On Balance, Royals Seem Overmatched Against Cardinals

The Kansas City Royals had lost the first two games of the American League playoffs to Toronto. The frustration mirrored past failures. Six times they had advanced to the championship series. Only once had they reached the World Series.

“It’s frustrating to be in the playoffs so many times and have so little to show for it,” veteran second baseman Frank White said on the eve of Game 3.

Ignited by George Brett, sustained by quality pitching and strengthened by a resiliency they had demonstrated in overtaking the Angels, the Royals ultimately overtook Toronto, winning their second pennant since 1980.

The improbable comeback--they were 1-3--did not invalidate a state-of-the-franchise report offered by White when it was 0-2.

“Basically, we’ve always been a good club but not a great club,” he said. “We’ve always lacked a starter or a hitter or a relief pitcher. We’ve always lacked some balance. In fact, we might be the only contending team without proper balance.

“For much of the ‘70s, we were short pitching. We needed to go out and sign a Goose Gossage or a Catfish Hunter, but we never made that one pivotal move.

“In the ‘80s, we’ve never had great balance offensively. We’ve always had nine strong players, but the thing that makes a great club is balance. We’ve needed to get that one key hitter, but we haven’t done it.”

A good team but not a great team.

A team of uneven balance: consistently good pitching on one hand; inconsistent offense on the other.

Pitching being the key, the Royals:

--Won 91 regular-season games despite finishing last in the league in runs scored and next to last in team batting. Each of the five starters won 10 or more games, and Dan Quisenberry saved 37. The staff ERA, 3.49, was second in the league.

--Won the playoffs despite being outhit, .269 to .255, and almost outscored, 26-25. The Royals’ team ERA was 3.16, contrasted to Toronto’s 3.77. Dick Howser, who says that the quality on his staff extends eight deep, became the first manager to use five starters in a postseason series.

The performances of three of them--left-handers Danny Jackson, Charlie Leibrandt and Bud Black--ultimately proved pivotal, as anticipated. Toronto had been vulnerable to left-handed pitching throughout the season, a 24-26 record indicated, and was 0-5 against the three Royals, who now get a tougher challenge in St. Louis.

The best Toronto could do was start six right-handed hitters. The Cardinals generally use seven, including switch-hitters Tommy Herr, Willie McGee, Ozzie Smith and Terry Pendleton.

The celebrated St. Louis speed may be inhibited somewhat by the left-handers’ ability to restrict a lead off first base, but the obvious goal will be to prevent the Cardinals from reaching base.

It would seem that the unbalanced and underdog Royals will have a difficult time beating the 2-1 odds unless they can hold the scores to about that.

X-rays Thursday of Bret Saberhagen’s right palm, bruised by Willie Upshaw’s grounder in the first inning Wednesday night, were negative. Saberhagen, who left the game after three innings, will have a precautionary CAT scan Saturday but is tentatively scheduled to start Game 3 Tuesday night.

Jackson, who shut out the Blue Jays, 2-0, in Game 5, will face John Tudor in Saturday night’s Series opener here. Black is expected to be named as Kansas City’s Sunday starter against Danny Cox, and Saberhagen will be matched with Joaquin Andujar in the first St. Louis game.

The wounded Blue Jays are not expected to make major winter moves, though it’s anticipated that the designated-hitter platoon of Al Oliver and Cliff Johnson will be replaced by a full-time DH, preferably a right-handed hitter.

Toronto will also be in the market for utility help since the plan is to send infielder Manny Lee and outfielder Lou Thornton, who spent inactive rookie seasons on the Blue Jay bench, out for seasoning.

The playoff collapse may mar the memory of 99 regular-season victories, the most in baseball.

It already has, in fact. A bold, black headline in Thursday morning’s Toronto Globe and Mail read: “They Blew It.”