Last week, Michael Metzger took us back to Game 7 of the 1987 World Series with his article, The Other Game 7. It was truly an amazing game that had more plot twists than a Dan Brown novel. With the 25th anniversary coverage of the 1985 World Series last month, that leaves just one more Game 7 for the Cardinals in the Whitey Herzog era. That would be October 20, 1982: The Other Other Game 7.

Getting There

Even though they had the best record in the National League East in the strike shortened 1981 season, not everybody was convinced that the St. Louis Cardinals had the pieces in place to win the division in 1982. Cardinals fans were still upset over the sequence of events that brought Darrell Porter to St. Louis and sent long time favorite Ted Simmons to Milwaukee. There were also questions about where the production lost in the Garry Templeton for Ozzie Smith trade was going to come from. We did have Bruce Sutter, Bob Forsch and Joaquin Andujar, but Steve Mura, John Stuper and Dave LaPoint didn’t seem like the back end of a championship rotation. To make things more interesting, nobody on the Cardinals roster had career years, although Bruce Sutter, George Hendrick and Keith Hernandez were certainly very productive.

If there was a surprise, it was Lonnie Smith. He was just what manager Whitey Herzog needed at the top of the order – a good hitter with speed. A catalyst – the archetype of a Whitey Ball player. He would not be enough though, as the final piece fell into place when David Green, recently obtained in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, went down with an injury. A young speedster named Willie McGee was called up to fill in for Green. As Brock had done in June 1964, McGee turbocharged this lineup and transformation to Herzog’s “running rabbits” was complete.

A huge winning streak at the start of the season gave the Cardinals some separation from their chief competition, the Philadelphia Phillies. The two teams would battle all summer for the NL East championship. Another well timed winning streak in September proved to be too much for the Phils, and the Cardinals cruised to their first division title since the league adopted the format in 1969. Step one complete.

There was another roadblock to the date with Game 7 – the Atlanta Braves. The Braves, behind NL MVP Dale Murphy, won the NL West division on the last game of the season. This would be their second trip to the playoffs and were the slight underdog to Herzog’s Cardinals. But in a short series, anything can happen. And it did.

The original Game 1 was interrupted by rain at a most fortunate time for the Cardinals. Trailing 1-0, the game was just a few outs from being an official game before umpires called it. A do-over. In the second Game 1, Bob Forsch cruised to an easy win, throwing a complete game 3 hit shutout in the 7-0 victory. Game 2 was a nail biter and would go down to the wire. Newcomer Darrell Porter proved to be the hero with an important RBI double in the middle of the game, followed by scoring the tying run a few innings later. Ken Oberkfell would send the huge St. Louis crowd home delirious with a walk off single after some well executed small-ball. The series would briefly move to Atlanta as the Cardinals jumped out to an early lead in the clincher and never looked back. A sweep of the NL West Champs sent the Cardinals to the World Series.

Meet the Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers were the exact opposite of the St. Louis Cardinals. Where the Cardinals were like a military band marching in precision, the Brewers looked like they just rolled out of a bar at closing time. The Cardinals ran, the Brewers slugged. The Cardinals played excellent defense all around the field. The Brewers slugged. What the two teams had in common were their closers – Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter, but Fingers would not be available for the World Series due to an injury. It was hoped that he would be able to return some time in the series, but that never happened, and the Brewers played with one less pitcher on their roster.

Herzog’s Cardinals were just supposed to be a speed bump on the Brewers path to immortality. When the Brewers opened the series with a 17 hit 10 run attack, it looked like that might be the way the series would go. Mike Caldwell did to the Cardinals what Bob Forsch had just done to the Braves – a demoralizing 3 hit shutout.

The Brewers jumped out to a quick lead in Game 2, but the intrepid Cardinals kept clawing their way back. An 8th inning run proved to be the difference in the game as the Cards tied the series.

Now, off to Milwaukee.

Thanks Ted

Game 3 was the coming out party for Willie McGee. He was a one man assault on the Brew Crew. Not only did he hit 2 home runs on the day, but he robbed Gorman Thomas of one with a Jim Edmonds like catch well above the center field fence. If that wasn’t enough, he made one of the most amazing diving catches, saving another run and preventing a possible rally. As good as McGee was, Andujar was better. He was throwing darts at the Brewers bats, and other than a couple of McGee gems, they weren’t hitting him. Until ex-Cardinal Ted Simmons comes to the plate in the 7th inning and lines the ball off Andujar’s right leg. Andujar had to be helped off the field and by all reports, was done for the series. The Cardinals held on for the win, but the heart and soul of the team just died. Or so we thought.

The next two games would reinforce that belief. The Brewers would get to Bob Forsch and Dave LaPoint in the next two games and take a 3-2 lead in the series.

