Kansas City Royals: Ten Best Seasons In Royals History
By Scott Dillon
Best Seasons in Kansas City Royals History: 9. 1989 (92-70; Second In The AL West)
The 1989 season was the last time the Royals would win over 90 games until 2015. In spite of finishing 22 games above .500, they still didn’t make the playoffs.
In 1989 there were only four divisions in baseball. They didn’t have Wild Card games and didn’t have an established Division series at the time. The winners of each division would go on the the League Championship Series and the Royals just missed out that season.
They probably would have made today’s version of the playoffs in that season. It’s a shame they didn’t because Bo Jackson would’ve been something fun to watch in the postseason.
In 1989, Jackson clubbed 32 home runs. He’s one of only 9 players to hit over 30 home runs for the Royals in a single season. He was also named All-Star Game MVP where he hit a towering home run in his first at-bat.
One of the most iconic plays of Jackson’s baseball career and perhaps of the 1989 series came on a defensive play for Jackson. In a game against the Mariners, Jackson nailed Harold Reynolds at home plate from the warning track to save the game.
Jackson wasn’t the only star for the Royals that season.
Bret Saberhagen put up one of his best campaigns in 1989. He won 23 games and pitched to a 2.16 ERA. That wasn’t just a career best, it was a league best. He earned Cy Young Award honors following the 1989 season.
Saberhagen had the best year of his career in 1989. He would never replicate that kind of success for the rest of his career.
1989 was the last good year for a lot of the 1985 World Series Championship team. Players like George Brett, Mark Gubicza, Frank White, Willie Wilson, and Danny Tartabull still played for the team they’d brought a championship to only a few years earlier.
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