Jopo: Worst World Series Winners since 1946...85 Royals # 4

[Deberg_1990]

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/11/04/weakest-world-series-winners-since-1946/?eref=sihp


4. 1985 Royals
– Many view the ’85 Royals as the worst team to win the World Series in 50 years, but it’s a similar illusion to the 2010 Giants. The Royals had a lot of really good pitching.

Offensively, though, yeah, it was a nightmare. Call them George Brett and the Eight Outs. I’ve often thought that Brett should have been MVP in 1985, not necessarily because he put up the best year (Rickey Henderson’s year was awesome; Don Mattingly was certainly great) but because it would have been a nice gesture after making him play on that lineup all year. I think it would be hard, as you look through baseball history, to find a player have THAT GOOD an offensive season on a lineup THAT BAD. Maybe Ralph Kiner in ’51. But I don’t think so.

The Royals second-best offensive player that year was probably 39-year-old Hal McRae. Their third-best offensive player was Steve Balboni — that would be Steve Balboni. Their fourth-best was, well, take your pick, any of them. Those were the only three to manage even league average OPS+. Willie Wilson and Lonnie Smith stole some bases. Frank White hit some homers. But the Royals finished dead last in the league in on-base percentage. That’s the worst lineup ever to win a World Series even WITH George Brett having a remarkable season.

But oh that pitching — Saberhagen, Jackson, Liebrandt, Gubicza, Quiz — it was really good. Which reminds me — people keep asking if Tim Lincecum is ALREADY a Hall of Famer. After all, he has won two Cy Young Awards, he has led the league in strikeouts three times, and he doesn’t turn 27 until next June.

Well he is not a Hall of Famer yet. He’s not close to one. That’s no knock, he’s one of the great young pitchers in baseball history, I think. But the Hall of Fame is a career-thing, you have to be very good for a very long time to make it work. Consider another pitcher who had won two Cy Young Awards BEFORE he turned 26. When he turned 26, he was coming off a season when he led the league in wins, ERA, complete games and, though nobody knew it then, Wins Above Replacement. He already had led a team to a World Series championship, he had otherworldly command and he looked to be about as sound a pitcher as any in memory.

How much would you have bet on Bret Saberhagen going to the Hall of Fame then?


10. 2010 San Francisco Giants.
9. 1982 Cardinals
8. 1959 Dodgers
7. 1964 Cardinals
6. 1996 Yankees
5. 2003 Marlins
4. 1985 Royals
3. 2000 Yankees
2. 2006 Cardinals
1. 1987 Minnesota Twins

[Molitoth]

Cardinals on there 3 times, lol.

[BIG_DADDY]

Fuck you in the ass Joe.

[Deberg_1990]

**** you in the ass Joe.

What is he wrong about?

They sucked offensively outside of Brett, but the pitching was dominating.

[McWickedson]

Cardinals on there 3 times, lol.

enjoy 25 years of hell and counting.

[Saulbadguy]

What is he wrong about?

They sucked offensively outside of Brett, but the pitching was dominating.

He may be upset with the inclusion of the 2010 Giants.

[Frazod]

Cardinals on there 3 times, lol.

Yeah, it's really fucking heartbreaking to hear the losers talk about how much better they were. LMAO

[DonTellMeShowMe]

Gigantes!

[L.A. Chieffan]

Other than Hershiser the 88 Dodgers were a catastrophe

[DJ's left nut]

Yeah, it's really ****ing heartbreaking to hear the losers talk about how much better they were. LMAO

You know what would be better than having 3 on that list?

Having 5 on that list, afterall we lost to the '87 Twins and the '85 Royals.

I really don't give a !@#$ if the Cardinals are on the list 3 times. A) That's 3 times as many titles as the Royals have ever won and B) That still leaves 7 more 'legitimate' championships to celebrate.

Besides, everyone knows the 2006 title was a gimme from the Baseball Gods to make up for shafting us out of the 2004 title.

[Demonpenz]

Jose Guillen and Jeremy affelt world series heros

[Consistent1]

Who in the hell would ask if Lincecum is already a hall of famer? I don't get that. Out of all the good pitchers in MLB, which he is undoubtedly up there, I would take a one game shot against Lincecum over most of them. He did perform well in the postseason this year, so he could well end up being an all time great, but not at that level yet at all. He has always struck me as a guy that very well could end up just hitting a wall and becoming an average pitcher for the rest of his career. I don't have anything against him, just get that impression. As for all the teams on that list, they won the games they needed to become champs...bottom line.

[Frazod]

You know what would be better than having 3 on that list?

Having 5 on that list, afterall we lost to the '87 Twins and the '85 Royals.

I really don't give a !@#$ if the Cardinals are on the list 3 times. A) That's 3 times as many titles as the Royals have ever won and B) That still leaves 7 more 'legitimate' championships to celebrate.

Besides, everyone knows the 2006 title was a gimme from the Baseball Gods to make up for shafting us out of the 2004 title.

