RIP Don Denkinger
 

One of the greatest American heroes of all time. You will be missed big fella.




https://blogger.googleusercontent.co.../denkinger.png
Former American League umpire Don Denkinger, whose 30-year career in the AL spanned from 1969 through 1998, has died age 86

https://www.closecallsports.com/2023...es-at.html?m=1

RIP Old person i've never heard of.

Who?

He's out!

Only about 38 years too late...

Seriously?

Well, this time....

Ring

Of

Honor

Dead serious.

He always called it the way he saw it. RIP big Don.

He’s one of the most influentls people of the 20th Century

He needs a statue right next to the George Brett statue.

RIP

cardinal fans across the country rejoice.

2 words: Jack Clark (eat s**t)

Jeff Triplette's godfather

outstanding citizened STL harder than Stan Kroenke

We would’ve won anyway, but thanks Don! Rest in peace.

Are we considering an RIP sub forum yet? Or at least limiting them to romper unless somehow affiliated with KC the forum or the Chiefs?

Is he in the Hall of Fame? If not, he should be.

He is affiliated with KC, you doofus

Now scram

All these years later and St Louis can still suck it.

One of the MVPs of the 1985 WS.

Along with jack clark

SAFE!

He's dead to me now

6th game 1985 World Series.

RIP

Suck it Cards.

It's just the truth.

**** all things STL

worse Umpire ever.

Just rewatched with my kids. So much awesome.

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That’s ancient history. You guys got another WS, we got 2 since then. Move on geeezzz.:shake:

Angel Hernandez would like to enter the chat.

A great man

May he rip

My dad went to Game 6 of the 1985 World Series.

I have a program, ticket stub, parking pass and beer cup from the game.

I told my dad when he gave it to me i was going to burn it. :)

RIP Cards WS chances. /dude who got tagged out at 3rd

This is why I'm not an umpire

This.

This.

Never.

Pretty sure other people die, too.

Yet Gene Steratore lives

He was from Iowa and lived in Des Moines... and **** the Cards, they could have won game 7 but got crushed 11-0 and then broke toilets... RIP Don...

I miss baseball.

I miss the roid era.

A great man made the right call he was safe. RIP

Don Denkinger did blow the Jorge Orta call at first base.

HOWEVER, the Cardinals also showed they were a weak-minded team that didn't deserve a title. The Cardinals had EVERY chance to still win the game. The blown call with Orta only put the leadoff runner at first, with the Royals still down by one run. Instead of bearing down under pressure, the Cardinals melted down as a TEAM.

After Ortas 'hit,' Card's first baseman Jack Clark dropped what should have been a pop foul out. With another chance, Steve Balboni singled. Then Darrell Porter muffed a pitch. THEN the Cardinals closer Todd Worrell gave up a single that scored two runs for the Royals win.

Oh yeah, Cards right fielder Andy Van Slyke still had a chance to throw out the runner at the plate on a shallow bloop hit and didn't make the throw.

Oh...and if Orta had been called out, instead of TWO runs scoring for a walkoff win, the Royals would have tied the game.

SO, if DEnkinger didnt blow the call, it wouldnt have been a Cardinals win. It would have been a tie game.


The Cardinals showed they werent championship material bc they were still mentally in the tank for game seven and lost 11-0, when they still had a chance to win a World Series.

But, they were a beaten club before the first pitch of game 7 because they couldn't get over game 6.

LOSERS. And any Cardinals fan the whines about it is as unworhty as the loser team they rooted for if they blame Don Denkinger.


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Favorite thing about him is he never missed a single call. 100% accuracy rate

They say Denk had the best vision of any ump in baseball. He had 20/20 vision till his death.

"Looks like he's out."
"From that angle, let's take a look from this one. Oh, yes."
"Foot right on top of the bag..."
"I don't think there's any doubt about it."


Hmmm, I think Don might've missed one there.
So, they don't go back and change the record books, do they?
They don't? :D
Cool.

The Cubs and Royals have more recent ones so who is really clinging to ancient history here?

Don was infamous for exposing Cardinals fans as the true pieces of reeruned shit that they were. He received more death threats than Whitey Herzog who coached his team to an 11-0 ass whooping and was ejected in the process of the deciding game in the series. Yet, Don got more death threats.

Stay classy Cards fans…

Great! Now I have something else I have to worry about. Thanks a lot!:mad:

Denkinger made one of the worst calls in World Series history.

