St Louis Cardinals History: Remembering the 1985 National League Champions

This year, the St. Louis Cardinals as an organization are remembering the 1985 National League championship team. Throughout the year, players and coaches will be recognized. Ceremonies, promotions, and special appearances will occur throughout the year related to the 1985 squad.

The list of noteworthy players on the roster that year is lengthy. Players like Jack Clark, Tom Herr, Ozzie Smith, Terry Pendleton, Vince Coleman, Willie McGee, John Tudor, Bob Forsch, Joaquin Andujar, and Ricky Horton were on the squad that year. Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog was at the helm. Jack Buck was in the box with Mike Shannon and Al Hrabosky announcing games throughout the year. Owner August "Gussie" Busch proudly had control of the franchise. Things were bright in the 1980s for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Several fans of the Cardinals today look fondly on this era of baseball. It was known for speed, defense, excitement, and ample success. The Cardinals led the league that year in stolen bases with 314 — the next closest team, the Chicago Cubs, finished with only 182 stolen bases. They had the best defensive WAR total in baseball according to FanGraphs. Their pitchers had the third-best ERA. Their was something admirable about the way Whitey's teams played the game, and that is evident in the 1985 Cardinals being the best defensive and baserunning team with a stout pitching staff.

The Cardinals finished the 1985 season with a 101-61 record, the best mark under Herzog and the best in baseball that year. They finished first in the National League East and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. In the World Series, the Cardinals took on the Kansas City Royals in the famous I-70 Series.

The 1985 squad had five All-Stars. They had the National League Rookie of the Year in Vince Coleman, the National League's Most Valuable Player in Willie McGee, and the National League Cy Young runner-up in John Tudor. Two different players, Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith, received Gold Gloves, and both Jack Clark and Willie McGee won Silver Slugger awards. The 1985 squad was one of the best teams in franchise history, but it wasn't supposed to be that way going into the year.

This team wasn't built in one day, though. Two key players, John Tudor and Jack Clark, were traded for in the offseason prior. While players like Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee had been in the organization for a while up to this point, Clark and Tudor were newcomers to the Cardinals.

In fact, the Cardinals lost one of their best players that same offseason. Closer Bruce Sutter signed a multi-year deal with the Atlanta Braves. Sutter closed 63 games and recorded a save in 45 of them the year prior, all while posting a 1.54 ERA. There was also the possibility that Ozzie Smith would have been traded that offseason had he not signed an extension in spring training that year.

Before the season even started, the Cardinals were written off as a non-contender. They finished in third place in the National League East in 1984, and the 1983 season featured a sub-.500 ball club. Having lost Sutter via free agency and relying on unknown commodities like John Tudor, Terry Pendleton and Jack Clark set up the Cardinals for another playoffs-less season. Not to mention Lonnie Smith was battling substance abuse at the time.

The cards were stacked against the team, but they rose above it all to have the best record in baseball and make it all the way to the World Series.

The postseason alone from the 1985 season included coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the NLCS to defeat the Dodgers, "The Heat Is On" becoming the club's anthem in the playoffs, Ozzie Smith's walk-off home run in the NLCS that made "Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!" become synonymous with Jack Buck, and Don Denkinger incorrectly calling Jorge Orta safe at first. Had he called it correctly, the Cardinals would have won the World Series.

While the conclusion to the 1985 season may have been disappointing, the season on the whole was memorable. It inspired a fanbase following lackluster seasons, and it sparked a new generation of fans who admired the club for its speed, defense, focus on fundamentals, and excitement.