Longtime AL ump Denkinger passes away at 86

Longtime American League umpire Don Denkinger, whose MLB career spanned 30 seasons from 1969-98, has passed away. He was 86.

Denkinger was selected to work four World Series in his career (1974, 1980, 1985, 1991) and notably was behind home plate for the iconic pitchers' duel between future Hall of Famers Jack Morris and John Smoltz in Game 7 of the 1991 Fall Classic.

Denkinger was, unfortunately, most widely known for his infamous call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series, when, in the ninth inning of a 1-0 game, with the Cardinals just three outs away from clinching what would have been their ninth championship, he incorrectly ruled the Royals' Jorge Orta safe on a close play at first base. Kansas City would seal a comeback win on Dane Iorg’s two-run walk-off single later in the inning, and the Royals went on to take Game 7 in an 11-0 rout, effectively cementing Denkinger’s status as a public enemy in St. Louis.

Despite the negative attention, Denkinger handled the scrutiny with grace, later reflecting on the call ahead of the 2014 World Series between the Royals and Giants -- Kansas City’s first since the ’85 Series.

"It's life, and it goes on," he said at the time. "I'm obviously reminded constantly that I made a mistake. You know what? I was an umpire for more than 30 years in the Major Leagues. I know I made a lot of mistakes. That one was just blown out of proportion."

Denkinger’s relationship with the Cardinals and the club’s then-manager Whitey Herzog softened over the ensuing years. Herzog invited Denkinger to the 1985 Cardinals’ 10-year anniversary banquet in 1995, and in 2005, Denkinger was a guest speaker at the team’s 20th anniversary dinner.

“The Call,” as it is occasionally still referred to, was no reflection on Denkinger's career as a whole. In addition to his World Series experience, Denkinger worked two perfect games in his career -- Len Barker’s in 1981 and Kenny Rogers’ in 1994 -- and served as the home-plate umpire for Nolan Ryan’s sixth no-hitter in 1990.