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1985 MLB season | |
---|---|
League | Major League Baseball |
Sport | Baseball |
Duration | April 8 – October 27, 1985 |
Number of games | 162 |
Number of teams | 26 |
TV partner(s) | ABC, NBC |
Draft | |
Top draft pick | B. J. Surhoff |
Picked by | Milwaukee Brewers |
Regular season | |
Season MVP | NL: Willie McGee (STL) AL: Don Mattingly (NYY) |
Postseason | |
AL champions | Kansas City Royals |
AL runners-up | Toronto Blue Jays |
NL champions | St. Louis Cardinals |
NL runners-up | Los Angeles Dodgers |
World Series | |
Champions | Kansas City Royals |
Runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
World Series MVP | Bret Saberhagen (KC) |
The 1985 Major League Baseball season ended with the Kansas City Royals defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh game of the I-70 World Series. Bret Saberhagen, the regular season Cy Young Award winner, was named MVP of the Series. The National League won the All-Star Game for the second straight year.
The League Championship Series playoffs were expanded to a best-of-seven format beginning this year, [1] and both leagues ended up settling their pennant winners in more than five games, with the Royals beating the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games, and the Cardinals beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. This was the first full season for Peter Ueberroth as commissioner.
There was a brief interruption during the regular season. The 1985 Major League Baseball strike occurred August 6 and 7, lasting only two days. The 25 cancelled games were for the most part made up later on in the season.
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toronto Blue Jays | 99 | 62 | .615 | — | 54–26 | 45–36 |
New York Yankees | 97 | 64 | .602 | 2 | 58–22 | 39–42 |
Detroit Tigers | 84 | 77 | .522 | 15 | 44–37 | 40–40 |
Baltimore Orioles | 83 | 78 | .516 | 16 | 45–36 | 38–42 |
Boston Red Sox | 81 | 81 | .500 | 18½ | 43–37 | 38–44 |
Milwaukee Brewers | 71 | 90 | .441 | 28 | 40–40 | 31–50 |
Cleveland Indians | 60 | 102 | .370 | 39½ | 38–43 | 22–59 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kansas City Royals | 91 | 71 | .562 | — | 50–32 | 41–39 |
California Angels | 90 | 72 | .556 | 1 | 49–30 | 41–42 |
Chicago White Sox | 85 | 77 | .525 | 6 | 45–36 | 40–41 |
Minnesota Twins | 77 | 85 | .475 | 14 | 49–35 | 28–50 |
Oakland Athletics | 77 | 85 | .475 | 14 | 43–36 | 34–49 |
Seattle Mariners | 74 | 88 | .457 | 17 | 42–41 | 32–47 |
Texas Rangers | 62 | 99 | .385 | 28½ | 37–43 | 25–56 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Louis Cardinals | 101 | 61 | .623 | — | 54–27 | 47–34 |
New York Mets | 98 | 64 | .605 | 3 | 51–30 | 47–34 |
Montreal Expos | 84 | 77 | .522 | 16½ | 44–37 | 40–40 |
Chicago Cubs | 77 | 84 | .478 | 23½ | 41–39 | 36–45 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 75 | 87 | .463 | 26 | 41–40 | 34–47 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 57 | 104 | .354 | 43½ | 35–45 | 22–59 |
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers | 95 | 67 | .586 | — | 48–33 | 47–34 |
Cincinnati Reds | 89 | 72 | .553 | 5½ | 47–34 | 42–38 |
Houston Astros | 83 | 79 | .512 | 12 | 44–37 | 39–42 |
San Diego Padres | 83 | 79 | .512 | 12 | 44–37 | 39–42 |
Atlanta Braves | 66 | 96 | .407 | 29 | 32–49 | 34–47 |
San Francisco Giants | 62 | 100 | .383 | 33 | 38–43 | 24–57 |
League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | World Series | ||||||||
East | Toronto | 3 | |||||||
West | Kansas City | 4 | |||||||
AL | Kansas City | 4 | |||||||
NL | St. Louis | 3 | |||||||
East | St. Louis | 4 | |||||||
West | Los Angeles | 2 |
Team | Manager | Notes |
---|---|---|
Baltimore Orioles | Joe Altobelli, Cal Ripken, Sr., Earl Weaver | |
Boston Red Sox | John McNamara | First season as Red Sox manager |
California Angels | Gene Mauch | |
Chicago White Sox | Tony La Russa | |
Cleveland Indians | Pat Corrales | |
Detroit Tigers | Sparky Anderson | |
Kansas City Royals | Dick Howser | Won World Series |
Milwaukee Brewers | George Bamberger | First season as Brewers manager |
Minnesota Twins | Billy Gardner, Ray Miller | |
New York Yankees | Yogi Berra, Billy Martin | |
Oakland Athletics | Jackie Moore | |
Seattle Mariners | Chuck Cottier | Cottier's final season as a Major League manager |
Texas Rangers | Doug Rader, Bobby Valentine | |