Winning the pennant that year was almost better - all we heard about was how the Mets were going to destroy us. All the pompous New York fans so certain of victory. But it all got shoved up their arrogant asses as the Cardinals celebrated victory in their house while they looked on sobbing like little girls.

I had no hatred for the Tigers. But fuck New York.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Winning the pennant that year was almost better - all we heard about was how the Mets were going to destroy us. All the pompous New York fans so certain of victory. But it all got shoved up their arrogant asses as the Cardinals celebrated victory in their house while they looked on sobbing like little girls.

I had no hatred for the Tigers. But fuck New York.

Beating the Mets that year was just awesome. Those tears were quite tasty. It was wierd that the Cards won it all that year, but a title is a title and I'm sure people didn't enjoy it any less than if they weren't one of the worst World Series winners of all time.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Okay, we'll give 1985 back. Yea.

[kstater]

Fuck you in the ass Joe.

Yup. Clearly Posnanski has no idea what he's talking about in regards to baseball.

[Pioli Zombie]

How did (he baseball Gods screw the 2004 Cardinals? They got their asses kicked in 4 straight by the Red Sox.

[BigRedChief]

Cardinals on there 3 times, lol.I'm damn glad we are on that list.

It's highly likely you will get to experience seeing your team win a World Championship live and get to share that with your son, a 5th generation Cardinal fan. Just think about that for a moment. Whats that worth????

Yeah that sucks your never going to get to post threads like this......

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=150794

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=150694

[KcMizzou]

As a fan of the Chiefs, Mizzou (football and basketball) and the Royals. Being on a list of the "worst" who won it all, wouldn't bother me a bit. I mean, I'd be thinking, "Whatever. Scoreboard, bitches!"

The '85 royals were a little before my time. I was 11. I knew what was going on, but I wasn't so big into it back then.

[BigRedChief]

How did (he baseball Gods screw the 2004 Cardinals? They got their asses kicked in 4 straight by the Red Sox.The 2004 Cardinals were one of the best baseball teams I've seen in my lifetime in person. They had it all. Just goes to show you that the "hot" team in baseball has a good chance to win the WS regardless if the other team has more talent.

Royals fans should take heart in that fact. They will never have the best talent but if they get hot, have enough talent to compete....ya never know.

[GordonGekko]

A real head scratcher list. A bunch of MLB teams would love to be on that list, meaning they won a World Series...

[teedubya]

Jose Guillen and Jeremy affelt world series heros

Jose Guillen approves of being a malcontent.

[RippedmyFlesh]

A real head scratcher list.

Almost a list of best manager performances is one way to look at that.
2000 may have been Torre's best year . Used Justice just right and got enough pitching to win a ring.
The 2010 giants need to be way up the list.
I would love to see the chiefs on this type of list soon.

[WilliamTheIrish]

I'm damn glad we are on that list.

It's highly likely you will get to experience seeing your team win a World Championship live and get to share that with your son, a 5th generation Cardinal fan. Just think about that for a moment. Whats that worth????

Yeah that sucks your never going to get to post threads like this......

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=150794

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=150694

Ooooh. Yea I guess it sucks that I never got to see a WS championship being won live. Oh wait. I think I did. Yea.

But no I didn't get to start a thread about it. I'm mortified.

[WilliamTheIrish]

The 2004 Cardinals were one of the best baseball teams I've seen in my lifetime in person. They had it all. Just goes to show you that the "hot" team in baseball has a good chance to win the WS regardless if the other team has more talent.

Royals fans should take heart in that fact. They will never have the best talent but if they get hot, have enough talent to compete....ya never know.

Really? Sometimes the best team doesn't win? Like the 1977 Royals? Or the 1980 squad? Wow! I'm glad to read all this incredible information so that I can take all these facts to heart.

[BigRedChief]

Ooooh. Yea I guess it sucks that I never got to see a WS championship being won live. Oh wait. I think I did. Yea.

But no I didn't get to start a thread about it. I'm mortified.Don't be a hater. It's not my fault your team hasn't won a WS since the advent of the internet. :)

dude, you know I'm not a hater on the Royals. As a matter of fact I post all the time about how much I admire Royal fans sticking with their team despite 100 loss seasons, very little hope for a WS etc.. Frikking great fans that deserve to root for a winner. Kaufman is a great place to watch a baseball game. I can only root for one team but I do hope that somehow, some way it all comes together for the Royals.

[McWickedson]

Ooooh. Yea I guess it sucks that I never got to see a *WS championship* being won live. Oh wait. I think I did. Yea.

But no I didn't get to start a thread about it. I'm mortified.

fixed.

[|Zach|]

I'm damn glad we are on that list.

It's highly likely you will get to experience seeing your team win a World Championship live and get to share that with your son, a 5th generation Cardinal fan. Just think about that for a moment. Whats that worth????

Yeah that sucks your never going to get to post threads like this......

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=150794

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=150694

Wow, what a dickhead post.