He was the embodiment of why instant replay was instituted.

Having said that, great ball clubs have to overcome bad calls. The Royals won that World Series, not because of Denkinger, but because they imploded in reaction to him.

I love the Cards. But I hate the excuses. Catch the ball, Jack, and this isn't even a discussion.

Or how about showing up for game seven, Andujar. Geez.

I could go on. Fact is Congrats KC. You won a WS.

But the one in 15 was cooler :evil:

IMO, Denkinger missed the call because the toss from Jack Clark to Worrell was awkwardly high and Worrell having to reach for it caused Denkinger to watch the catch instead of watching foot on bag and after seeing catch and then looking for foot on bag, Orta had touched bag by then.

If Jack Clark had not made such a clumsy ass toss to Worrell, Denkinger would have gotten it right.

Orta was thrown out at 3B anyway on a failed sac bunt.

The only out The Loo recorded that inning

That's just BFIB (Biggest bundle of stickss In Baseball) stuff

Bit rude tbh

Can’t help the hate in my heart bud

I'll allow it

Thanks for the "HUGE momentum change" in that 85 WS Don !!!

He should be on a stamp

His name will live on because every time I visit a St.Louis Starbucks I’m giving the barista my order as Don Denkinger and so should every Royals fan.

I agree. Denkinger realized he wouldn't be able to listen for the ball hitting the glove on that play, with the crowd noise and the soft throw being off. If the ump can rely on hearing the ball arriving to the glove, he can focus more of his vision on the baserunner's foot.

Here's a video of the play
https://youtu.be/vyt1xEvqqow

Here's a New York Times article about missed calls at first.
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/11/s...hear-them.html

What an October that was.

Attended game 3 of the ALCS where Brett took the game over with 2HR’s and probably the best defensive play I’ve ever seen live (moose’s foul ball catch in game 3 vs the Os in 14 was epic also).
Damaso Garcia had doubled and moved to 3rd when Lonnie Smith butchered the play in LF.

Lloyd Mosbey hot a shot over the bag at 3rd, Brett went into foul territory, backhanded the ball and threw over Garcia’s shoulder to Sundberg at the plate to nail him. Just an incredible play.

Old and slow is correct. The Cardinals simply laid down in game 7. Quit, as Bill James stated it in the 1986 baseball abstract. Just blistered the entire Cardinal roster. Pointed out batting averages of .067, .133, .089.

Lit them up like a leg lamp on Christmas Eve.

OMG! That’s beautiful.

That was an incredible game, which is described here (https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/octo...tts-best-game/). I got to work all of the 1985 postseason games as a food vendor. That was a very memorable postseason, and Brett's dominant game 3 was crucial, as we already down 0-2 in that ALCs.

Good to see you, DanT.

One of my other great memories from that game, was Brett handing the ball to Howser after the final out of the game. It was Dick Howser’s first playoff win. Had lost 8 or 9 straight.

This is true. The Cards imploded. Andy Van Slyke and Ozzie Smith came out as a gay couple and did appearances on RuPauls show for years. Auggie Busch said F this and sold Bud to Euro trash and Bud Light came out as Trans. All because of Denkingers call. Butterfly effect.

The call was the call.
Then the cards melted big time
Then the card fans melted big time and imo pretty much ruined denkingers life
That’s baseball, I’m ashamed to say.
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I remember it well. Give him a statue. The game 7 was epic, I was down in the Plaza at some club that is probably not even open anymore. LOL. It was pandemonium down there, high fiving with strangers in cars, etc.

I knew I had heard of him. He is from my town, Cedar Falls Iowa.
RIP community member.

If you address a letter to Don Denkinger, Iowa, he will get it.

If Cedar Falls' housing market is like New York's, you should quickly inquire about his apartment.

Howser was 0-11 in the playoffs up until Game 3 of 1985 ALCS. 0-8 with the Royals, 0-3 with the Yankees which was the 1980 ALCS of course.

One of my oldest memories… my dad was so pissed.

Up yours, Denkinger.

Kinda doubt it now.

All of this. Lol, get rekt, redbird fans.

Well, of course it was a horrible call. Guess what? There were so many opps for the Cards to still close and win that game, which they couldn't do, plus an entire game 7 that they should have shown up for but didn't. F 'em :evil:

:Royals::Royals::Royals:

Pretty much this
And I’m a cardinals fan, but in sports, **** the loser.
Especially when they melt
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