1980 American League Championship Series
Encyclopedia

Game 1

Wednesday, October 8, 1980 at Royals Stadium
Kauffman Stadium
Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...

 in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...


The series opener saw the Yankees throw their ace, Ron Guidry
Ron Guidry
Ronald Ames Guidry , nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...

, against the Royals' Larry Gura
Larry Gura
Lawrence Cyril Gura is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from to . He went to Arizona State University and spent 16 years in the Major Leagues. He played for the Chicago Cubs of the National League, and the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals , both of the American League...

. In the top of the second, the Bronx Bombers jumped out to a 2–0 lead when Rick Cerone
Rick Cerone
Richard Aldo Cerone from Seton Hall University is a former Major League Baseball player from 1975 to 1992 for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos...

 and Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...

 smacked back-to-back solo home runs. However, in the bottom of the inning, the Royals struck back. Amos Otis
Amos Otis
Amos Joseph Otis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets , Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed....

 singled to center and stole second, and John Wathan
John Wathan
John David Wathan is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager for the Kansas City Royals. He was considered one of the rare catchers with speed, having 105 stolen bases during his career...

 walked. A wild pitch moved Otis to third and Wathan to second, and Frank White doubled both men home to tie the game.

The Royals moved ahead in the fourth, when George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...

 walked and moved to third on a ground-rule double by Otis. A single by Willie Aikens
Willie Aikens
Willie Mays Aikens is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He had established himself as one of the top sluggers in the game before drugs derailed his career. In , Aikens was sentenced to twenty years in prison on four counts of crack cocaine distribution and one count of use of a firearm...

 plated both Brett and Otis, chasing Guidry from the game. Brett added a solo home run off Ron Davis in the seventh, and a Willie Wilson double off Tom Underwood
Tom Underwood
Thomas Gerald Underwood was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , St...

 in the eighth scored Darrell Porter
Darrell Porter
Darrell Ray Porter was a former American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. He was known for his excellent defensive skills and power hitting...

 and White to give Kansas City a 7–2 lead. The Yankees, meanwhile, could not score against Gura after the back-to-back home runs of the second inning, and the Royals' hurler went the distance as his team drew first blood in the series with a 7–2 victory.

Game 2

Thursday, October 9, 1980 at Royals Stadium
Kauffman Stadium
Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...

 in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...


Game 2 proved to be much more exciting after the Royals blowout of Game 1. For this contest, the Yankees sent Rudy May
Rudy May
Rudolph May, Jr. is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from to for the California Angels, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos...

 to the hill to face the Royals' Dennis Leonard
Dennis Leonard
Dennis Patrick Leonard was one of the Kansas City Royals' most dominating pitchers of the late '70s and early '80s, but a promising career cut short due to injuries. In 1975, his first full year he managed to bust out with a 15-7 record...

.

Kansas City opened the scoring in the bottom of the third, as Darrell Porter
Darrell Porter
Darrell Ray Porter was a former American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. He was known for his excellent defensive skills and power hitting...

 and Frank White reached base with consecutive singles. Willie Wilson followed with a triple to right to bring both runners in, and then scored himself on a double to center field by shortstop U L Washington
U L Washington
U L Washington is a former Major League Baseball player from 1977 to 1987 for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also was the manager of Pittsburgh's minor team the Welland Pirates in 1989...

. The Yankees came back with two in the fifth, with Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...

 hitting an inside-the-park home run and Willie Randolph
Willie Randolph
Willie Larry Randolph is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and manager, most recently the third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles...

 lashing a double to right to score Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown (outfielder)
Rogers Lee "Bobby" Brown , is a former Major League Baseball player who played outfield in the major leagues from -. Brown played for the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres In 502 games, Brown accumulated 313 hits, 26 home runs, 130 RBI, and a .245 batting...

.

The eighth inning, however, proved to be the most memorable inning of the game, with the Royals clinging to their 3–2 lead and the Yankees threatening. Willie Randolph
Willie Randolph
Willie Larry Randolph is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and manager, most recently the third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles...

 singled, and with two outs Bob Watson ripped a liner to deep left field. Confident in Randolph's speed, Yankee third base coach Mike Ferraro
Mike Ferraro
Michael Dennis Ferraro is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played for the New York Yankees , Seattle Pilots , and the Milwaukee Brewers...

 decided to wave Randolph home. Left fielder Willie Wilson overthrew his cutoff man, Washington, but third baseman George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...

 made a heads-up play by backing up Washington. He then whirled and threw Randolph out at the plate. Television cameras panned the stands where Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...

 and General Manager Gene Michael were sitting. A furious Steinbrenner appeared to shout Ferraro's name as he turned to Michael. The Royals ended up winning that game by a 3–2 margin and Steinbrenner continued to fume over the play.

