The Royals and Giants are gearing up to meet in Game 1 of the World Series, but before first pitch, let’s take a look back at some of the more momentous occasions in the Fall Classic.
1980 World Series - Game 5
In 1980, the Philadelphia Phillies, in the midst of a 97-year title drought, faced the Royals, who needed just 11 seasons to reach their first Fall Classic. Scarred Philly fans must have thought the sky was falling as KC raced back to tie the series at two games a piece after dropping the first two games in Philadelphia. That set up a crucial Game 5, and KC were just three outs away from heading back to Philadelphia with the 3-2 series advantage. Their esteemed All-Star fireman, Dan Quisenberry had entered the game in the seventh inning, (as closers frequently did back then), and put up two scoreless innings as the Royals held on to a slim 2-1 lead. In the top of the ninth inning, future Hall-of-Famer Mike Schmidt led off with a single. Phills manager, Dallas Green, sent in Del Unser to pinch-hit, and he lined a double down the right field line that knocked in Schmidt to tie the game. Two batters later with Unser now on third, Manny Trillo lined a comebacker off the glove of Quisenberry putting Philly ahead for good. Two days later, Steve Carlton shut down the Royals lineup and the Phillies had that elusive title at the expense of the Royals. Scroll to 1:52:45 – note the clip contains the entire ballgame – for the start of the top of the ninth inning.
1985 World Series - Game 6
The St Louis manager, Whitey Herzog, had won a World Series title in 1982, and three years later his Cardinals were back to try and make it two rings in four years. The Cards were leading the series 3-2 and up 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning in KC. Todd Worrell was on the mound to try and close out the Royals when pinch-hitter Jorge Orta stepped to the plate and hit a bouncer down to Jack Clark at first. Worrell raced to cover the bag and appeared to take the toss in time to get Orta, but umpire Don Denkinger called him safe, much to the ire of Herzog, Clark, and everyone on the east side of I-70. With a lead-off runner on, current San Francisco Giants advanced scout, “Bye Bye” Steve Balboni was the next batter - he popped up on the right side, but Clark, a converted outfielder couldn’t make the catch in foul ground. Balboni made the most of his second chance, lining a single to left - two on, nobody out. After a sac-bunt, and a passed ball, Herzog intentionally walked Hal McRae to load the bases. Dane Org hit a blooper to right – Onix Concepción came around to tie it up, then Jim Sunberg was safe on a play at the plate, beating Andy Van Slyke’s throw. The Royals had won 2-1, setting up a Game 7.
Meanwhile, Don Denkinger had made history with the blown call that set it all up, and not the good kind. Some 29 years later, the Royals are back in the World Series, and that means Denkinger is once again a very popular man, a situation the retired ump doesn’t seem to mind at all.
1985 World Series - Game 7
The next night, Denkinger moved over to umpire behind home plate, which had to be something of an omen for the Royals. With one on and one out in the bottom of the second inning, Darryl Motley took John Tudor deep putting the Royals up 2-0. KC piled it on from there, winning 11-0 behind a complete game shutout from Bret Saberhagen. Sixteen years after entering the American League, the Kansas City Royals had their first World Series title, and even better, it arrived at the expense of the St Louis Cardinals. It was a moment they’d have no other choice but to relish for a very long time – it took 29 years for the franchise to return to the World Series.
1962 World Series - Game 7
The Giants and Yankees had played in six prior World Series but this was the first one with games outside of the Bronx and Manhattan. Five years after leaving the Polo Grounds, the Giants were down a run in Game 7 at Candlestick Park, and Yanks starter Ralph Terry was still on the hill in the bottom of the ninth inning. Matty Alou led off with a drag bunt base hit, but then his brother Felipe struck out, as did Chuck Hiller. That brought up Willie Mays with two outs and the series on the line. The Say Hey Kid lined an opposite field double that sent Alou to third. That brought out Yankees manager Ralph Houk for a chat. Would he remove his starter? Terry had allowed two hits in the inning, but just four all day and he stuck with him, something that would never happen today. Next decision, pitch to Willie McCovey, who had tripled off of him earlier, or walk him and face another future Hall-of-Famer and power threat in Orlando Cepeda? Either way was trouble, but they decided to pitch to McCovey. On an 0-1 pitch, McCovey ripped a rope straight at second baseman Bobby Richardson who saved himself by making the catch. Ball game over. Series over. It would be 27 years before the Giants returned to the Fall Classic.
2002 World Series - Game 5
This was a game the Giants needed, and indeed won, in a blowout, 16-4 to take a 3-2 World Series lead over the Anaheim Angels. Still, it wasn’t without one of the more memorable moments in World Series history. In the bottom of the 7th in San Francisco, runners were in second and third when Kenny Lofton ripped a ball off of the wall in right field. JT Snow came around to score. As David Bell headed home, three-year-old Darren Baker, a bat boy and the son of Giants manager Dusty Baker, had wandered over to the plate to retrieve the bat of Lofton, his favourite player. Snow had the presence of mind to lift him out of harms way, avoiding a potentially dangerous collision. As for the rest of the 2002 World Series, well, the Barry Bonds/Jeff Kent lead Giants went on to blow a 5-1, seventh-inning lead in Game Six, before losing in Game 7 as the Angels won their first and only title. San Francisco were still looking for that elusive World Series title in the Bay Area.
2010 World Series - Game 5
This was a moment Giants fans had been waiting for for a very long time. Brian Wilson, on the mound, facing Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, protecting a 3-1 lead in Game 5 of the 2010 World Series. San Francisco, without a title since 1954, since Gotham, needed just one more out. A day earlier, Madison Bumgarner had thrown eight shutout innings to help his team to the brink of their first West Coast title. Then Tim Lincecum followed that performance by allowing just a single run over eight innings. Edgar Rentería hit a three-run shot to give the Giants the lead in the seventh inning. Now it was just Wilson, the enigmatic closer, and the Rangers slugger. The Beard reared back and threw a 90mph fastball by Cruz, and San Francisco had that elusive World Series title. Two years later they did it again. Now in 2014 they’re back, looking for a third World Series ring in five seasons and a modern sporting dynasty.
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