, somehow it is delayed. The pitching coach takes a quick scamper to the mound, a batter steps out with dust in his eye, a pitcher steps off the slab to compose himself.

Ballplayers are taught from an early age the importance of hustle. “It’s a game of inches,” they say. The best players, or at least most respected, are those who always run out a ground ball and always back up the play.

Game Five of the 2010 ALCS between the Rangers and Yankees provides us a perfect example. The Rangers trailed the Yankees 3-2 in the top of the sixth. Nelson Cruz is on first with one dead. Ian Kinsler hits a deep fly ball to center field, forcing Curtis Granderson to range deep into the gap. Cruz tags at first and easily beats Granderson’s throw, a fairly unnoticed play by those in attendance and watching from home.

In reality, it resulted in ‘the spark’ I spoke about previously. Next, Joe Girardi calls for an intentional walk to left-handed David Murphy, who had taken A.J. Burnett deep earlier in the year. Bengie Molina steps in and torches Burnett’s gas can with a dinger landing in the left field seats. It put the game out of reach, maybe the series.

Who’s to blame?

Surely Yankees fans blame Burnett. The New York media will second guess Girardi’s decision to walk Murphy and leave Burnett in to face Molina. Molina will get all the praise in Arlington, but in reality none of it would have ever happened if Cruz hadn’t tagged up.

The fact is a baseball game, even more so a series, can’t be measured on one play. Baseball is a game of constantly moving parts. So many elements go into a single play. When those plays are intertwined with the aspects of the play’s before and after the exercise in second guessing becomes futile. It is an infamous pastime for fans and the media alike, but any ball player will tell you playing the “what if?” is a sure path to an exit from the game.

This sort of perspective shift is what drives fans and the media. A devoted passion to the ballclub is what creates these scapegoats. Fans have invested their emotions so much when things don’t go their way; someone is needed to take the blame (see Steve Bartman, Jeffery Maier, Bill Buckner). These feelings go against everything players are taught.

You constantly hear coaches or broadcasters talking about how players who have made an error ‘need to move on, because the next one is coming to them.’ It takes me back to an adage I always remembered thinking about as a hitter. One’s for me, one’s for you (the pitcher), and one’s for Blue. In other words, I’m gonna get three strikes, one will be a pitcher’s pitch, one will be a boarderline call from the umpire, and one will be a pitch to hit. Obviously every at-bat is different, but this was something which helped keep my mind right as a hitter.

Human error has always been a part of the game; this is one of the things that makes baseball great. ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’ conducted a study of 184 games from June 29 to July 11 this season and reviewed every call made. They determined, “Of the close plays, 13.9 percent remained too close to call, with 65.7 percent confirmed as correct and 20.4 percent confirmed as incorrect.” Although it is a small sample size, this research suggests umpires miss one out of every five bang-bang plays, or an average of one and a half per game.

Denkinger may have missed the call, but odds are it wasn’t the only missed call in Game Six, let alone the entire series.

What we are left with 25 years later, is a World Series cadaver to dissect. Even though the series lasted seven games, statistically the Royals dominated. Kansas City outhit the Cardinals 68 to 40, outscored them 28-13. The Royals swiped five more bags and had an OPS over 200 points higher.
Meanwhile Royals hurlers walked ten less batters, resulting in 14 less earned runs allowed than St. Louis. Kansas City posted an insane WHIP at 0.935 over the series compared to the Cards’ 1.565, all while using five less pitchers than St. Louis needed.

So who deserves the accolades or the blame?

Royals fans will tell you the reason they won the Series was starting pitching headlined by Bret Saberhagen and timely hitting.

Cardinals fans will blame Denkinger.

Willie McGee went off in 1985 (.353/.384/.503, 26 2B, 18 3B, 10 HR, 56 SB), earning the NL MVP. McGee led off in the series, followed by Ozzie Smith and Tom Herr in Whitey Herzog’s lineup. Smith hit .276, with 54 RBIs, 70 runs, and 31 SB, while Herr produced a .302 batting average with 110 RBIs, 97 runs, and 31 Sb. A formidable top of the lineup which was good enough for 101 regular season wins.

In the ’85 Series the three combined for only 13 hits, five runs, two RBIs, two stolen bases and one home run. The lack of production from the hitters the Cardinals relied on all season was obvious. Why not blame Willie, Ozzie, and Tommy?

Todd Worrell was the pitcher who got tagged for the infamous loss. Worrell had Jorge Orta in a 0-2 hole, but failed to put him away. Instead he caught too much of the plate which allowed Orta’s ground ball to Jack Clark. Worrell went 0-2 to the next hitter, Steve Balboni, as well. Once again Worrell made an 0-2 mistake and allowed a single to center. Eventually, Worrell fell behind Dane Iorg and gave up another rocket to right to seal the deal. Why not blame Worrell?

