KC Royals: Five Most Painful Losses In Royals History

5. October 9, 1976: ALCS Game 5, Yankees vs. Royals

To this day, I despise Howard Cosell for his condescending swipes at the 1976 Kansas City Royals and the city of Kansas City. I was a child 40 years ago, but I still remember the shock of watching that ball fly over the right field fence in Old Yankee Stadium in 1976 hit by New York first baseman Chris Chambliss,

Back then, baseball only had four divisions and the title winners faced each other in a five-game playoff for the right to play in the World Series. Before that devastating blow, I was SURE the KC Royals were going to the World Series to play the mighty Cincinnati Reds.

The 1976 Kansas City Royals were a young team full of home grown stars like a 23-year-old George Brett, 26-year-old Dennis Leonard, 26-year-old Frank White, 24-year-old Al Cowens along with shrewd trade acquisitions like John Mayberry, Amos Otis, and Freddie Patek. Free agency had just come into the game, and the Yankees had already bought a veteran star in future Hall-of-Famer Catfish Hunter.

It didn’t seem fair.

But, the 1976 KC Royals fought the veteran Yankees to a draw in the first four games of the series, forcing a Game 5 at Yankee Stadium. The Royals opened the game by hanging two runs on Yankee starter Ed Figueroa in the first inning, only to watch New York even up the score in the bottom of the inning.

In the sixth, the Yankees took a commanding 6-3 lead and the game looked all but over—that is until AL Batting Champ George Brett shocked New York by slamming a three-run home run in the top of the eighth to knot the score at 6-6.

Chris Chambliss ended the game on the first pitch of the ninth inning with his blast off reliever Mark Littell.

Every time I see this highlight, I want to strangle the insufferable Howard Cosell. But, hey, the KC Royals franchise was only seven years old. There was always next year, right?

Next: October 9, 1977

4. October 9, 1977: ALCS Game 5, Yankees vs. Royals

The next season the Yankees added future Hall-of-Fame outfielder Reggie Jackson and starter Don Gullett from the defending champion Reds to their AL pennant-winning team from the year before.

But this time, the Kansas City Royals were no longer an inexperienced team getting their first taste of post-season play. Oh no, the 1977 Royals won a franchise best 101 games (the most in baseball in 1977) and were the favorites to win the AL pennant.

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Exactly one year after their 1976 showdown, the Yankees and KC Royals faced off for another deciding Game 5. But this time, they were playing in Royals Stadium.

George Brett gave the Kansas City Royals an early 1-0 lead with a triple to deep center that drove in Hal McRae. Brett slid hard into third base, causing Graig Nettles to kick him while Brett was still on the ground. That touched off a benches-clearing brawl which you can see by playing the above video.

The KC Royals carried a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning when starter Paul Splittorff gave up a leadoff single to New York second baseman Willie Randolph. Reliever Doug Bird allowed a pinch hit single to Reggie Jackson to cut the Kansas City lead to one run.

The KC Royals bullpen utterly failed in the ninth inning, allowing the Yankees to score three runs. Starter Dennis Leonard came in as a reliever to open the inning, giving up a single to light-hitting right fielder Paul Blair and a walk to pinch hitter Roy White. Lefty Larry Gura entered the game and promptly allowed the tying run to score on a hit by center fielder Mickey Rivers.

The final run scored on an error by third baseman George Brett.

For the second year in a row, the KC Royals bullpen failed in the ninth inning of ALCS Game 5. In 1977, it was worse because they blew a lead at home with the World Series within easy reach.

Next: October 19, 1980

3. October 19, 1980: World Series Game 5, Phillies vs. Royals

The KC Royals finally slew the Yankee dragon in 1980 to reach the World Series after failing three straight ALCS showdowns between 1976-78. This time, the Royals swept the Yankees with George Brett nailing a critical three-run home run to give the victory in New York.