Stuperman

Game 6 – the first elimination game. It was a cold and rainy night in St. Louis. The temperatures would quickly drop into the 30s – it was just a brutal night for baseball. Whitey Herzog gave the ball to rookie John Stuper, but all hands were on deck in case there was trouble. Through two long rain delays, Stuper was magnificent. He took a 1 hitter into the 9th inning while his teammates chewed up the Brewers bullpen to the tune of a 13-1 laugher. The young rookie right-hander may have just saved the World World Series.

The Other Other Game 7

To everybody’s surprise, Joaquin Andujar was announced as the Cardinals starting pitcher. Just a few days earlier, he had to be helped off the field. We’d last seen him standing on crutches with a huge bandage wrapping his knee. Now he’s standing in front of a sellout crowd at Busch Stadium in the biggest game of the season. His opponent would be former Cardinal, Pete Vukovich, who looked like he had slept in his uniform. Andujar was elegant, Vukovich unkempt. Andujar threw fastballs. Vukovich threw junk. The differences between these two couldn’t be greater.

Watching Andujar warm up, it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t right. He was landing gently, unable to put all of his weight on his right leg. He would throw across his body awkwardly. None of that seemed to matter though as Andujar, pitching on pure adrenaline, retired the first 9 men he faced. On the other side of the diamond, Vukovich was in trouble all night, throwing high pressure pitch after high pressure pitch. One of these two were about to crumble – we just didn’t know which one.

At first it looked to be Andujar. The second time through the order, the Brewers started a rally. Paul Molitor led off the fourth inning with a sharp single to right field. Robin Yount followed that with a slow ground ball to Ken Oberkfell at third base. Molitor was forced at second, but Yount easily beat the throw at first. Andujar was really struggling at this point in the inning. Cecil Cooper then dribbled a single to right field.

The Turning Point

What happens next will determine the winner of the 1982 World Series. On the Cooper single, the speedy Yount tried to take third base. George Hendrick, a vastly underrated defensive player, comes up firing and throws a strike to Ken Oberkfell. Oberkfell does his part by blocking off third base. The throw beats Yount and Oberfell makes the easy tag for the second out of the inning. If you know anything about Joaquin Andujar, you can guess what happens next. That is exactly the kind of play that can get Andujar back into the game, and it does just that. He throws two more pitches in the inning as Ted Simmons pops out. Brewers rally finished – momentum swing in the Cardinals direction.

As if scripted, the Cardinals would finally break through in the bottom of the fourth inning. Just moments after the run saving throw from Hendrick, the bottom of the order gets to Vukovich. A single by Lonnie Smith gives the Cardinals a 1-0 lead, and the hometown crowd is ecstatic. They fail to extend the inning though as Vukovich toughens.

Ben Oglivie would tie the game in the fifth inning with a long long long leadoff home run. Gorman Thomas nearly left the park with a long fly to the warning track that gave Lonnie Smith all sorts of trouble. Two ground balls end the inning without any further damage. Vukovich follows that with his best inning of the game so far, retiring the Cardinals with very little drama.

Andujar would get himself into a world of trouble in the sixth inning. A leadoff double sets up a disastrous sacrifice bunt that Andujar throws away. That allows Jim Gantner to score easily, plus put Paul Molitor into scoring position. A single and sacrifice fly would give the Brewers a 3-1 lead. It would also get the Cardinals bullpen busy. Andujar would close out the inning without any more trouble. There are now just 12 outs remaining and the Cards had a 2 run deficit.

Vukovich’s flirting with danger would finally get the best of him in the bottom of the inning. A one out single by Ozzie Smith followed by a double by Lonnie Smith set up the Cardinals best scoring opportunity of the game. Lefty Bob McClure replaces Vukovich and gets into trouble of his own. He walks pinch hitter Gene Tenace to load the bases. Mike Ramsey then runs for Tenace, putting good speed on the bases. On his 29th birthday, Keith Hernandez singles, scoring the 2 Smith’s. Silent George Hendrick follows that with a single, scoring Ramsey with what would turn out to be the game winning RBI.

With a slim 4-3 lead, Herzog stays with Andujar for the seventh inning, hoping he can get one more inning out of the right-hander. If so, he can turn the game over to Sutter – the best closer in baseball. Doug Bair and Jim Kaat are warming up, just in case. Andujar strikes out the dangerous Gorman Thomas, but the next batter silences the huge crowd. Roy Howell hits a towering shot to left field that totally fools Lonnie Smith. He breaks the wrong direction, turns the wrong way on the warning track, but somehow leaps at the very last second to catch the ball. Smith did absolutely everything wrong in the making that play, except he made the catch. 50,000+ fans in St. Louis exhaled in unison. A single by Charlie Moore sets up the Brewers last chance. Jim Gantner lines an Andujar pitch up the middle, but the “One Mean Dominican” snags it for a brilliant defensive play. He throws a 90 mile per hour strike to Keith Hernandez for the last out in the inning. Andujar knew he was done for the night, and being Andujar, wanted to go out with a flourish. Gantner takes exception to the showmanship and pleasantries were exchanged. Each of the players indicated that the other was #1 in their heart too, or something like that. Home plate umpire Lee Weyer quickly got in between the two players to prevent any unnecessary escalation.

That was the last we would hear out of the Brewers in the 1982 season. The Cards would tack on two insurance runs later in the 8th inning, but it was now Sutter’s game and he did not disappoint. The bearded one would face just six batters and retire them all with nothing leaving the infield. The only Brewer that put up a fight was Gorman Thomas, the last man Sutter would face. He worked the count full and then fouled off a number of pitches. That’s when Sutter would get the big man to swing at an outside fastball and miss.

The sight of Darrell Porter jumping up, throwing away his catchers mask and running out to hug Bruce Sutter is one of the greatest images in Cardinals history. Game 7 of the 1982 World Series was really one for the ages. An unexpected pitching performance from Joaquin Andujar, who was not even supposed to be available. George Hendrick’s run saving throw, and then a couple of innings later, driving in the winning run. And Bruce Sutter being Bruce Sutter.

1985 World Series

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals

Game 7 – October 27, 1985

Location: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

Attendance: 41,658

Recap: The Kansas City Royals came back from a 3-1 deficit in the 1985 World Series to win it all, culminating in a dominating 11-0 victory in Game 7. It was a battle of aces – Kansas City’s Bret Saberhagen against the Cardinals’ John Tudor. Both pitchers had been the driving forces of their teams earlier in the series, but in Game 7, only one reigned surpreme. Tudor was knocked out of the game early, giving up five runs in only 2.1 innings, including a second-inning home run to Darryl Motley that ended up being the winning hit. The Cardinals ended up using seven pitchers in the game, one more than the Royals used the entire series. One of those Cardinal pitchers, Joaquin Andujar, was ejected for arguing ball-and-strike calls with home plate umpire Don Denkinger, who made a controversial bad call in Game 6, and St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog also got the boot. Meanwhile, the Royals put up 14 hits on the Cardinals’ weakened pitching staff, including a four-hit game for George Brett. Saberhagen gave up only five hits and threw a complete-game shutout. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Andy Van Slyke smacked a fly ball to right field, and the ball settled in Darryl Motley’s glove, giving the Royals their first and only World Series title.

Line Score:

TEAM R H E

St. Louis 0 5 0

Kansas City 11 14 0

Winning pitcher: Bret Saberhagen

Losing pitcher: John Tudor

Notables: Besides Motley’s second inning home run, only one of the Royals’ hits was for extra bases, a double by Lonnie Smith; Kansas City first baseman Steve Balboni smacked two singles, scored two runs and drove in two RBIs; Motley was 3 for 4 with three RBIs; although Tudor gave up five runs in the first three innings, the real disaster struck for the Cardinals in the fifth, when a multitude of relief pitchers gave up six runs to the Royals; Willie Wilson had two hits, a run, an RBI and a stolen base for KC; no Cardinals batter recorded multiple hits or an extra-base hit; Ken Dayley pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game for St. Louis.

Matt Kelsey is a Royals writer and the content editor for I-70 Baseball. He can be reached at mattkelsey@i70baseball.com.

1985 World Series

Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game 5 – October 24, 1985

Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Mo.

Attendance: 56,634

Recap: A day after John Tudor’s brilliant complete game for the Cardinals, placing Kansas City on the brink of elimination, the Royals bounced back with their own strong pitching performance to stay alive in the series. Danny Jackson threw a five-hit, one-run complete game at Busch Stadium, sending the series back to Kansas City. Offensively, the Royals put up an 11-hit attack led by Willie Wilson, who knocked in two runs and collected two hits, including a triple. Leadoff hitter Lonnie Smith smacked two singles, scored two runs and stole a base. Willie McGee had two hits for the Cardinals, while cleanup hitter Jack Clark drove in St. Louis’ only run.

Line Score:

TEAM R H E

Kansas City 6 1 2

St. Louis 1 5 1

Winning pitcher: Danny Jackson

Losing pitcher: Bob Forsch

Notables: Royals manager Dick Howser shook up the lineup a bit in Game 5, starting Pat Sheridan in right field over Darryl Motley, and Sheridan responded by collecting two hits and an RBI; Buddy Biancalana also had two hits, drove in a run and scored for Kansas City; The Cardinals’ offense received no production from the bottom half of the lineup; St. Louis starter Bob Forsch lasted only 1.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and leaving the game in the hands of the bullpen, and for their part, four relievers (Horton, Campbell, Worrell and Lahti) allowed only two runs the rest of the game; the Cardinals’ pitching staff struck out 15 KC batters, compared to Danny Jackson’s five strikeouts.

