The 1985 Yankees almost won the American League Eastern Division, a fact that is almost never mentioned when fans remember the Yankees' championship drought of the 1980s. At the end of play on September 12, the Blue Jays led the second place Yankees by 1 1/2 games, which was as close as the Yankees would get. On September 24, the lead had swelled to 7 full games with only 12 remaining for each team, but the Yankees kept winning while the Blue Jays kept losing, and with only 4 games left, the lead was 3. It was a bad situation but the Yankees would end the season with a three games in Toronto. If the Yankees swept, a game between the teams that had been postponed would be played, and if the Yankees won, there would be a playoff game. The Yankees had to win 5 consecutive games.
The Yankees Won One But So Did Toronto
Toronto's Jimmy Key, who would help the Yankees end the championship drought in 1996, faced Ed Whitson. Thanks to a Butch Wynegar two out, ninth inning game tying home run, and a misplayed fly ball by Lloyd Moseby, the Yankees won. The next day, former Yankee Doyle Alexander faced Joe Cowley. Alexander held the Yankees to 5 hits and 1 run as Toronto won its first division title.
The Yankees Had Excellent Offense
Billy Martin had replaced Yogi Berra as manager sixteen games into the season after the Yankees went 6-10 under Yogi, who stayed away from Yankee Stadium for fourteen years after the dismissal. The Yankees' offense scored 839 runs to lead the league, finished second with a .425 slugging average, and led the league with 155 stolen bases. Don Mattingly was at first, Willie Randolph was as second and Rickey Henderson and Dave Winfield were in the outfield. Don Baylor was the designated hitter.
The Yankees Lacked Solid Pitching
Pitching was the weakness. Ron Guidry had one of his best seasons, winning 22 while losing only 6, completing 11 of his 33 starts and pitching to a 3.27 ERA, but then there were problems. Forty six year old Phil Niekro won 16 games but had a 4.09 ERA, which is considered good in 2007 but which was not good in 1985. Joe Cowley, who gave up too many free passes, won 12 games and lost 6 with a 3.95 ERA, and Ed Whitson, a free agent pick up who had been a fine pitcher in the National League, found it difficult to adjust to New York. He gave up 201 hits in 158 2/3 innings, which is not conducive to winning games. Dave Righetti, who pitched 107 innings in 74 appearances with a 2.78 ERA, 29 saves, and a 12-7 record, led the bullpen. Bob Shirley did fairly well, but after that there were problems.
The Blue Jays Had Pitching
The team ERA of 3.69 was good enough for third in the league, but Toronto's was 3.31, numbers that would be outstanding in 2007. The Blue Jays were led by starters Doyle Alexander, Dave Stieb, and Jimmy Key, with hard throwing Bill Caudill as the closer and Dennis Lamp as the main set up man. The Blue Jays scored 80 fewer runs than the Yankees, but they had pitching. They faced the Royals in the playoffs and the surprising team from Kansas City that finished next to last in the league in runs scored but second in pitching, overcame a 3-1 deficit in games to win the playoff series and then overcame a 3-1 deficit in games to beat the Cardinals in the World Series.
Great Yankees' Players
Nineteen eighty-five was a competitive season for the Yankees. The team had some great stars, including Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, and almost Hall of Famers Don Mattingly and Ron Guidry, but the lack of pitching and inconsistent play was costly. It was also a season that proved the adage that the games are played on the field, not on paper.
Play the Game
Doyle Alexander, Dennis Lamp, and Bill Caudill are not quite Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera, and John Wettland, but Alexander, Lamp, and Caudill had talent and they had fine seasons, only to have a team with former Yankee Steve Balboni at first base and Buddy Biancalana at shortstop beat them in the playoffs. The Yankees would wait until 1995 to make the playoffs and 1996 to once again become World Champions.
References:
Chass, Murray. "Yankees 4 Blue Jays 3; Yanks Beat Jays to Stay Alive." New York Times. 5 October 1985, p. 43.