During the bottom of the ninth first baseman Jack Clark had a play on a foul pop-up, but misplayed the ball. Clark later admitted it was a play which he should have made. He was still seething from Denkinger’s call a few moments prior. Later in the inning with runners on first and second base, catcher Darrell Porter mishandled a Worrell delivery, causing a passed ball. The runners moved up to second and third, forcing Whitey Herzog to intentionally walk Hal McRae. Why not blame Clark and Porter?

John Tudor, the Cardinal’s ace, pitched well in his first two appearances in the series. In his Game Seven performance though, he couldn’t make it out of the third inning. Tudor walked four and gave up five earned runs, including Darryl Motley’s two run dinger in the second inning. Why not blame Tudor?

Whitey Herzog was the Cardinals’ beloved manager who had turned them into an aggressive base stealing machine. With the game on the line in Game Six, though, Herzog opted for Worrell, a 25 year old rookie who had only 21 big league innings under his belt. He also decided the best option for Game Seven was Tudor making his third start in the Series. Why not blame Herzog?

While the Royals rotation got most of the publicity for the Series, the Cardinals provided a stellar staff. St. Louis had two 20 game winners, Tudor and Joaquin Andujar. Andujar threw 269.2 innings going 21-12 with 112 SO during the regular season.

In Game Three of the World Series though, Andujar couldn’t make it past the fourth inning, giving up four runs on nine hits. This was the only start for Andujar; he didn’t see the field again until Game Seven was already out of reach. Why not blame Andujar?

During the World Series, the Cardinals were without one of their most potent weapons, NL Rookie of the Year Vince Coleman. The speedster swiped 110 bags in the regular season. On an overcast night during the NLCS though, Coleman was nearly swallowed whole by the automatic tarp at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals’ third baseman Terry Pendleton stated, “I was just turning around [when] I heard this scream and the thing just swallowed him up.”

Tito Landrum was responsible for taking over in left field. He hit .360 for the series, but couldn’t provide the spark on the base paths like Coleman could. Why not blame the killer tarp or its operator?

One play, one decision, will never decide a game, or series. Even if fans wanted to point to one play which defined the game, Denkinger’s call wouldn’t be it. Stilley concluded in “Quantifying the Call” Orta’s single caused a 22% swing in WE (win expectancy). According to Baseball Reference using WE, Orta’s single wasn’t even one of the top five most significant plays in the game. The list reads as follows:

1. Iorg’s line drive single to right field for the win.

2. Brian Harper’s single in the eight to give the Cards the lead.

3. Darrell Porter’s passed ball.

4. Jim Sundberg’s sac bunt.

5. Steve Balboni’s single to center in the ninth.

In the end, the life threatening voicemails and letters Cardinals fans provided Denkinger were uncalled for. Since then, the Cardinals have continued their storied baseball history, making nine postseason appearances and relinquishing the title in 2006. The Royals haven’t sniffed the postseason since the I-70 Series. Dwelling on one call 25 years ago is a fruitless endeavor. Cardinals fans should enjoy their past and present successes, while Royals fans deal with ‘The Curse of Don Denkinger.’

I was only a few months old when the I-70 Series happened, but as a baby I was in attendance at a few of the games. Of course I have no memory of the series. I do, however, remember George Brett.

My memories are not from ’85 but from a time when the Royals were still winners. A time when the stadium was always full. A time when having season tickets was something to be proud of. So, instead of a stat-filled recap of Brett’s career, I am going to focus on what I remember of Brett as a player.

For most people under the age of 30, George Brest is best remembered as the raving mad man who rushed onto the field ready to kill someone during the infamous Pine Tar Incident. Everyone remembers that image of George Brett, that image of pure emotion, pure passion for the game, and a pure reaction.

I remember George Brett not as my favorite Royal, but as the guy who went out there and did the same thing every single game. He got the clutch hit, made the hard throw, and just pretty much made the extraordinary look routine every night he took the field. I remember not wondering wether George would get a hit, or holding my breath on the long throw from third, because I always knew he would come through when the team needed it.

I also remember Brett being the guy everyone loved, but at the same time hated. George Brett was the face of the team, the heart of the team and the leader of the team in the fans’ eyes. People knew where he lived, where he ate, who he hung out with. His life and personality were always a topic of conversation. Every company wanted George Brett to have their product in his hands.

George Brett was, and still is, the Kansas City Royals. He is the face of that team, the I-70 Series and all things Kansas City, and that in my mind is the biggest stat from the I-70 Series.

George did exactly what everyone expected him to do in 1985. He tore the cover off the ball in the regular season, blasting 30 home runs; he became the MVP of the 1985 American League Championship Series; and he drove the ball all over the field in the World Series, including a four-hit performance in Game 7. He truly lived up to the legend.

George Brett will forever be remembered for that magical Fall 25 years ago when he led the Royals to a world championship.