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They opened the 1980 World Series dropping the first two games to the Phillies in Philadelphia, but came roaring back to take the next two in Kansas City. The KC Royals were poised to take a 3-2 lead in the series in Game 5 holding a one-run lead going into the seventh inning.

This time,however, the Kansas City Royals had a bona-fide bullpen ace in Dan Quisenberry—who led the AL in saves with 33 that season with his unusual “submarine” style that induced grounder after grounder.

Kansas City’s new manager Jim Frey—who had taken over after Whitey Herzog got fired following the 1979 season—brought Quisenberry into the game in the 7th to hold the lead. As odd as that tactic would appear today, asking Quisenberry for a three-inning save wasn’t at all unusual. Quisenberry averaged more than 130 innings pitched per year every full season between 1980 and 1985.

Quisenberry did the job through the eighth inning, but stumbled in the ninth. He allowed the Phillies to score the tying run on a single by third baseman Mike Schmidt, and a double by pinch hitter Del Unser,

Designated hitter Keith Moreland bunted Unser to third for the inning’s first out, but center fielder Garry Maddox hit a weak grounder to third that failed to bring Unser home. But then Manny Trillo lined a single off Quisenberry to score the lead run.

The KC Royals failed to score in the ninth and lost the game. It was Quisenberry’s third blown save in the World Series, which proved to be Kansas City’s undoing when they dropped Game 6 in Philadelphia to lose to the underdog Phillies.

Next: October 25, 2014

2. October 25, 2014: World Series Game 5, Giants vs. Royals

The Cinderella Royals won the AL Wild Card game with a miraculous comeback from a four-run, eighth-inning deficit and tore through the AL playoffs by sweeping the Angels and Orioles.

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Heading into Game 4 of the World Series against the San Francisco Giants, the KC Royals had won two straight and threatened to take control of the Series 3-1 with a win in San Francisco. The Royals jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the fifth inning, with six outs to go before their dreaded HDH bullpen trio could finish the game.

Unfortunately, the Giants knocked out starter Jason Vargas in the fifth on their way to tying the game 4-4. San Francisco took charge of the game in the 6th on Pablo Sandoval‘s bases-loaded single with two outs against rookie reliever Brandon Finnegan.

San Francisco scored three runs in the 6th and four in the 7th in an 11-4 win that evened up the 2014 World Series at two games apiece.

Next: October 29, 2014

1. October 29, 2014: World Series Game 7, Giants vs. Royals

The Kansas City Royals lost Game 5, but survived an elimination game behind shutout pitching from rookie Yordano Ventura in Game 6 to force Game 7.

The KC Royals jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, only to watch the Giants to counter with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame.

The Royals opened the third inning with a single by Lorenzo Cain, but second baseman Joe Panik made a diving stop on a hard grounder by Eric Hosmer and turned a double play to avert what could have developed into a big inning.

In the following half inning, Royals second baseman Omar Infante stopped a hard smash by Pablo Sandoval but failed to get the ball out of his glove. That leadoff single turned into the lead run when designated hitter Mike Morse stroked a one-out single to score Sandoval.

Giants starter Madison Bumgarner entered the game in the fifth inning as a reliever to hold the narrow 3-2 margin. Like his two dominant wins earlier in the series, Bumgarner stifled Royals hitters until Alex Gordon came up in the ninth inning with two outs.

In a play that will remain one of the most poignant “what-if’s” in Kansas City Royals history, Alex Gordon smacked a single deep into the left-center gap which San Francisco center-fielder Gregor Blanco misplayed into a triple.

When Blanco failed to pick up the ball at the wall, many observers thought Gordon could have come around third to score. However, third base coach Mike Jirschele put up the stop sign. Catcher Salvador Perez popped out to end the game.

The KC Royals lost the 2014 world Series at Kauffman Stadium with the tying run 90 feet away.

Next: Royals Gamble On Ian Kennedy

Ouch. I can’t imagine any loss more painful than that.