List of World Series champions
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) and concludes the MLB postseason. First played in 1903, the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and is a contest between the champions of baseball's National League (NL) and American League (AL). Often referred to as the "Fall Classic", the modern World Series has been played every year since 1903 with two exceptions: in 1904, when the NL champion New York Giants declined to play the AL champion Boston Americans; and in 1994, when the series was canceled due to the players' strike.
1985 World Series
This was the last World Series in which the designated hitter was not used in an American League baseball park. From 1976 to 1985, in even-numbered years, the DH would be used in all games. In odd-numbered years, like this World Series, the pitchers from both were required to bat for themselves throughout the series. Beginning with the next World Series, the DH rule would be used only in games played at the American League representative's park. The Royals became World Series champions for the first time in their history; they would return to the Series in 2014, in which they played the 2014 World Series against the San Francisco Giants but lost in seven games. A year later in the 2015 World Series, the Royals would win their 2nd title against the New York Mets.