Brett in 1980
Some baseball aficionados might protest, given that Brett came within about a quarter-inch of hitting .400 in 1980. His batting average, home run total and RBI that season were .390, 24 and 118, respectively. Drop the six extra dingers in '85, and one might well conclude that the earlier season was Brett's best.
Recall, too, that Brett's Kansas City Royals won the 1980 American League pennant and two games in the World Series before succumbing to the Philadelphia Phillies---and that Brett went 12 for 35 (with three homers) in that year's post-season.
Well, no one would seriously argue that Brett wasn't superb in '80. But there are factors to consider beyond the Big Three of batting average, home runs and runs batted in when assessing a great hitter's career.
In 1980, for example, Brett certainly contributed the most to the Royals' offense. But some of his teammates provided quite a bit as well. First baseman Willie Aikens drove in 98 runs and hit 20 homers. Designated hitter Hal McRae hit 14 dingers with 84 ribbies. Outfielders Amos Otis and Clint Hurdle each hit 10 homers while driving in 53 and 60 runs, respectively. Willie Wilson hit .326 and stole 79 bases.
The Royals scored 809 runs, and their .286 team BA led the major leagues.
Brett's Offense Mattered More in '85
Cut to 1985. Only Brett, McRae and Wilson remained from 1980. McRae, hanging tough at age 40, hit another 14 homers and drove in 70 runs. Wilson slumped to .278 and 43 steals. And the Royals were second to last in runs scored in the AL.
So, as the endlessly provocative baseball statistician Bill James has noted, "In 1985 the Royals needed every hit that George Brett could give them."
James also observes that in '85, Brett walked 103 times, nearly twice as many as in '80. His defense was decent in the earlier year, with a .955 fielding average. But he won a Gold Glove in '85, leading his league in assists (339) and double plays (33). And Brett played 155 games, compared to 117 five years earlier.
The '85 Pennant Race's Final Week
During the last week of the '85 pennant race, Brett was extraordinary. With eight games left on Sept. 28, the Royals were clinging to first place by the nubs of their chewed-off fingernails. Over the next seven games, Brett hit five home runs, drove in 13 runs---and the Royals won the pennant.
Brett's Performance in the ALCS
He remained on fire during the American League Championship Series. In the crucial third game, Brett went 4 for 4, with two homers, three RBI and four runs scored. He also made a vital defensive play, grabbing a hot one-hopper and throwing out the Jays' speedy Damaso Garcia at the plate.
James observes that because Brett was directly behind Garcia, he had to "loop the throw over Garcia's right shoulder and into the catcher's glove."
"Throw in [that] defensive gem and the fact that the Royals' season was over if they didn't win that game," James writes, "and you might have the best one-game performance in the history of baseball."
The Royals---and Brett---Win The Series
Brett then hit .370 in the seven-game World Series, as the Royals fought the St. Louis Cardinals tooth and nail to win their only world championship.
They could not have won it without George Brett. And that's why his 1985 season was his finest.
Sources
John Benson and Tony Blengino, editors (contributing writers include Bill James). Baseball's Top 100: The Best Individual Seasons of All Time. Wilton, Connecticut: Diamond Library, 1997.
