Television replays and photographs showed that Orta was out by half a step, and Denkinger received hateful letters and death threats from Cardinals fans following the game.
They took first place for good when they took three of four games with the California Angels in Kansas City toward the end of the season to head to the post-season for the second year in a row.
The Royals won the AL West by one game over the Angels and then defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4–3 in the American League Championship Series.
They suffered a huge loss prior to the fourth game of the series when the automatic tarpaulin at Busch Stadium rolled over Coleman's leg during routine stretching exercises.
In the eighth, he nearly gave up a home run to George Brett, but Andy Van Slyke caught the ball at the fence, and Worrell earned the save as the Cardinals won 3–1.
[8] However, he joined Hod Eller and Moe Drabowsky as the only pitchers to strike out six hitters in a row in World Series play.
Todd Worrell then relieved Ken Dayley to start the ninth inning, with the Cardinals three outs away from clinching a World Series title.
The Royals trailed, 1–0, until Iorg's single allowed Onix Concepción and Jim Sundberg to score with one out and the bases loaded.
[14] As crew chief of the 1985 World Series umpiring unit, Denkinger was scheduled to work behind home plate in the decisive Game 7, a fact that further upset the Cardinals and manager Whitey Herzog.
Andújar was so furious after being ejected from Game 7 that he demolished a toilet and sink in the visitor's clubhouse bathroom in Royals Stadium with a bat.
He was also the subject of much media attention during the Series as his wife gave birth to his first son, Drew William, on the same night of the infamous Don Denkinger call.
The Royals did not return to the MLB postseason for 29 years, winning one of the American League wild cards in 2014 and advancing to the 2014 World Series.
[20] More than 20 years after the 1985 series, Denkinger has regularly appeared at sports memorabilia shows (including ones in St. Louis) willing to autograph photos depicting "The Call."
Denkinger even owns a painting featuring himself, Todd Worrell, and Jorge Orta involved in the play, claiming that he keeps it to remind himself that no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes.
[citation needed] In September 2005, Denkinger was a guest speaker at a 20th anniversary dinner celebrating the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals season, benefiting the Whitey Herzog Youth Foundation.