Interested in rolling a few games with Don Mattingly, George Brett or Wade Boggs?
You can purchase the 1985 season in PDF format today at the Sellfy store.
1985 was a special season for me – perhaps the first that I was officially nuts about baseball from Opening Day thru the final out of the World Series.
So this card set has some special significance for me and I’m really looking forward to it.
There were great divisional races in the American League, where Kansas City held off California by just 1 game in the West and Toronto won the East by 2 games over New York.
In the postseason, Kansas City needed the full 7 games to defeat Toronto and another 7 to beat St. Louis in the all-Missouri championship series.
The National League races were also tight, two-team races. St. Louis finished 3 up on New York in the East and Los Angeles was 5.5 up over Cincinnati.
Award winners included St. Louis’ Willie McGee (MVP) and Vince Coleman (ROY), while New York’s Dwight Gooden took the Cy Young in the NL.
In the AL, New York’s Don Mattingly won the MVP, Kansas City’s Bret Saberhagen won the Cy Young and Chicago’s Ozzie Guillen won Rookie of the Year.
One other note of particular interest is the number of star players who debuted after the trade deadline in 1985, including Devon White, Jose Canseco, Paul O’Neill, and Andres Galarraga.
Let’s dive in to some highlights!
Atlanta (66-96)
Batting: Dale Murphy and Bob Horner each has 7 Deep Drives.
Pitching: Rick Mahler is one of six starters with a -2 Hold. Pascual Perez allows 7 Deep Drives and 22 on-base chances.
Defense: Check out the right side of the infield with Glenn Hubbard (2B-5) and Bob Horner (1B-5). In the outfield, however, both CF Murphy and RF Claudell Washington have a 1.
Baltimore (83-78)
Batting: Eddie Murray and Mike Young each has 7 Deep Drives. Fred Lynn goes deep 61 times on Deep Drives.
Pitching: Mike Flanagan allows 7 Deep Drives. Mike Boddicker is one of four pitchers struck with a +3 Hold.
Boston (81-81)
Batting: Bill Buckner, Tony Armas and Rich Gedman each has 7 Deep Drives. Wade Boggs has a set-best 29 on-base chances. Armas also has a high 16 strikeout readings.
Pitching: Roger Clemens has an AL-best zero Deep Drives allowed but also a set-worst +3 Hold. Bruce Hurst has 13 strikeout readings.
California (90-72)
Batting: Reggie Jackson has a set-high 19 strikeout readings. Gary Pettis also has a high strikeout total (18) but is also tied with an AL-best 5A steal rating.
Pitching: Closer Donnie Moore allows just 1 Deep Drive and 10 on-base chances.
Defense: There’s only one regular catcher who has a -1 Throw and it’s Bob Boone. In addition, Bobby Grich is a 2B-5. He’ll usually DH, but Reggie is a RF-1.
Chicago (A) (85-77)
Batting: Greg Walker has 7 Deep Drives. Ron Kittle goes deep 65 times and Carlton Fisk 58 times on Deep Drives. Rudy Law is a 4A base-stealer.
Pitching: Closer Bob James allows just 1 Deep Drive and 9 on-base chances. Floyd Bannister has 15 strikeout readings.
Defense: AL Rookie of the Year Ozzie Guillen is a SS-5. Law is a LF-5. On the down side, 3B Tim Hulett is a 1.
Chicago (N) (77-84)
Batting: Leon Durham has 7 Deep Drives. Ryne Sandberg is a 4A base-stealer.
Pitching: Dennis Eckersley allows just 11 on-base chances. So does Scott Sanderson – unfortunately, 7 of them are Deep Drives. Closer Lee Smith is tied with a set-best 22 strikeout readings. Steve Engel allows an NL-worst 8 Deep Drives as well as another NL-worst 23 on-base chances.
Cincinnati (89-72)
Batting: Dave Parker has an NL-best 9 Deep Drives. Pete Rose has 24 on-base chances.
Pitching: Nice pair of strikeout pitchers with Andy McGaffigan (14) and Mario Soto (13).
Cleveland (60-102)
Batting: Andre Thornton goes deep 60 times on Deep Drives.
Pitching: Ramon Romero allows 22 on-base chances.
Defense: CF Brett Butler has a 5, but 1B Pat Tabler and SS Julio Franco each have a 1.
Detroit (84-77)
Batting: Tom Brookens and Kirk Gibson each have 7 Deep Drives. Darrell Evans goes deep a set-best 67 times on Deep Drives.
Pitching: Closer Willie Hernandez allows just 8 on-base chances.
Defense: Evans is a 1B-1.
Houston (83-79)
Pitching: Jeff Heathcock allows 7 Deep Drives. Closer Dave Smith allows 1 Deep Drive. Nolan Ryan has 14 strikeout readings.
Defense: 3B Phil Garner is saddled with a 1.
Kansas City (91-71)
Batting: George Brett has 8 Deep Drives and 25 on-base chances. Lonnie Smith and Willie Wilson are each 4A base-stealers. Steve Balboni has 18 strikeout readings.
Pitching: Bret Saberhagen allows an AL-best 11 on-base chances.
