I went to a work Christmas party over the weekend. It was my wife's work, so I didn't know a lot of people there. That's always difficult for an introvert but at least there was good food!
Often you're forced into small talk (eww) about mindless things. My wife knew almost everyone and was introducing a lot of them to me (really not necessary). Across the table sat a young man, maybe 23-25. My wife said he looked like actor Sean Penn. I'm not good at making famous people comparisons but this jumped right out at me, he definitely did look like Sean Penn.
The young man, who I'm sure lives in one of the many rural towns in this area, said he didn't know who Sean Penn was. To help things along, I said Penn was once married to Madonna -- a pretty famous thing that happened in 1985. Almost no flicker of recognition. Certainly no response.
OK. First, good for him for not caring. But second, HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE? Was 1985 that long ago?
Maybe it was, though I prefer to think that not enough of us folks in our 50s did a good enough job conveying the magic of the 1980s to the younger folks. That's got to be it, right? Right? People who lived in the 1980s can't be old. The last great decade must continue to live on forever. Where will this world be with no one remembering 1985?
I think I do my part on this blog. I go back in time at an annoying rate, I'm sure. I write about the '70s and '80s A LOT. Those were the best times, those were the best cards. And I have a lot of retro series that review those cards.
Next year will be the time to remember 40-year-old events such as those that happened in 1985. But I'm getting a jump start (at the risk of not having this idea available when we're actually in 2025 and I'm searching desperately for an idea) by reviewing the top baseball team of 1985, the Kansas City Royals. It's time for Joy of a Team Set.
Another great thing that happened in the '80s is most of those years, a team I rooted for won the World Series. That would cease to happen once we got out of the '80s -- present year excluded, of course. The '85 Royals were one of those teams. I wanted them to win in 1980 and they didn't, so this was a nice comeback.
I've owned the complete 1985 Topps set since 1985 and I wrote an entire blog about that set -- something apparently all the people at that Christmas party should read -- so all I had to do was pull the binder and the cards. Let's see them now, those almost 40-year-old cards.
I included the Update series cards, too, which are Mike LaCoss, Lonnie Smith and Jim Sundberg.
Favorite card runners-up: 5. Charlie Liebrandt, 4. Dan Quisenberry, 3. Willie Wilson, 2. U.L. Washington.
The 1985 set is not the most exciting as far as photos, there isn't a lot to choose from.
Team's claim to fame: Beating the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games to win the franchise's first World Series.
Favorite element on the back:
When I wrote the 1985 Topps blog I was unable to confirm that Jim Sundberg's hobbies included scuba diving and Egyptian Arabian horses, which makes me think he made this up for the bio and that's why I like this write-up so much.
Favorite trivia question on the back:
This reads like a slam on Roger Maris, "30 of his home runs in 1961 weren't all that impressive." But we weren't quite the stat freaks in 1985 that we are now, so I'm probably just projecting.
Players shown in the set who didn't actually play for the 1985 Royals: Those would be Butch Davis, Don Slaught, Leon Roberts and U.L. Washington. Larry Gura, who was a prominent part of the late 1970s Royals title teams, appeared in just three games.
Players with the 1985 Royals who didn't get an '85 Topps Royals card: The big one is Danny Jackson, who did not appear in Topps sets until 1987, though he was showing up in Fleer and Donruss before that.
Top rookies: Bret Saberhagen, of course. Buddy Biancalana made a lot of noise that postseason. Mark Gubicza was appearing in his first Topps flagship set, but he first showed up in the '84 Update set.
Players I've talked to: U.L. Washington. You know that. I've mentioned it enough here.
Former/future Dodgers: Joe Beckwith, Jorge Orta.
Team members no longer with us: Dan Quisenberry, Dick Howser, Joe Beckwith, U.L. Washington
OK, maybe 1985 was a awhile ago.
Favorite 30th anniversary moment involving this team: The Royals won the World Series a second time (2015) exactly 30 years after the first time.
And finally, favorite card:
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Yes, it's Don Slaught, even though he didn't play a single game for the Royals in 1985. He was a Ranger, and appeared as such in the '85 Traded set.
But I can't resist a catcher's pose at a spring training site. I mentioned that on this card's post on my 1985 Topps blog.
You should read it. Heck, everyone in their 20s should read it, especially if they don't know who Madonna is.
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