Game 3

Friday, October 10, 1980 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
With a 2–0 series lead, the Royals headed to Yankee Stadium for Game 3. The Royals led by a run until the bottom of the sixth inning when one of the most bizarre plays of the series occurred. Oscar Gamble
Oscar Gamble
Oscar Charles Gamble is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. He played for 17 seasons, from 1969 to 1985, on seven different teams: the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees on two separate occasions, as well as the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland...

 hit a ground ball up the middle fielded by the eventual ALCS MVP Frank White. White, a multiple Gold Glove winner, inexplicably threw to third base an apparent attempt to get Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...

 on a tag play. However, George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...

 could not come up with the throw, allowing Jackson to score. The Yankees later added another run to gain a 2–1 advantage.

Holding on to a 2–1 lead in the seventh inning, pitcher Tommy John
Tommy John
Thomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history...

 gave up a two-out double to Willie Wilson. Yankee manager Dick Howser
Dick Howser
Richard Dalton Howser was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach and manager. He is best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980s, and for guiding them to the franchise's only World Series title in 1985.-Playing career:A native of Miami, Florida, Howser grew up...

 brought in hard-throwing Goose Gossage
Goose Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...

, who gave up a single to U L Washington
U L Washington
U L Washington is a former Major League Baseball player from 1977 to 1987 for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also was the manager of Pittsburgh's minor team the Welland Pirates in 1989...

, bringing up George Brett. Brett had wowed the majors during the year, flirting with a .400 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

 before finishing the year at .390.
Brett blasted a Gossage fastball into the upper deck, a three-run home run which stunned the Yankee Stadium crowd. The Royals had a 4–2 lead with All-Star reliever Dan Quisenberry
Dan Quisenberry
Dan Raymond "Quiz" Quisenberry was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Kansas City Royals...

 on the mound.

The Yankees mounted a major threat in the eighth, loading the bases with no one out. Quisenberry then got Rick Cerone
Rick Cerone
Richard Aldo Cerone from Seton Hall University is a former Major League Baseball player from 1975 to 1992 for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos...

 to line into a double play and the next batter to ground out to close out the inning. The ninth went one-two-three as the Royals and the long-suffering Kansas City baseball fans finally won the American League Pennant.

Composite box

1980 ALCS (3–0): Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

over New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...



Aftermath

Steinbrenner had wanted third base coach Mike Ferraro
Mike Ferraro
Michael Dennis Ferraro is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played for the New York Yankees , Seattle Pilots , and the Milwaukee Brewers...

 fired immediately after the conclusion of Game 2 of the 1980 ALCS, because the Yankees had lost after Ferraro had waved Willie Randolph
Willie Randolph
Willie Larry Randolph is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and manager, most recently the third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles...

 home on a double by Bob Watson with two outs in the top of the eighth inning and the Yankees down 3–2. Randolph had been thrown out at home-plate by George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...

, prompting Steinbrenner to jump out of his seat and shout what appeared to be profanities on live national television. Yankees manager Dick Howser
Dick Howser
Richard Dalton Howser was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach and manager. He is best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980s, and for guiding them to the franchise's only World Series title in 1985.-Playing career:A native of Miami, Florida, Howser grew up...

 refused Steinbrenner's demand. In later interviews Randolph gave a slightly different account of the play. "Everyone gets on Mike Ferraro" said Randloph but he might not have even seen Ferraro because he was intent on scoring from the time Watson connected with the ball because he done so on similar occasions. Randolph stated it was "heads up play by Brett and a bang-bang play at the plate".

Steinbrenner's behavior was reminiscent of that of Oakland As owner Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...

 during the 1973 World Series
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....

. During Game 2 of the '73 Series, Finley attempted to "fire" second-baseman Mike Andrews
Mike Andrews
Michael Jay Andrews is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. He is currently the chairman of The Jimmy Fund, an event fundraising organization affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,...

 for his two errors in extra innings that allowed the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

 to win the game, 10–7. Baseball Commissioner
Baseball Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...

 Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...

 intervened and fined Finley. Despite winning his second consecutive World Series as skipper of the A's, manager Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...

