Iorg Brothers

It's October 1982, and you're a pro baseball player. This season you've really come into your own as a dependable, everyday infielder with the Toronto Blue Jays. And although your team is starting to take shape with talented young players like Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, Damaso Garcia, and Dave Stieb, the club hasn't quite put it together enough to make the playoffs. So your season is finished. However, your older brother Dane's team, the St. Louis Cardinals, just swept straight past the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championships. He didn't play in the series, but things were about to change. In the World Series against the Brewers, Dane would get the call, and boy, did he produce. In 5 games, he'd go 9-for-17 with four doubles and a triple. And soon he'd be celebrating a World Championship alongside stars like Ozzie Smith, Keith Hernandez, and Willie McGee. 

 

That's a big win for baseball brothers Garth and Dane Iorg.

 

But that was three years ago. Now it's October 1985. Your Blue Jays are solid. You've added big hitter George Bell and steady infielder Tony Fernandez, and finished first in the AL East. As for your older brother Dane, he'd been traded from St. Louis to Kansas City. Talk about another solid team. George Brett, Willie Wilson, Hal McRae, Lonnie Smith, and a strong pitching staff had just battled their way to the top of the AL West. So it would be brother versus brother in the ALCS!

 

By this point you'd become an even more steady infielder—primarily at third base—so you'd get a regular role in the series. It might have been the nerves or excitement of playing against your older brother, but you didn't hit well at all (2-for-15). As for Dane, a part-time outfielder at this point in his career, he played in parts of 4 games, and only had 2 at-bats and 1 hit, a double, for the Royals. And frustratingly, those Royals would come back from the brink of elimination, winning the final 3 games of the 7-game series, to advance to the World Series. Dejected, you'd go back home and do the only thing you could—cheer on big bro Dane in the World Series again. He'd fly out in a pinch-hitting role to end Game 1, and then didn't see any action until Game 6. That's when things got exciting.

 

In the bottom of the 9th inning with one out, down by a score of 1-0 in the game (and down 3 games to 2 in the series), Dane came up to bat as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded. On the bad side of the spectrum, a ground ball could have meant a double play and the end of the World Series. On the good side, a single would at very least tie the game. 

 

Dane took the first pitch from Todd Worrell for a ball. Then this happened. 

 

 

 

The Royals would beat the Cardinals again in Game 7, and take the Championship.

What a moment for big bro.

 

Here are both Iorgs, pictured on cardboard from a few years prior to that moment. 

 

 

1981 Topps #334 Dane Iorg and #444 Garth Iorg

 

 

And here are some career numbers.

 

 

CAREER TOTALS

	DANE  (10 seasons)	GARTH (9 seasons)
GAMES PLAYED	743	931
AT-BATS	1647	2450
RUNS	149	251
HITS	455	633
DOUBLES	103	125
TRIPLES	11	16
HOME RUNS	14	20
RBI	216	238
STOLEN BASES	5	23
WALKS	107	114
STRIKEOUTS	180	298
BATTING AVERAGE	.276	.258
OBP	.317	.292
SLG	.378	.347

 

BEST INDIVIDUAL SEASON
(Career highs in bold)

	DANE (1980, STL)	GARTH (1982, TOR)
GAMES PLAYED	105	129
AT-BATS	251	417
RUNS	33	45
HITS	76	119
DOUBLES	23	20
TRIPLES	1	5
HOME RUNS	3	1
RBI	36	36
STOLEN BASES	1	3
WALKS	20	12
STRIKEOUTS	34	38
BATTING AVERAGE	.303	.285
OBP	.349	.307
SLG	.438	.365

 

 

Garth played more third base than second base throughout career. His 9 seasons of MLB service were all with the Blue Jays.

 

Dane was mostly an outfielder, and played a little first base as well. Over his 10-year career he suited up for the Phillies, Cardinals, Royals, and Padres. He was part of two World Series Championship teams (St. Louis in 1982 and Kansas City in 1985).

So here's to the Iorg brothers. Two nice careers, and some very special playoff moments.