It’s been thirty years since the small-market St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals were simultaneously the center of the baseball universe. In 1985, the two Missouri teams met up in the infamous I-70 series, named for the highway that divides the two Show-Me State cities by approximately four hours. The short travel time and easy access helped to build incredible levels of excitement in both towns. Despite winning 101 games and the infectious buzz of the Cardinals’ “The Heat is On” campaign, Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee and the Redbirds were cheated defeated in seven games by the Royals and umpire Don Denkinger.
Losing to the Royals, an immensely talented team, but historically subpar franchise, was difficult for many STL fans to get over. We immediately wiped our memories of the 11-0 Game 7 drubbing like Will Smith in “Men in Black” and fixated on the awful, disgusting and terrible call by Denkinger that cost the Cardinals Game 6 and another world championship. St. Louisians have always suffered from an immense inferiority complex. So it was only natural that (still to this day) we refuse to anoint those Royals as the better team. The only way the Royals would be us is by cheating. Period.
In recent years, I have let go of my resentment of the Royals and the ’85 series (and all things Kansas City). Maybe my forgivingness was fueled by compassion. After all, since 1985, the Cardinals have been to the World Series five times, winning two. The Redbirds have been to the playoffs 13 times, including 11 times over the past 15 years. On the other side, the Royals have been mired in mediocrity. Last season was not only the first time the Royals advanced to the World Series since 1985, it was the first time the franchise made it back to the playoffs!
Maybe my compassion is really more selfish and sinister. A competitive Royals team means the Cardinals could finally extract revenge. Sure, the titles, sustained excellence, “Best Fans is Baseball” designation and the Cardinal Way are fulfilling, but there’s still nothing more American than good old-fashioned get back.
Right now, both the Cardinals and the Royals are poised to get back to the World Series. Each team leads its respective league in the standings. The Cardinals have had the best record in the major leagues for nearly the entire season. The team currently sits at 72-40 and will almost certainly finish the season with at least 100 wins for the first time since 2005. The Royals have ruled the American League and currently have a record of 68-44. The 68 wins are seven more than anybody else on the junior circuit. How are the teams winning?
The Royals boast one of the most well-balanced teams in the league. The offense has the second-best team batting average in the American league at .270 and third-lowest ERA from its pitching staff at 3.54. Kansas City’s players are chummy, energetic and feisty. The team loves Fetty Wap and bench-clearing brawls. Well, brawls is probably an overstatement, the players usually just all run out onto the field and do that thing where they fake like the guy in front of them is holding them back from doing some serious damage and destruction to an opposing player. Only, there’s really nobody actually holding them back, but at least it looks good on TV. Apparently though, all the brushbacks and bench-clearing is having an effect because the Royals continue to bully the AL.
For the Cardinals, it’s all about ridiculous pitching and a team-wide next-man-up philosophy. The Cardinals pitching staff has been lights out. The team ERA is 2.61. That’s not a typo. That number is the third-lowest since the pitching mound was lowered in 1969. The bullpen’s ERA, 2.26, is the second-lowest since ’69. Keep in mind that all this is happening without Adam Wainwright, the team’s ace, who is out for the season. However, the starting rotation of Lance Lynn, John Lackey, Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia has performed beyond anybody’s wildest imagination.
Offensively, the Cardinals have not been spectacular. The team currently sits sixth in team batting average (.254), ninth in runs (444) and on base percentage (.389) in the NL. However, despite injuries to numerous starters such as Matt Holliday, John Jay and Matt Adams, the Redbirds have pulled talent from its deep minor-league system and have plugged in youngsters like Randal Grichuck and Steven Piscotty without missing a beat. The Cardinals may not have the swagger of the KC crew, but they have the perfect blend of experienced veterans, seasoned with sustained playoff success, and talented, hungry youngsters.
Of course, having the best records in mid-August doesn’t mean much in baseball. The Royals will have to stave off the New York Yankees and possibly the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays to make a repeat trip to the World Series in the AL. The Cardinals will need to keep up its ungodly pitching performances to hush the haters and return to the big show after a long one-year hiatus. Hopefully the stars will align and the Show-Me state squads can keep the ships steady and advance to the World Series. What a wonderful way it would be to celebrate avenge the 30-year anniversary of the original I-70 series. Let’s make it happen Missouri.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk
