Event: St. Louis Cardinals Win 1985 National League Penna
Brief Description: The Cardinals won the National League Pennant but lost to the Kansas City Royals in seven games in the 1987 World Series. The Cardinals almost won the Series in six games, but a disputed call late in Game Six by umpire Don Denkinger gave the Royals another chance, sending the series to a seventh game. The Cardinals made it to first-place on June 21, where they remained for most of the season. Five defeats in six games early in September dropped the Cardinals a game behind the New York Mets with 25 to play. But the Redbirds then won 14 of their next 15 and took the division title by three games with 101 victories. Willie McGee was the batting champion (at .353, a new high for a N.L. switch-hitter) and league Most Valuable Player. Vince Coleman won Rookie of the Year. John Tudor and Joaquin Andujar each won 21 games while Danny Cox took 18. Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith won Gold Gloves. In a great NLCS, the Cards dropped the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers before winning four straight. Ozzie Smith won Game 5 with a dramatic bottom-of-the-ninth home run off Tom Niedenfuer, his first-ever homer batting left-handed. It was immortalized by Broadcaster Jack Buck´s famous call, "Go crazy, folks, go crazy!" Down 5-4 with two out in the top of the ninth of Game 6, Jack Clark tagged Niedenfuer for a three-run homer to take the game and the series.
Year: 1985
Decade: 1980 - 1989
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