wazu
06-17-2008, 09:26 PM
In honor of the series underway, I thought I would go back and see if I could step through "what might have been" for the good old Royals/Cards series of '85.
According to the records I have found, the Royals only recorded one out in the ninth since it was a home game and a walk-off win. Orta, the batter in question, was the out at third, and therefore didn't even score. So, assuming Orta had been called out at first instead of later at third, the following would have logically happened:
1. Orta is thrown out at first (1 out) - NOTE: This is the infamous blown call being un-blown.
2. Balboni singles (Runner at 1st, 1 out) - Conception in to pinch run.
3. Sundberg bunts, thrown out (Conception at 2nd, 2 out)
4. For the purposes of this, I will assume that the fielding problem for the Cards which advanced runners did not happen.
5. Hal McRae walks. (McRae on 1st, Concepcion on 2nd, 2 out)
6. Dane Lorg singles, Concepcion scores. (GAME TIED, runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 out)
After that - who knows? We have a runner in scoring position, and at the very least the game is going to extra innings with all of the momentum on the side of the Royals.
Granted, things probably wouldn't have gone down exactly like I have listed above since chaos theory dictates that the turn of events probably would have been different. Who knows what would have happened with McRae? It's reasonable to think they would have pitched to him and might have gotten an out, but it's definitely not a sure thing. It's also reasonable to say that Sundberg might have gotten a regular single instead of a fielder's choice bunt, which would have undid the net effect of a lead-off out by Orta to begin with.
The bottom line is that the Cards very clearly choked away the win in the bottom of the ninth.
For comparison, below is what actually happened according to Wikipedia:
Game 6
Saturday, October 26, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0
Kansas City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 10 0
WP: Dan Quisenberry (1-0) LP: Todd Worrell (0-1)
A pitcher's duel unfolded between Danny Cox and Charlie Leibrandt, the tough-luck loser in Game Two. They traded goose eggs until the eighth, when Brian Harper singled home Terry Pendleton to give the Cardinals the lead and inside track for the title. But the bottom of the ninth featured controversy and a collapse by the Cardinals.
Whitey Herzog called on rookie reliever Todd Worrell to pitch the ninth. The first batter, Jorge Orta, sent a routine bouncer to Jack Clark. He tossed to Worrell and got Orta for the seeming first out, but umpire Don Denkinger erroneously called Orta safe. Every replay angle indicated that Orta was out. Instead of one out, the Royals now had one on and slugger Steve Balboni at the plate. Balboni lifted a routine pop-up in foul territory along the first base dugout. Darrell Porter claimed he had it and then didn't, and the ball fell harmlessly behind Jack Clark. Given a reprieve, Balboni singled, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Sent to bunt the runners over, Jim Sundberg's bunt was fielded perfectly by Worrell, and he threw out Orta at third.
But the rally stopper was undone when Porter's passed ball allowed the runners to move up and forced Herzog to walk Royals pinch-hitter Hal McRae. With the bases loaded and one out, pinch-hitter Dane Iorg looped a single to right field. Pinch runner Onix Concepcion scored the tying run and Sundberg approached the plate with the winning run. Andy Van Slyke's throw was on the money, but Porter made a short attempt to tag Sundberg, who slid home safely with the game-winning run.
After the game, Iorg got his nose broken when his teammates, led by 230 pound (104 kg) pitcher Mike Jones, mobbed him after his game winning hit.
According to the records I have found, the Royals only recorded one out in the ninth since it was a home game and a walk-off win. Orta, the batter in question, was the out at third, and therefore didn't even score. So, assuming Orta had been called out at first instead of later at third, the following would have logically happened:
1. Orta is thrown out at first (1 out) - NOTE: This is the infamous blown call being un-blown.
2. Balboni singles (Runner at 1st, 1 out) - Conception in to pinch run.
3. Sundberg bunts, thrown out (Conception at 2nd, 2 out)
4. For the purposes of this, I will assume that the fielding problem for the Cards which advanced runners did not happen.
5. Hal McRae walks. (McRae on 1st, Concepcion on 2nd, 2 out)
6. Dane Lorg singles, Concepcion scores. (GAME TIED, runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 out)
After that - who knows? We have a runner in scoring position, and at the very least the game is going to extra innings with all of the momentum on the side of the Royals.
Granted, things probably wouldn't have gone down exactly like I have listed above since chaos theory dictates that the turn of events probably would have been different. Who knows what would have happened with McRae? It's reasonable to think they would have pitched to him and might have gotten an out, but it's definitely not a sure thing. It's also reasonable to say that Sundberg might have gotten a regular single instead of a fielder's choice bunt, which would have undid the net effect of a lead-off out by Orta to begin with.
The bottom line is that the Cards very clearly choked away the win in the bottom of the ninth.
For comparison, below is what actually happened according to Wikipedia:
Game 6
Saturday, October 26, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0
Kansas City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 10 0
WP: Dan Quisenberry (1-0) LP: Todd Worrell (0-1)
A pitcher's duel unfolded between Danny Cox and Charlie Leibrandt, the tough-luck loser in Game Two. They traded goose eggs until the eighth, when Brian Harper singled home Terry Pendleton to give the Cardinals the lead and inside track for the title. But the bottom of the ninth featured controversy and a collapse by the Cardinals.
Whitey Herzog called on rookie reliever Todd Worrell to pitch the ninth. The first batter, Jorge Orta, sent a routine bouncer to Jack Clark. He tossed to Worrell and got Orta for the seeming first out, but umpire Don Denkinger erroneously called Orta safe. Every replay angle indicated that Orta was out. Instead of one out, the Royals now had one on and slugger Steve Balboni at the plate. Balboni lifted a routine pop-up in foul territory along the first base dugout. Darrell Porter claimed he had it and then didn't, and the ball fell harmlessly behind Jack Clark. Given a reprieve, Balboni singled, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Sent to bunt the runners over, Jim Sundberg's bunt was fielded perfectly by Worrell, and he threw out Orta at third.
But the rally stopper was undone when Porter's passed ball allowed the runners to move up and forced Herzog to walk Royals pinch-hitter Hal McRae. With the bases loaded and one out, pinch-hitter Dane Iorg looped a single to right field. Pinch runner Onix Concepcion scored the tying run and Sundberg approached the plate with the winning run. Andy Van Slyke's throw was on the money, but Porter made a short attempt to tag Sundberg, who slid home safely with the game-winning run.
After the game, Iorg got his nose broken when his teammates, led by 230 pound (104 kg) pitcher Mike Jones, mobbed him after his game winning hit.