Balukjian: Should the Toronto Blue Jays have won the 1985 World Series?
From SABR member Brad Balukjian at Wax Pack Book on April 20, 2015:
In many ways, the 26-Team Era (1977-92) belonged to the Toronto Blue Jays. They began the era as one of two new expansion teams (along with the Seattle Mariners) and closed it out with their first world championship, in 1992. Their sky blue uniforms typified the garish 1970s palette that dominated MLB wardrobes, and they provided Canada with an alternative to the Europhilic Mon-ré-al Expos.
By 1985, the Blue Jays had built a winner. The lineup had it all—speed (Tony Fernandez), power (George Bell, Jesse Barfield), rejected porn names (Rance Mulliniks, Garth Iorg), and the pitching staff was led by one of the most criminally underrated pitchers of all time, Dave Stieb.
Yet the Jays came up short. There would be no World Series games played in Canada thanks to the Kansas City Royals, who came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to beat Toronto in the ALCS. The Royals came perilously close to being a perennial bridesmaid themselves, having lost in the postseason six times since 1976. Mercifully for them, they beat the Jays and went on to win it all.
But did the best team really win it all in 1985? Here’s four reasons why Lloyd Moseby et al. should have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated in deep October instead of Royal blue.
Read the full article here: http://www.waxpackbook.com/ff–iaq-3-27-15.html
Originally published: April 21, 2015. Last Updated: April 21, 2015.