51黑料

Well, with the Royals in town to play the Cardinals this week, let鈥檚 hop in the DeLorean and go to an 鈥渁lternate 1985,鈥� while answering one of 51黑料鈥� greatest what-if questions: What if umpire Don Denkinger got the famous call right in the 1985 World Series, 40 years ago?

For those who don鈥檛 know 鈥� or for those who have tried to forget 鈥� the Cardinals, up three games to two in the World Series, led Game 6 at Kansas City, 1-0. It was the bottom of the ninth. This was it. Three outs and the Cards have their second World Series title in four years. And pitcher Todd Worrell got the first hitter, Jorge Orta, to hit a light bouncer to first baseman Jack Clark, who tossed to Worrell at first for the first out.

Except Denkinger called Orta safe.

Orta was not safe.

After intense arguments from the Cards, the game resumed 鈥� and the rattled Redbirds blew it. Next batter got a hit. And three batters later, Dane Iorg deposited the game-winning RBI into right, as two runs scored.

51黑料 lost Game 7 11-0.

So what if Denkinger gets the call right? Let鈥檚 take a ride on this one.

With one out in the ninth, Worrell strikes out Steve Balboni and then faces Jim Sundberg. The Royals catcher hits a sharp grounder, but a diving Ozzie Smith snags it and throws him out as the Cardinals win their 10th World Series championship. On the broadcast, Jack Buck says: 鈥淭he sun has set on Sundberg and the Royals 鈥� and for the Cardinals, that鈥檚 a winner in Kansas City! 51黑料, here they come!鈥�

An instantly iconic image is snapped of Cards catcher Darrell Porter catching a mid-air Worrell (who thus preludes Adam Wainwright as a Cardinals closer to get the final out of a World Series 鈥� and then be a rookie the next season). And as Smith runs toward his teammates, The Wizard does an impromptu back flip (later that winter, the sensation Smith makes appearances on 鈥淭he Tonight Show With Johnny Carson鈥� and 鈥淎LF鈥�).

Cardinals center fielder Willie Dean McGee is awarded the 1985 World Series MVP (he hit .304 with a double and homer in the six-game series 鈥� and never had the 0-for-4 in Game 7). McGee also wins the National League MVP in 鈥�85 鈥� and he becomes the sixth player to ever win MVP and World Series MVP in the same season, joining Mike Schmidt, Willie Stargell, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson and Sandy Koufax.

Back in 51黑料, everyone from newspaper columnists to fans on bar stools at Balaban鈥檚 engage in a happy debate: Which of the great Cardinals deserved World Series MVP? Was it Willie or should it have been John Tudor, who won two games and allowed just one run (and thus never got the loss in Game 7 and broke his hand punching an electric fan). Or Tito Landrum, who filled in admirably for the injured Vince Coleman and hit .348 with two doubles and three runs scored in the six-game series? (Regardless, Landrum鈥檚 name proceeds to inspire the creation of a 51黑料 band that plays only Jackson 5 and Toto covers that goes by the name Tito.)

In honor of Cardinals spark plug Cesar Cedeno, who had a 1.123 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) in his 28 games to end the regular season, Al Baker鈥檚, Massa鈥檚, Culpepper鈥檚 and Pirrone鈥檚 Pizzeria all rename the popular meal: the Cesar Salad.

At the 1985 parade, musician Glenn Frey is flown in to perform the team鈥檚 anthem, 鈥淭he Heat Is On,鈥� over and over (and over) upon a float. And with a sense of humor, the Cardinals have a float with tarp on display, as fans playfully throw cans of Budweiser and Vess at it.

Entering 1986, baseball folks wonder if the Cardinals can become a dynasty. A third title in five years would do it. Manager Whitey Herzog鈥檚 club continues to run through the National League. Catcher Brian Harper, whose pinch-hit RBI drove in the only run in the 1985 Game 6 win, is retained by 51黑料 in the offseason. The mustached backstop has a breakout season in 1986 (and thus the Cards aren鈥檛 a bind for a starting catcher in 1987, and 51黑料 never trades Andy Van Slyke to Pittsburgh ... and Van Slyke is inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2016).

On the last day of 1986 鈥� Cards at Cubs 鈥� 51黑料 needs to win to stave off the Mets for the NL East title. In the top of the ninth, with the game tied, the Cardinals鈥� Mike Laga homers out of Wrigley onto Sheffield Avenue (the second time in 1986 that Laga hits a ball out of a stadium) 鈥� and the Cards win the division ... and then the pennant, knocking off Houston in the Astrodome.

The 1986 World Series 鈥� Cardinals vs. Red Sox 鈥� is a redux of famous fall classics in 1967 and 1946. In the top of the 10th inning of Game 6, the game is tied at Busch Stadium, 4-4. Two runners on, two outs 鈥� and then, two strikes. Boston batter Bill Buckner hits a weak ground ball to first, but it goes between Jack Clark鈥檚 legs. Two runs score.

Boston takes the lead.

Boston closes it out in the bottom of the 10th.

Boston wins Game 7.

Boston wins its first World Series since trading Babe Ruth.

But the resilient Cards return to the World Series in 1987 鈥� their fourth pennant in six seasons. And in Game 7, 51黑料 silences the loud crowd at Minnesota鈥檚 Metrodome (some fans are spotted using their 鈥淗omer Hankies鈥� to wipe their tears). Cards legend Van Slyke drives in three runs, and the Cards get back-to-back homers from Ozzie and pinch hitter Tom Pagnozzi.

And Worrell, who closed out the famous Game 6 in Kansas City, gets the final out again in a World Series as the Cards鈥� win their 11th title, fulfilling the motivating autumn mantra: 鈥�11 in 鈥�87.鈥