1980 American League Championship Series | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Dates | October 8 – 10 | ||||||||||||
MVP | Frank White (Kansas City) | ||||||||||||
Umpires | Steve Palermo, Joe Brinkman, Larry McCoy, Bill Haller, Ken Kaiser, George Maloney | ||||||||||||
Broadcast | |||||||||||||
Television | ABC | ||||||||||||
TV announcers | Al Michaels, Billy Martin and Jim Palmer | ||||||||||||
Radio | CBS | ||||||||||||
Radio announcers | Ernie Harwell and Curt Gowdy | ||||||||||||
Team (Wins) | Manager | Season | |
---|---|---|---|
Kansas City Royals (3) | Jim Frey | 97–65, .599, GA: 14 | |
New York Yankees (0) | Dick Howser | 103–59, .636, GA: 3 |
The 1980 American League Championship Series featured the Kansas City Royals facing the team that had defeated them three straight years in the ALCS from 1976–78, the New York Yankees.
Kansas City won the series, 3–0.
Wednesday, October 8, 1980, at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
The series opener saw the Yankees throw their ace, Ron Guidry, against the Royals' Larry Gura. In the top of the second, the Bronx Bombers jumped out to a 2–0 lead when Rick Cerone and Lou Piniella smacked back-to-back solo home runs. However, in the bottom of the inning, the Royals struck back. Amos Otis singled to center and stole second, and John Wathan walked. A wild pitch moved Otis to third and Wathan to second, and Frank White doubled both men home to tie the game.
The Royals moved ahead in the third, when George Brett walked and moved to third on a ground-rule double by Otis. A single by Willie Aikens plated both Brett and Otis, chasing Guidry from the game. Brett added a solo home run off Ron Davis in the seventh, and a Willie Wilson double off Tom Underwood in the eighth scored Darrell Porter and White to give Kansas City a 7–2 lead. The Yankees, meanwhile, could not score against Gura after the back-to-back home runs of the second inning, and the Royals' hurler went the distance as his team drew first blood in the series with a 7–2 victory.
Thursday, October 9, 1980, at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri