Kansas Citians who watched the 1985 World Series will never forget the thrill of the Royals’ triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals. But local historian and sportswriter Marshall Garvey’s new book suggests that the series has otherwise been largely overlooked — aside from Umpire Don Denkinger’s infamous missed call in game six.   

Kansas City Star sportswriter Vahe Gregorian and 1985 series batboy Chris Browne talk to Garvey about his new book, Interstate ’85: The Royals, the Cardinals, and the Show-Me World Series. They discuss the stories Garvey learned from interviews with key figures, such as Denkinger, as well as Bud Black, George Brett, Mark Gubicza, Ricky Horton, Ozzie Smith, and Andy Van Slyke.  

Garvey, an acclaimed historian, specifically in the field of Sacramento baseball history, works as an immigration case writer for the law firm Ellis Porter. He is the author of two previous books, The Hidden History of Sacramento Baseball and Ellwood’s Odyssey, a novel of historical fiction. He lives in Citrus Heights, California.   

Gregorian has been a sports columnist for The Kansas City Star since 2013 and wrote for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for 25 years. He has covered a wide spectrum of sports, including 10 Olympic Games.  

Many years after his stint as a batboy during the 1985 season, Browne worked as the vice president and general manager of the Kansas City T-Bones (now the Monarchs) for 12 years. He’s currently the senior vice president of sponsorships for the American Association of Professional Baseball.