The Kansas City Royals were on a “mission from God” in 1985….although they didn’t know this at the time…..for their beloved manager, Dick Houser, would be dead as a result of a brain tumor a short 18 months after winning the 1985 World Series for the 1st time in Kansas City baseball history….so, winning this championship as depicted in the video herewith….for a man who had given his live to playing the game of baseball…..plus, being the 1st World Series title for the Kansas City Royals…. was indeed (quite possibly) God’s mission.
Dick Howser (May 14, 1936 – June 17, 1987) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach, and manager….who was best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980’s….while leading them to the franchise’s first World Series title in 1985.
Signed by the Kansas City Athletics, he hit .280, stole 37 bases, scored 108 runs….while leading American League shortstops in putouts and errors in his rookie season….for which he was selected to the 1961 All-Star team….and was named The Sporting News rookie of the year.
As his stats declined in the following two years, his only other season as a regular was with the Cleveland Indians in 1964. His major league career spanned eight seasons with three (3) clubs including the Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees.
As manager of the defending AL champions, the Kansas City Royals, Dick Howser managed the 1986 All-Star Game at the Astrodome in Houston…..when broadcasters noticed he was messing up signals when he changed pitchers….as Howser later admitted he felt sick before the game. It was the last game he would manage in the major leagues…..as he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery.
Howser guided the AL to a 3–2 victory, starting a 30-year stretch that has seen the junior circuit go 22–6–1 in the Mid-Summer Classic after going 2–21 from 1963 through 1985.