, fed up with Finley's constant meddling, announced his resignation minutes after the deciding seventh game.

After the Yankees were swept in three games after having beaten Kansas City in the ALCS in 1976, '77, and '78, Steinbrenner did not afford Howser the dignity of being permitted to resign. Instead, "The Boss" fired Howser shortly after the conclusion of the 1980 ALCS. Ironically, Howser would go on to win the 1985 World Series
1985 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...

 as manager of Kansas City. After losing the 1981 World Series
1981 World Series
The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years as well as a record eleventh Series meeting overall and last Series meeting to date...

 to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

 (whom they had beaten in consecutive World Series in the 1977
1977 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe Dodgers drew first blood off Don Gullett in the first when Davey Lopes walked and scored on a Bill Russell triple. Ron Cey made it 2–0 on a sacrifice fly...

 and 1978
1978 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWith Yankee ace Ron Guidry unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes. Lopes would add a...

 after besting the Royals for the American League crown
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...

), the Yankees would not again appear in the Fall Classic until 1996
1996 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...

 under veteran manager Joe Torre, who in 1980 was serving a thankless managerial apprenticeship with the Yankees' cross-borough rivals the Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

, trying to rebuild a franchise racked and nearly ruined under the regime of curmudgeonly general manager M. Donald Grant
M. Donald Grant
Michael Donald Grant was the chairman and a minority owner of the New York Mets baseball club from its beginnings in 1962 to 1978.Grant was born in Montreal in 1904, the son of Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Mike Grant...

, the man who traded Mets' pitching stalwart Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...

 to the Reds.

A postscript to the Brett–Gossage matchup came three years later in a regular season game, in which would transpire the Pine Tar Incident
Pine Tar Incident
The Pine Tar Incident was a controversial incident during an American League game played between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees on July 24, 1983 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. With his team trailing 4–3 in the top half of the ninth inning, George Brett of the Royals hit a 2-run...

. On July 24, 1983, the two superstars faced each other again, and again Brett homered, this time in the ninth to give the Royals a 5–4 lead in the game. But after umpire Tim McClelland
Tim McClelland
Timothy Reid McClelland is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the American League from 1983 to 1999 and throughout both leagues since 2000. He has called many important games, from post-season games to the George Brett "Pine Tar" game in...

, upon the request of Yankees manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...

 (then in his third stint as Yankees manager), inspected Brett's bat, the umpire discovered that pine tar had been applied above the area allowed by the rules. McClelland, shown a copy of the rules book by Martin, called Brett out. Brett charged out of the dugout in a rage, and Royals manager Dick Howser protested, but to no avail. The Yankees would end up winning 4–3.

Later, American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

 President Leland S. MacPhail, Jr.
Lee MacPhail
Leland Stanford MacPhail, Jr. is an American retired front-office executive in Major League Baseball...

 later ruled that the home run should stand, and all the players went back out onto the field at Yankee Stadium on August 18 and played out the game with the runs put back on the board. The Royals ended up winning the game, but it was rather anticlimactic as neither team would come close to making it to the playoffs that year.

Four men involved with the 1980 ALCS (Dick Howser
Dick Howser
Richard Dalton Howser was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach and manager. He is best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980s, and for guiding them to the franchise's only World Series title in 1985.-Playing career:A native of Miami, Florida, Howser grew up...

, Bobby Murcer
Bobby Murcer
Bobby Ray Murcer was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for 17 seasons between 1965 and 1983, mostly with the New York Yankees, whom he later rejoined as a longtime broadcaster...

, Johnny Oates
Johnny Oates
Johnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981...

, and Dan Quisenberry
Dan Quisenberry
Dan Raymond "Quiz" Quisenberry was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Kansas City Royals...

) have died of brain cancer. (Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...

 and John Vukovich
John Vukovich
John Christopher Vukovich was an American third baseman and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his years of service with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in parts of ten seasons from 1970 to 1981 for the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers...

 of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

, who played against the Royals in that year's World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...

, also succumbed to the disease, as did Ken Brett
Ken Brett
Kenneth Alven Brett was a Major League Baseball pitcher and the second of four Brett brothers who played professional baseball, the most notable being the youngest, George Brett.Ken played for 10 teams in his 14-year MLB career.Born in Brooklyn, Ken Brett grew up in southern California and was an...

, who pitched for Kansas City in the 1980–81 regular seasons.)

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