Tomorrow: Off day

Tuesday: A recap of Game 6

Matt Kelsey is a Royals writer and the content editor for I-70 Baseball. He can be reached at mattkelsey@i70baseball.com.

Terry Lee (Tito) Landrum was a utility outfielder, born in Joplin, Missouri. I make this point because a lot of visiting sports reporters would get confused between him and teammate David Green. It was tall and muscular Green who was from Nicaragua, not Landrum.

Tito Landrum

Landrum signed with the Cardinals right out of high school in 1972. He progressed slowly through the minor league system, eventually breaking in with the big club in the middle of the 1980 season. He would play well enough to earn a spot as a reserve outfielder in 1981. His playing time went down with the additions of Lonnie Smith and Willie McGee, and Landrum found himself bouncing between Louisville (AAA) and St. Louis before getting a short chance at fame with the Baltimore Orioles in 1983. In the decisive Game Seven of the ALCS, Landrum would hit the game winning home run in the 10th inning, sending Baltimore to the World Series. Baltimore would go on to win the World Series, but Landrum would play sparingly and finish the series without a hit. Regardless, Landrum had his fifteen minutes of fame, or so he thought.

The Cardinals would reacquire Landrum prior the start of the 1984 season. He would get more playing time, subbing at all three outfield positions. He would finish the season with a respectable .272 batting average.

The outfield was very crowded to start the 1985 season, and Landrum would enter it nursing a pretty bad leg injury. When Willie McGee also went down with an injury, Landrum would go on the disabled list to make room for a young speedster named Vince Coleman. Coleman was only supposed to be with the big club for a few days, but as Landrum’s injury took longer to heal, Coleman cemented his position in left field. All of a sudden, the outfield was a lot more crowded.

With Vince Coleman and Willie McGee set in left and center field respectively, manager Whitey Herzog had to figure out what to do with his right field situation. Andy van Slyke was a future Gold Glover, but had a hard time hitting left handed pitching. Lonnie Smith was an offensive catalyst, but his defense could sometimes be an adventure – and those were his good days. This was all resolved when Lonnie Smith was traded to the Kansas City Royals, leaving Landrum and van Slyke as a platoon pair for the final outfield spot. The right handed hitting Landrum would play against left handed pitching, and the left handed van Slyke would get the bulk of the playing time against right handers.

This arrangement worked out quite well for Herzog as both Landrum and van Slyke played well in their respective roles. Cardinals fans might be surprised to learn that Landrum was actually more productive, hitting for a higher average than van Slyke. What he could not do is play defense like the younger van Slyke, who could produce a highlight reel that would make Jim Edmonds blush.

Things changed for Landrum when the Cardinals acquired Cesar Cedeno at the postseason eligibility deadline on August 29. Cedeno would initially play first base, taking over for the injured Jack Clark. At the same time, Andy van Slyke would get more playing time, even against left handed pitching. Landrum found himself as a late inning pinch hitter, and his batting average finally dipped below .300, finishing at .280 by year’s end.

As well as Cedeno had played down the stretch for the Cardinals, he became the platoon partner for Andy van Slyke in the NLCS instead of Landrum. That is until Game Four, when Vince Coleman would be caught under the automatic tarp system, severely injuring his leg. With Coleman out for the rest of the postseason, Landrum would take over in left field.

Always on base

In his first game, Landrum would go 4-5, all singles. He would also drive in 3 of the Cardinals 12 runs on the evening. Maybe not the speedster at the top of the order, but 4-5 hitting behind Jack Clark and Cesar Cedeno will do very nicely. Landrum would wear the collar in the next game against Fernando Valenzuela, but would steal second base after a late inning walk, putting himself in scoring position for the go ahead run. He would not score, but Ozzie Smith would send the huge crowd back home happy in a few minutes with the now famous “Go Crazy Folks” home run.

In the decisive Game Six, Landrum would collect another hit, but not figure in the scoring. He would finish the NLCS going 6-14 (.429) with 4 RBIs and a stolen base. Only NLCS MVP Ozzie Smith had a higher batting average (.435) than Landrum and only Tommy Herr drove in more runs (6). Not bad for a guy that only expected a few pinch hitting opportunities.

Tito Landrum would come up big again in the World Series, one of the few Cardinals to do so. Off a very tough left hander, Danny Jackson, Landrum would double and score the go-ahead run when Cesar Cedeno would drive him in with a single. Landrum would also get a hit off the nearly unhittable Dan Quisenberry, whose submarine style of delivery was especially tough on right handed batters.

In nearly a replay of Game One, it was a Tito Landrum double off Charlie Liebrandt in the 9th that set up Terry Pendleton’s bases clearing double to give the Cardinals the victory.

