What became of the final-out baseballs from Royals’ World Series championships?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The 2015 final out ball rests at the Royals Hall of Fame, donated by Drew Butera.
- Darryl Motley sold the 1985 ball and glove to ex-Royals co-owner Avron Fogelman.
- Motley’s championship memorabilia now resides at FAU’s Fogelman Sports Museum.
Do you remember the final outs of both World Series championships won by the Kansas City Royals?
In 2015, ace Royals reliever Wade Davis threw strike three past Wilmer Flores of the New York Mets. The baseball popped into the mitt of catcher Drew Butera as KC put away Game 5 of the 2015 World Series, winning 7-2 in 12 innings.
Thirty years earlier, KC right fielder Darryl Motley backed up to the edge of the warning track, catching Andy Van Slyke’s long fly ball for the final out against the St. Louis Cardinals. That completed the Royals’ 11-0 shutout in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series.
In those moments, the final-out baseballs — last touched by Butera and Motley — became prized memorabilia.
But what has become of them?
Both are on display, as it turns out, albeit in different time zones.
The 2015 final-out ball can be seen at the Royals Hall of Fame at Kauffman Stadium. At first, Butera kept the ball in a safe at home during the offseason, showing it to family and friends.
But he knew the coveted keepsake deserved a larger audience.
“It wasn’t like I won the World Series,” Butera told MLB.com. “We won the World Series. The city won. It belongs to them.”
Butera made the handoff of the special ball during the team’s 2016 FanFest.
“We are eternally grateful to Drew for his generosity of spirit in gifting the 2015 baseball back to the ball club,” said Curt Nelson, senior director of the Royals Hall of Fame.
The 2015 ball was authenticated right after that called third strike. No more than a few moments after embracing Davis, Butera was grabbed by someone asking for it.
No way, Butera told him, until he discovered the request was being made in order for Major League Baseball to authenticate the ball with a hologram sticker.
“I was shocked at how quick they got out there,” Butera said.
Baseball’s authentication program started in 2001, with the aim of guaranteeing the authenticity of MLB memorabilia and merchandise. The program wasn’t around in 1985 when Motley caught the final out of the I-70 Series.
So Motley just kept the ball. For a while, anyway.
“I sold it,” he said.
The buyer of that ball: Avron Fogelman, the former Royals co-owner. He purchased it from Motley about 10 years ago. Motley, who took part in the Royals’ recent celebration of the two championships, said the ball had turned brown over the years.
At some point, he had written, “Last ball caught in World Series 1985” on the ball.
“But I couldn’t read it anymore,” he said.
Motley said he also sent Fogelman the glove he wore the night the Royals clinched their first title. Exact terms of the arrangement weren’t disclosed.
Today, the 1985 ball and glove, a photo of the celebrating Motley and a letter to Fogelman are on display at the Avron B. Fogelman Sports Museum on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla.
The collection includes a Babe Ruth uniform, signed shoes from Kobe Bryant, Olympic torches ... and the baseball that nestled in Motley’s mitt for the final out of the Royals’ first championship.