KC Royals: Don Denkinger’s call listed as best moment in Kauffman history

Before the KC Royals were World Series champions in 2015, it had been a long 30 year drought since they last experienced that feat. One of the moments that helped lead them lead to a title in 1985 was Don Denkinger’s call.

This is the moment that Will Leitch of MLB.com considered to be the best ever for the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Leitch listed the best moment ever for each team’s stadium and Don Denkinger’s call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series was what he rolled with for the Royals.

For those who weren’t alive when this moment happened (like myself), essentially what happened was Denkinger botched a call, which has become a legendary botched call. Both the Royals and the Cardinals were in the midst of a pitcher’s duel and in the eighth inning, Jorge Orta was ruled safe at first base despite replays indicating he was out.

Here was what Leitch said about why he chose this moment:

More from Kansas City Royals

• This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
• The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
• DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
• 3 Royals Players Who Won’t Be on the Roster Next Year
• LAST CHANCE to Claim $250 GUARANTEED Bonus With FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!

"If they had clinched the 2015 World Series at home — or if Alex Gordon had been sent home and scored at the end of the 2014 Series — maybe that would be the moment here, but Denkinger’s call remains immortal."

While this move benefitted the Kansas City Royals, as it helped them tie the series at three games a piece, it’s not the best moment in Kauffman Stadium history. I might not have been alive when this moment took place, but a missed call being the best moment in stadium’s history? That would be no.

Don’t get me wrong – Denkinger’s call was a big moment and Cardinals fans still gripe about it to this day (even if they weren’t born yet). My argument to them when they whine about it to me is that their team had a Game 7 to prove they were the better team and guess what? They lost 11-0 in Game 7! That blowout win proved the Kansas City Royals were the better team and deserved to win the title that season.

Also – Earlier on in Game 6, there was a bad call against the Royals too that involved Frank White, who had stolen second base. He was called out, but looked safe and had he not been ruled out, the Royals would have taken the lead in that inning. So both teams were gipped by Denkinger, but because his call hurt the Cardinals, that’s what most people choose to remember.

Rather than the Denkinger call, the best moment at Kauffman Stadium should have been when Salvador Perez hit the walk-off single in the Wild Card game in 2014 or when Alex Gordon belted a homer to center field in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 2015 World Series to tie things up.

If Leitch wanted to go with something from the 1985 World Series, why not pick when the KC Royals actually won the darn thing? They blew out the Cardinals in Game 7 to win their first ever championship and that seems like a strong candidate as the best moment ever.

Denkinger’s call is still heavily discussed to this day, but it’s definitely not the best moment in the history of Kauffman Stadium. What would get your vote as the best moment at the K?