Landrum would extend his World Series hitting streak to three games with a single off Bret Saberhagen, one of the few that the Cardinals would get a hit against the eventual World Series MVP. He would extend that to four games when he hit a solo home run off Bud Black in the second inning of Game Four. That run would be the only one the Cardinals needed as John Tudor would pitch a brilliant complete game shutout.

Three Cardinals victories, and it was Landrum that scored the winning run in each of them. Unfortunately for St. Louis, he would not do that again for the rest of the World Series.

Landrum would collect a hit in each of the three remaining games, making him the only Cardinals player to get a hit in each game. He would lead the Cardinals in every offensive category except for RBIs (Jack Clark would have 4). Yes, the lineup was completely different without Vince Coleman in the leadoff spot. Willie McGee had a good, but not great World Series. The problem was that most of the rest of the batting order was one or two positions out of their regular spot, and they were never able to get in sync against the tough Royals pitching. Even though he had been thrust into the spotlight without much warning, Tito Landrum was the best player on the Cardinals roster for the last two weeks of the 1985 season. In a losing effort, the kid from Joplin should be remembered as the Cardinals’ Most Valuable Player.

Bob Netherton covers Cardinals history for i70baseball.com and writes at Throatwarbler’s Blog. You may follow Bob on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

1985 World Series

Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game 3 – October 22, 1985

Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Mo.

Attendance: 56,634

Recap: The Cardinals went into Game 3 with a 2-0 advantage and the opportunity to play three straight in front of a home crowd, but Game 3 was all Kansas City. Bret Saberhagen was brilliant, throwing a complete-game six-hitter and giving up just one run. On the other side of the ball, Joaquin Andujar fell apart and was lifted after just four innings of work. The Cardinals’ bullpen was no help, either. Offensively, the Royals got a boost from cleanup hitter Frank White, who went two for four with three RBIs and the series’ first home run.

Line Score:

TEAM R H E

Kansas City 6 11 0

St. Louis 1 6 0

Winning pitcher: Bret Saberhagen

Losing pitcher: Joaquin Andujar

Notables: Saberhagen struck out 8 and allowed only one walk, while the Cardinals’ pitching staff struck out 8 and allowed 8 walks; no Cardinals batter had more than one hit; Jack Clark knocked in the Cards’ RBI; on the Kansas City side, White, Lonnie Smith, Willie Wilson, George Brett and Buddy Biancalana had two-hit games.

Tomorrow: A recap of Game 4.

Matt Kelsey is a Royals writer and the content editor for I-70 Baseball. He can be reached at mattkelsey@i70baseball.com.

1985 World Series

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals

Game 2 – October 20, 1985

Location: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

Attendance: 41,656

Recap: For the second game in a row, the Royals put up more hits than the Cardinals, but could not find a way to win. Despite a three-hit performance including two doubles from Royals cleanup hitter Frank White and multi-hit games from Lonnie Smith and Willie Wilson, the Cardinals racked up hits in big situations. Tito Landrum had a second consecutive two-hit game, and Terry Pendleton drove in three runs. Just like in Game 1, the Royals’ starting pitcher outlasted the Cardinals’, with Charlie Liebrandt throwing 8.2 innings versus Danny Cox’s 7. The Cards also benefited from a shut-down bullpen; Ken Dayley, who recorded the win, and Jeff Lahti each threw one scoreless inning.

Line Score:

TEAM R H E

St. Louis 4 6 0

Kansas City 2 9 0

Winning pitcher: Ken Dayley

Losing pitcher: Charlie Leibrandt

Save: Jeff Lahti

Notables: Outside of the first four hitters in the Royals’ lineup, only No. 7 hitter Steve Balboni recorded a hit for Kansas City; Frank White and Willie Wilson recorded stolen bases for KC.

Thursday: A recap of Game 3.

Matt Kelsey is a Royals writer and the content editor for I-70 Baseball. He can be reached at mattkelsey@i70baseball.com.

Going into the 1985 World Series, the Kansas City Royals knew they were the underdogs. Their pitching staff, although successful, was much less established than their opponent, the 101-game winning St. Louis Cardinals. And their offense seemed to be several notches below. In fact, the Royals finished second-to-last in batting in the American League in 1985.

And since this series was the last where the designated hitter was not used, even in American League parks, one of the team’s most powerful hitters, Hal McRae, was rendered a bench player.

But they did have a few potent weapons left, most noticeably a ballplayer who many already acknowledged as one of the greatest of his generation: third baseman George Brett.