Defense: Darryl Motley has a RF-1.
Los Angeles (95-67)
Batting: Pedro Guerrero has 7 Deep Drives and, along with Mike Scioscia, has an NL-best 25 on-base chances. Marshall has 7 Deep Drives plus an NL-high 18 strikeout readings. Mariano Duncan is a 4A base-stealer.
Pitching: Orel Hershisher and Fernando Valenzuela each has just one Deep Drive allowed, the former also allowing just 10 on-base chances. Closer Tom Niedenfuer has 18 strikeout readings.
Defense: Yep. 2B Steve Sax got a 1. CF Ken Landreaux also got the dreaded uno.
Milwaukee (71-90)
Batting: Cecil Cooper has 7 Deep Drives.
Pitching: Jamie Cocanower has just one Deep Drive allowed. Moose Haas is one of six starters with a -2 Hold.
Defense: 1B Cooper and LF Robin Yount each have a 1.
Minnesota (77-85)
Pitching: Bert Blyleven’s 14 Endurance is a set high. Closer Ron Davis has an AL-best 19 strikeout readings. Frank Viola is one of six starters with a -2 Hold. Ken Schrom allows 7 Deep Drives.
Defense: Mickey Hatcher is a LF-5.
Montreal (84-77)
Batting: Tim Wallach has 7 Deep Drives. Tim Raines has 24 on-base chances and is a 4A base-stealer.
Pitching: David Palmer has an NL-best zero Deep Drives allowed and Floyd Youmans has just one. Closer Jeff Reardon also allows just one Deep Drive and 10 on-base chances. Bryn Smith allows just 11 on-base chances.
New York (A) (97-64)
Batting: Don Mattingly has an AL-best 9 Deep Drives and Dave Winfield has 7. Rickey Henderson has 28 on-base chances and is tied for an AL-best 5A base-stealer.
Pitching: Closer Brian Fisher allows a rare 8 on Deep Drives. Joe Niekro is one of four pitchers with a +3 Hold.
New York (N) (98-64)
Batting: Darryl Strawberry has 7 Deep Drives. Gary Carter goes deep an NL-best 61 times on Deep Drives.
Pitching: Dwight Gooden has just one Deep Drive allowed and only 9 on-base chances. Strikeouts galore with set-best 19 by Sid Fernandez plus 18 by Gooden. Ed Lynch is one of six starters with a -2 Hold.
Defense: Keith Hernandez is a 1B-5.
Oakland (77-85)
Batting: Dave Kingman goes deep 62 times on Deep Drives. Dave Collins is a 4A base-stealer.
Pitching: Closer Jay Howell allows just 1 Deep Drive. Steve Ontiveros allows a set-best 6 on-base chances and just 1 Deep Drive. Jose Rijo has an AL-best 18 strikeout readings. Tommy John allows 22 on-base chances.
Philadelphia (75-87)
Batting: Mike Schmidt has 8 Deep Drives and Glenn Wilson has 7. Juan Samuel is a 5B base-stealer.
Defense: There’s only one regular catcher who has a +1 Throw and it’s Ozzie Virgil. Also bad is Rick Schu with a 3B-1.
Pittsburgh (57-104)
Pitching: Rick Reuschel allows just 11 on-base chances. Jose DeLeon has 14 strikeout readings. Larry McWilliams allows 8 Deep Drives but is also one of just six pitchers with a -2 Hold.
Defense: Joe Orsulak is a CF-1.
San Diego (83-79)
Batting: Tim Flannery has 24 on-base chances.
Pitching: Closer Rich Gossage allows a rare 8 on Deep Drives and only 10 on-base chances.
Seattle (74-88)
Batting: Al Cowens has 8 Deep Drives. Gorman Thomas goes deep 62 times on Deep Drives.
Pitching: Mike Moore is one of six starters with a -2 Hold. Jim Beattie allows a set-worst 24 on-base chances. Mark Langston serves up 22.
San Francisco (62-100)
Pitching: Closer Scott Garrelts allows 0 Deep Drives. Reliever Mark Davis tied for a set-best 22 strikeout readings.
St. Louis (101-61)
Batting: Willie McGee has 7 Deep Drives and 24 on-base chances. Andy Van Slyke and Jack Clark also each have 7 Deep Drives. Rookie of the Year Vince Coleman is a burner on the bases, with an 8A steal rating! McGee and Van Slyke are also 4A stealers.
Pitching: John Tudor has just one Deep Drive allowed and a set-best 8 on-base chances.
Defense: Yes, of course Ozzie Smith is a SS-5. On the flip side, Clark is a 1B-1.
Texas (62-99)
Batting: Toby Harrah has 28 on-base chances. Oddibe McDowell is a 4A base-stealer.
Pitching: Jeff Russell allows 8 Deep Drives and a whopping 23 on-base chances, not to mention a set-worst +3 Hold. Burt Hooton also allows 8 Deep Drives.
Toronto (99-62)
Batting: Jesse Barfield has 8 Deep Drives to go along with 17 strikeout readings.
Pitching: Luis Leal allows a set-worst 9 Deep Drives and Jim Clancy serves up 7.
Deep Drive Baseball 