The 1980 Kansas City Royals: American League Champions

During the latter part of the 1970's the Kansas City Royals were one of the top teams in baseball, winning three straight American League Western Division titles. But despite their regular season success they were not able to attain the ultimate goal of a World Series Championship or the very least a World Series appearance. With the dawn of a new decade the Royals looked to change their fortunes and entered the 1980 season with a new manager. Whitey Herzog who had led the Royals to those division titles but was unable to get them to the World Series was relieved of his managerial duties and replaced with Jim Frey who had been a coach with the Baltimore Orioles, an organization that had been to the 1979 World Series.

Under Frey the Royals continued their regular season success moving into first place on May 23^rd when they defeated the California Angels 13 to 9. It would be a position they would hold for the rest of the season as they ran away with the American League Western Division winning it by 14 games with a record of 97 and 65. It would be their fourth division title in five years. In fact the only real excitement the Royals faced during the 1980 season was whether George Brett would become the first player since Ted Williams in 1941 to hit .400. He flirted with the number all season long but eventually came up short settling for a .390 average. George Brett would be named the American League Most Valuable Player.

The Royals returned to the ALCS to face the New York Yankees hoping to exorcise the demons of past failures against the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees had defeated the Royals in the ALCS three straight times from 1976 - 1978, twice with the Yankees winning the series in their final at bat. With one swing of the bat George Brett exorcised those demons and ended years of frustration by the Kansas City Royals at the hands of the New York Yankees. Trailing by a score of 2 to 1 but leading the series 2 games to 0 George Brett hit a three run homer off of Rich Gossage in the seventh inning to give the Royals the lead for good. For the first time in their history the Kansas City Royals were heading to the World Series.

The Royals faced the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. The Phillies like the Royals had lost three straight league championship series' from 1976 to 1978. The two teams split the first four games with each team winning their home games. In game 5 in Kansas City the Royals entered the 9^th inning with a 1 run lead looking to take a 3 games to 2 series lead.. But the Phillies rallied to score 2 runs in the 9th to win the game and change the complexion of the series. When the series returned to Philadelphia the Phillies put the Royals away winning game 6 by a score of 4-1 to capture the title.

The Royals would continue to be one of the top teams in the American League and finally won a World Series title in 1985.