Here’s a look at the starting lineup for the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the 1985 World Series – 25 years ago today:

1. Lonnie Smith, LF

A former Cardinal, Lonnie Smith was an effective leadoff hitter for KC, batting .257 over 120 games in 1985 and picking up 40 stolen bases. His speed at the top of the lineup, though, was overshadowed by the Royals’ No. 2 hitter…

2. Willie Wilson, CF

Many debates have been held over who was the faster Willie in the 1985 World Series: Cardinals center fielder Willie McGee or Royals center fielder Willie Wilson. For his part, Wilson played 141 games for the Royals in ’85 and batted .278, although he had scant power numbers for a No. 2 hitter with only four home runs. He made up for it with his wheels, though, collecting 43 stolen bases and a league-leading 21 triples.

3. George Brett, 3B

For nearly two decades, Brett was the most feared hitter in the Royals’ lineup, and 1985 was no exception. His .335 batting average was best on the team, and he blasted 30 home runs – a career high. He also led the majors with a .585 slugging percentage.

4. Frank White, 2B

Manager Dick Howser made the bold decision to bat Frank White in the cleanup spot in the ’85 Series, a decision that would pay off. During the regular season, White, a perennial Gold Glove second baseman, hit 22 home runs – like Brett, a career high – but batted only .249. Although not as fast, White was an asset on the basepaths, stealing 10 in the regular season.

5. Jim Sundberg, C

The Royals signed this veteran catcher to mentor a young pitching staff prior to the ’85 season, and it paid off. Sundberg proved to be a reliable backstop, and batted .245 with 10 home runs in the regular season. He was also a critical offensive and defensive force in the playoffs.

6. Darryl Motley, RF

Motley became most well-known for his World Series heroics in Game 7, but he held down a corner outfield spot for the Royals in 122 regular season games despite a measly .222 batting average. He did contribute 17 home runs, though.

7. Steve Balboni, 1B

The guy who hit more home runs in a single season for the Royals than anybody else in the history of the team, before or since, was batting aaaaaaaaall the way down in the seven-hole for the ’85 Royals. Balboni blasted 36 round-trippers for Kansas City in ’85, and his batting average of .243 was well above his career average. Balboni played in 160 games for KC in 1985, more than any player on the team – even George Brett.

8. Buddy Biancalana, SS

The Royals’ starting shortstop in the 1985 World Series was quite literally a joke – late-night host David Letterman frequently quipped about Buddy Biancalana’s light-hitting ways in 1985. Although Onix Concepcion played 131 games at shortstop during the regular season, Biancalana got the call to start at shortstop in the World Series. During the regular season, he batted a mere .188 over 81 games, mostly as a defensive replacement and utility player.

9. Danny Jackson, P

We’ll delve into the pitching staff tomorrow on I-70 Baseball.

Bench: Pat Sheridan, Lynn Jones, Jorge Orta, Hal McRae, Onix Concepcion, Dane Iorg, John Wathan, Greg Prior

Orta’s role in the 1985 World Series has become legendary, and we’ll explore it more later. In the regular season, he managed to play in 100 games, but was relegated to the bench for the playoffs. McRae batted .259 with 14 home runs out of the DH role. Wathan, later the Royals’ manager, was the primary backup catcher behind Sundberg.

Tomorrow: A look at the Royals’ pitching staff in 1985.

Matt Kelsey is a Royals writer and the content editor for I-70 Baseball. He can be reached at mattkelsey@i70baseball.com.

Matt Wilson of BaseballDigest.com contributed to this report.

It had been three years since the Whitey Herzog managed Cardinals shocked the baseball world by beating the seemingly invincible Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series and St. Louis was once again in the postseason. While those ’82 Cardinals were labeled as the Running Rabbits, they were a balanced lineup compared to what Herzog had to work with in 1985.

Upgrades, Downgrades and Stuff We Don’t Want to Talk About

The once dependable position of catcher turned into a huge liability for the 1985 Cardinals. Injuries and declining offensive production from the hero of 1982, Darrell Porter, gave rookie Tom Nieto an opportunity. He’d been impressive in a pair of call-ups in 1984, showing off a good bat to go along with some stellar defense. He became the number 2 catcher when Glenn Brummer was released at the end of the season, perhaps in fear that he might start stealing bases again. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, neither Nieto’s bat, glove, nor arm showed up for most of 1985, leaving a rather unproductive platoon situation at catcher.

Leaving under somewhat of a black cloud in a trade that ranks among the worst in Cardinals history, the Cardinals had lost one of their stars when Keith Hernandez was traded to the Mets for Neil Allen. A former NL MVP and perennial Gold Glove winner, Hernandez was one of the best at his position, playing exceptional defense to go along with some of the best gap-to-gap hitting in the major leagues. George Hendrick had initially taken over for Hernandez and played well, but started showing signs that his best years were behind him. In the spirit of Branch Rickey’s motto, “Always trade a player a year too soon, rather than a year too late” , Hendrick would be traded to Pittsburgh for a left handed starter named John Tudor – more on him later. Prior to the start of the 1985 season, the Cardinals made a blockbuster deal with the San Francisco Giants, sending four players for the slugging first baseman, Jack Clark. Just as with Orlando Cepeda nearly two decades earlier, Clark had been bitten by the injury bug that caused him to wear out his welcome in San Francisco. And like Cepeda, when healthy he became an offensive juggernaut in St. Louis, driving in runs at a frightening pace. Injuries would interrupt all three seasons Clark was in St. Louis, but in two of them (85, 87) he still managed MVP caliber performances.

