3 most memorable World Series runs in KC Royals history

The KC Royals' path to baseball glory reads like a trilogy of autumn classics. From George Brett's scorching bat in 1980, to the champagne-soaked celebration of 1985, and finally to the resilient 2015 squad that finished what they started, Kansas City's World Series appearances have defined generations.

Each run carved its own legend: a young powerhouse denied its first crown, a team that refused to give in against its cross-state rivals, and a group of upstarts who transformed small ball into a championship formula. Three distinctly different teams. Three unforgettable Octobers. One enduring baseball legacy.

KC Royals World Series Run No. 3: Unfinished Business in 2015

After watching Madison Bumgarner and the Giants celebrate on their field in 2014, the Royals built their 2015 campaign on unfinished business. They seized the AL Central early and never let go, winning 95 games with a brand of aggressive baseball that became their signature.

The postseason path wasn't easy. Down four runs in the eighth inning of ALDS Game 4 in Houston, facing elimination, the Royals staged a remarkable comeback to capture the series on enemy turf. Then, they outlasted Toronto in a fierce ALCS, with Lorenzo Cain's mad dash from first base on Eric Hosmer's single securing their second straight pennant in Game 6.

Against the New York Mets, Kansas City's relentless style wore down another opponent. When Mets first baseman Lucas Duda fired wide on Hosmer's bold ninth-inning dash home in Game 5, it epitomized the Royals' season—making opponents crack under pressure.

Christian Colón's go-ahead RBI single and Wade Davis's final strikeout set off a celebration 30 years in the making.

Salvador Pérez earned the World Series MVP, but this was a victory built on depth: Alex Gordon's Game 1 homer, Mike Moustakas's defense, and a bullpen that seemed to possess eighth- and ninth-inning ownership rights. The 2015 Royals hadn't just won a title; they'd validated a style of baseball all their own.

KC Royals World Series Run No. 2: Brett's Brilliant Run Falls Short in 1980

The Season of .390

The 1980 KC Royals weren't just George Brett's team; they were his masterpiece. The third baseman flirted with .400 deeper into a season than any player since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, finishing at .390 while slugging .664. He would eventually take home the franchise's first MVP for his efforts.

After falling to the Yankees in three straight ALCS appearances (1976-78), Kansas City finally broke through against their nemesis. Brett delivered the decisive blow: a seventh-inning blast off Yankees closer Goose Gossage into Yankee Stadium's upper deck that clinched the pennant and exorcised years of playoff demons.

The World Series against Philadelphia proved anticlimactic. Despite Brett hitting .375, the Royals' bats fell quiet at crucial moments. Willie Wilson's record-setting 12 strikeouts (including the last out of the Series) symbolized Kansas City's frustration, and Mike Schmidt's Phillies clinched in six games. The Royals had reached the summit, but couldn't plant their flag.

KC Royals World Series Run No. 1: Down But Never Out in 1985

The '85 Royals made resilience their trademark long before the final out of the World Series was secured. They had already climbed out of a 3-1 hole against Bobby Cox's 99-win Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series. Third baseman George Brett, fresh off a regular season where he flirted with .400 (again), delivered the crucial blow: a Game 6 homer that turned the series.

Now they faced the same deficit against their cross-state rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, in a series that would become Missouri folklore.

The Night That Changed Everything

With the Cardinals nursing a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning of Game 6, pinch-hitter Jorge Orta chopped a slow roller toward first. The throw beat him. The replay showed it. First base umpire Don Denkinger saw otherwise.

What followed was pure chaos. A dropped foul pop. A string of singles. The crowd at Royals Stadium reaching a fever pitch.

When Dane Iorg slashed a walk-off single to right field, scoring both Onix Concepción and Jim Sundberg, the stadium erupted. Baseball momentum had shifted on a single call.

Game 7 wasn't a game -- it was a coronation. While Cardinals' pitcher John Tudor crumbled, Royals' right-hander Bret Saberhagen carved through their lineup with surgical precision. Darryl Motley's two-run shot in the second inning opened the floodgates of an 11-0 rout.

Saberhagen, the eventual World Series MVP, punctuated his dominant series (2-0, 0.50 ERA) with a five-hit shutout. The 21-year-old ace had delivered Kansas City its first championship, capping a decade where the Royals claimed six AL West titles in 10 years.