Toronto Blue Jays | Bobby Cox | Won AL East |
Team | Manager | Notes |
---|---|---|
Atlanta Braves | Eddie Haas, Bobby Wine | |
Chicago Cubs | Jim Frey | |
Cincinnati Reds | Pete Rose | |
Houston Astros | Bob Lillis | Lillis' final season with the Astros |
Los Angeles Dodgers | Tommy Lasorda | Won NL West |
Montreal Expos | Buck Rodgers | |
New York Mets | Davey Johnson | |
Philadelphia Phillies | John Felske | First season as Phillies manager |
Pittsburgh Pirates | Chuck Tanner | |
St. Louis Cardinals | Whitey Herzog | Won National League Pennant |
San Diego Padres | Dick Williams | Williams' final season with the Padres |
San Francisco Giants | Jim Davenport, Roger Craig |
|
|
Month | American League | National League |
---|---|---|
April | Mike Davis | Dale Murphy |
May | George Brett | Dave Parker |
June | Rickey Henderson | Pedro Guerrero |
July | George Brett | Keith Hernandez |
August | Don Mattingly | Willie McGee |
September | Don Mattingly | Gary Carter |
Month | American League | National League |
---|---|---|
April | Charlie Leibrandt | Fernando Valenzuela |
May | Dave Stieb | Andy Hawkins |
June | Jay Howell | John Tudor |
July | Bret Saberhagen | Fernando Valenzuela |
August | Dave Righetti | Shane Rawley |
September | Charlie Leibrandt | Dwight Gooden |
Statistic | American League | National League | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
AVG | Wade Boggs BOS | .368 | Willie McGee STL | .353 |
HR | Darrell Evans DET | 40 | Dale Murphy ATL | 37 |
RBI | Don Mattingly NYY | 145 | Dave Parker CIN | 125 |
Wins | Ron Guidry NYY | 22 | Dwight Gooden NYM | 24 |
ERA | Dave Stieb TOR | 2.48 | Dwight Gooden NYM | 1.53 |
SO | Bert Blyleven CLE/MIN | 206 | Dwight Gooden NYM | 268 |
SV | Dan Quisenberry KC | 37 | Jeff Reardon MTL | 41 |
SB | Rickey Henderson NYY | 80 | Vince Coleman STL | 110 |
Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game | Est. payroll | %± |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers [6] | 95 | 20.3% | 3,264,593 | 4.1% | 40,304 | $10,967,917 | |
New York Mets [7] | 98 | 8.9% | 2,761,601 | 49.9% | 34,094 | $10,834,762 | |
St. Louis Cardinals [8] | 101 | 20.2% | 2,637,563 | 29.5% | 32,563 | $11,817,083 | |
California Angels [9] | 90 | 11.1% | 2,567,427 | 6.8% | 32,499 | $14,427,894 | |
Toronto Blue Jays [10] | 99 | 11.2% | 2,468,925 | 17.0% | 30,862 | $9,329,217 | |
Detroit Tigers [11] | 84 | -19.2% | 2,286,609 | -15.5% | 28,230 | $10,348,143 | |
New York Yankees [12] | 97 | 11.5% | 2,214,587 | 21.6% | 27,682 | $14,238,204 | |
San Diego Padres [13] | 83 | -9.8% | 2,210,352 | 11.4% | 27,288 | $11,191,583 | |
Kansas City Royals [14] | 91 | 8.3% | 2,162,717 | 19.5% | 26,375 | $10,565,346 | |
Chicago Cubs [15] | 77 | -19.8% | 2,161,534 | 2.6% | 26,686 | $12,702,917 | |
Baltimore Orioles [16] | 83 | -2.4% | 2,132,387 | 4.2% | 26,326 | $12,085,712 | |
Cincinnati Reds [17] | 89 | 27.1% | 1,834,619 | 43.8% | 22,650 | $8,359,917 | |
Philadelphia Phillies [18] | 75 | -7.4% | 1,830,350 | -11.3% | 22,597 | $10,644,966 | |
Boston Red Sox [19] | 81 | -5.8% | 1,786,633 | 7.5% | 22,057 | $10,897,560 | |
Chicago White Sox [20] | 85 | 14.9% | 1,669,888 | -21.9% | 20,616 | $9,846,178 | |
Minnesota Twins [21] | 77 | -4.9% | 1,651,814 | 3.3% | 19,664 | $5,764,821 | |
Montreal Expos [22] | 84 | 7.7% | 1,502,494 | -6.5% | 18,549 | $9,470,166 | |
Milwaukee Brewers [23] | 71 | 6.0% | 1,360,265 | -15.4% | 17,003 | $11,284,107 | |
Atlanta Braves [24] | 66 | -17.5% | 1,350,137 | -21.7% | 16,668 | $14,807,000 | |
Oakland Athletics [18] | 77 | 0.0% | 1,334,599 | -1.4% | 16,894 | $9,058,606 | |
Houston Astros [25] | 83 | 3.8% | 1,184,314 | -3.7% | 14,621 | $9,993,051 | |
Seattle Mariners [26] | 74 | 0.0% | 1,128,696 | 29.7% | 13,599 | $4,613,000 | |
Texas Rangers [27] | 62 | -10.1% | 1,112,497 | 0.9% | 13,906 | $7,676,500 | |
San Francisco Giants [28] | 62 | -6.1% | 818,697 | -18.3% | 10,107 | $8,221,714 | |
Pittsburgh Pirates [29] | 57 | -24.0% | 735,900 | -4.9% | 9,199 | $9,267,500 | |
Cleveland Indians [30] | 60 | -20.0% | 655,181 | -10.7% | 8,089 | $6,551,666 |
Network | Day of week | Announcers |
---|---|---|
ABC | Monday nights Sunday afternoons | Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, Howard Cosell, [n1 1] Tim McCarver, Don Drysdale |
NBC | Saturday afternoons | Vin Scully, Joe Garagiola, Bob Costas, Tony Kubek |
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