A young switch hitting Terry Pendleton was the new third baseman but had yet to match Ken Oberkfell’s offensive production. He would prove his worth many times in 1987, and several more times with the Atlanta Braves, but in 1985, Pendleton was a young man learning how to play in the majors. He played well, but not as well as his predecessor.

A youngster named Andy van Slyke was the new right fielder, and while a defensive star, his offensive numbers were a big step down from the former right fielder, George Hendrick. He would eventually wear out his welcome in St. Louis and be shipped off to Pittsburgh for key piece to the ’87 championship team, catcher Tony Pena.

There were a few notable upgrades though.

If Lonnie Smith had been a catalyst at the top of the 1982 batting order, Vince Coleman was a herd of charging buffalo. Even though he was a light hitter and susceptible to striking out, when he did get on base exciting things happened. And generally very quickly. Coleman’s 110 stolen bases terrorized pitchers and catchers throughout the National League and led to a Cardinals trademark of scoring a first inning run without the benefit of a hit. The top of the lineup featuring Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, Tommy Herr and Jack Clark gave many pitchers in the National League the yips.

The other notable improvement was in the pitching staff, both starters and the bullpen. With two 21 game winners at the top of the rotation, and Danny Cox not far behind with 18 wins, the Cardinals seemed well equipped to play a short series but unlikely to be able to withstand the tests of a long season. What seemed like a liability when the season started, suddenly became one of the most feared bullpens when Todd Worrell was called up just prior to the postseason eligibility deadline. The hard throwing Worrell would complement one of the best lefties in the game, Ken Dayley.

The Cardinals had battled the heavily favored New York Mets all season long. Thanks to the amazing 19-1 turnaround from John Tudor, the Cards outlasted the rivals from New York and won the division by 3 games with an unbelievable record of 101-61. Thanks to the season long fight, this Cardinals team learned how to win – in every way imaginable. That would come in handy as the Cardinals were about to face the biggest adversity of the season, if not the decade.

A Rough Start

In the National League Championship Series, just expanded to a best of seven format, the Cardinals would face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even though the Cardinals had won 6 more games than the boys from Hollywood, the Dodgers were heavily favored in the series. The Cardinals were supposed to be just a speed bump on the Dodger’s road to the World Series.

As the series opened in Los Angeles, it appeared that the experts might be right. The Dodgers won the first two games rather convincingly. Both Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser seemed to be invincible, and their bullpen didn’t even break a sweat.

The series moved to Busch Stadium and the Cardinals hung on to win game 3. The Cardinals got to Bob Welch early and a combination of Danny Cox, Rick Horton, Todd Worrell and Ken Dayley kept the Dodgers at bay.

This brings us to a Sunday night game on October 13, 1985. Every one of the 53,000 in attendance knew the importance of this game. A win and the series is tied. A loss with as many as two games to be played in Los Angeles would be a very difficult hill to climb. It was now or never time for the Cardinals.

Before the game even started, things took a turn for the worse. No, not worse – the unthinkable. A light rain had started falling and a decision was made to cover the field to keep the infield dry. Vince Coleman failed to notice the automatic tarp rolling onto the field and one of his legs got caught underneath the heavy roll of tarp and machinery. He would suffer a badly bruised leg to go with a chipped bone and would spend the rest of the playoffs on crutches, supporting the team from the dugout.

That hill the Cardinals needed to climb just got a lot higher.

The Rough Inning

When the game finally started, Whitey Herzog would call on John Tudor to turn things around for the Cardinals. Even though he had taken the the loss in Game 1, the lefty had pitched well and there was no reason to think he would not be able to do so again tonight. In the first of a series of questionable managerial decisions from Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers would counter with former Cardinal and St. Louis native, Jerry Reuss. Reuss had some success in Los Angeles, and while not a top of the rotation guy, he was a solid fourth starter.

Cardinal fans were way more engaged in this game, and it suddenly had less to do with it being the pivotal game in the series. Expectations had been high when Reuss broke in with the the Cardinals in 1970. The tall blonde lefty had been a star in high school and had become an ace at AAA Tulsa. His fortunes with the Cardinals were much different as moments of brilliance were overshadowed by struggles with the strike zone. We had hoped for a second Steve Carlton, but instead got a right handed Mike Torrez. As Reuss enjoyed success with the Pirates and Dodgers, our desire to see the Cardinals beat him increased. Since this was the 17th season for Reuss, there was a lot of pent-up frustration that needed to be released. Throw in a bit of “Win one for the Vincer” and you now have the makings of a huge game.

The Cardinals would erupt in the second inning, one of their most productive in postseason history. After a scoreless first inning, Jack Clark and super sub Cesar Cedeno would lead off the home half of the second inning with singles. Tito Landrum, filling in for the injured Vince Coleman, would single Clark home. The Dodgers made a huge defensive error in letting Pedro Guerrero’s throw go to the plate as it allowed both Cedeno and Landrum to take the extra base. That turned out to be significant when Terry Pendleton grounds out to second base in what would have been an easy double play. The Dodgers only had one play, retiring Pendleton at first, and the Cardinals would score their second run of the inning.

Next up is the light hitting Tom Nieto and he would walk in front of ninth place hitter John Tudor. The Dodgers hoped for an inning ending double play and an end to the rally, but instead dug themselves into a deep deep hole. The Cardinals sensed that this was an opportunity to break the game wide open. Forget the Ozzie Smith “go crazy folks” home run in game five and the three run Jack Clark bomb to win the series in game six, what happened next was the play of the series.

It was not if, but when would Herzog would put on the squeeze play. Aggressive base running is what got the Cardinals this far, and it would have to carry them to the World Series. Everybody in the stadium knew it was coming. The Dodgers were certainly expecting it. Everyone except Reuss. With Landrum running from third, Tudor lays down the bunt and Reuss is unable to field it and everybody was safe. The Cardinals had a three run lead, had been given yet another out, and the Dodgers were clearly rattled. This is when the Cardinals really poured it on, ending the post season career of Jerry Reuss.

In a rare productive out, leadoff hitter Willie McGee would hit an opposite field line drive which would allow Tom Nieto to move up to third base. That turned out to be important as Ozzie Smith followed that with a ground ball deep in the hole at short which scored Nieto. Tommy Herr followed that with a single, scoring Tudor. That would be all for Reuss and the Cardinals fans gave him a sarcastic ovation as he left the field.

Future Cardinal Rick Honeycutt would come in to try to end the rally. Honeycutt was the fifth starter who was sort of an odd man out in a short series. He would face four hitters and fail to retire any of them. Jack Clark would single, Cesar Cedeno would walk, and both Tito Landrum and Terry Pendleton would get their second RBIs of the inning with singles. Both Landrum and Clark were 2-2 in the inning. Tommy Lasorda would go to his third pitcher of the inning, the right hander Bobby Castillo. With a blowout in the making, Castillo was going to be in the game for a long time so that the Dodgers didn’t wear out their bullpen in case they were needed tomorrow afternoon for Game 5. Castillo finally gets the last out by striking out Tom Nieto to end the inning, but not before the Cardinals had a 9-0 lead. With John Tudor pitching, it might as well have been 200-0.

John Tudor did not disappoint as he pitched seven strong innings, allowing just three hits. The lone blemish was a meaningless home run by Bill Madlock to lead off the seventh inning. Tudor would be lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh, saving him for a possible return in game seven, if needed. Rick Horton and Bill Campbell each pitched an inning to seal the 12-2 victory, and the once over-matched Cardinals were beginning to look like National League champions. That would come later with two dramatic late inning home runs, but Cardinal fans knew that with this victory, the series was all but over.

Bob Netherton covers Cardinals history for i70baseball.com and writes at Throatwarbler’s Blog. You may follow Bob on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

The hottest 3 songs in 1985. Can you name them?

• Finished 1st in AL West (91-71), Manager Dick Howser (Scored 687 runs, Allowed 639 runs)
• Attendance: 2,162,717 (5th of 14)
• Post season: Won World Series (4-3) over St. Louis Cardinals
  Won AL Championship Series (4-3) over Toronto Blue Jays

And how did the Royals do on this July 12, 1985 day? Well, they lost 4-5 with the winning run scored with two outs. The losing pitcher was Dan Quisenberry who would later go on to face the toughest battle anyone could face, cancer. The winning pitcher was Tom Waddell. Lonnie Smith LF, George Brett 3B, Darryl Motley RF-LF and Frank White 2B, who hit a home run, scored the four runs.

Flash forward to 2010?

1. “California Gurls” …..Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg
2. “Airplanes” …..B.oB. Featuring Hayley Williams
3. “OMG” …..Usher Featuring will.i.am

And the 2010 Royals? Well, here are the current numbers as we head to the All Star break…

• 4th in AL Central, 8 Games Back, Manager Ned Yost who took the helm in May
• Attendance to date: 809,464

The 2010 Royals have some great young talent and it’ll be interesting to watch them develop more after the break. We don’t have a George Brett or Dan Quisenberry. We do have a David DeJesus and Zack Greinke.