We Love Our Kansas City Royals!

1985 World
Series

Built on the collections at the Dole Archives, this exhibit celebrates the Kansas City Royals and Bob Dole's love of the team.
It brings together a variety of original documents and photographs, many of which are unavailable elsewhere. To learn more, see the About section.
Click any image to open a larger copy.

At a Royals game, 1983

Dole with Royals players in uniform, March 1969

Dole with Royals players, 1969

Dole with Royals player, 1969

At a Royals game, 1983

Press Release: 'Dole Wagers Beef on Royals Series Win,' 10/14/1980

Dole Wagers Beef on 1980 World Series (PDF)

Memo regarding surprise party for KC pitcher Dennis Leonard, 1986

Surprise party for Royals pitcher Dennis Leonard, 1986 (PDF)

Photo: Bob Dole, Dennis Leonard, and Senator D'Amato eating birthday cake, 1987

Dennis Leonard and Senator Dole eating cake, 1986

KC Royals pin, 1993

KC Royals button, 1985

Folding pocketknife, with 'Kansas City Royals Company, U.S. Navy' stamped on face

Following the death of former Kansas City Royals Manager Dick Howser in 1987, Senator Dole gave this moving speech.

Image of Dole's speech on the death of Dick Howser, 1987

Memorial speech for Dick Howser, 1987
5 pages (PDF)

Dick Howser, Elizabeth Dole and Nancy Kassebaum

Dick Howser, shown here with Elizabeth Dole and Senator Nancy Kassebaum, following the 1985 World Series

Coming into the 1985 World Series games, Dole wanted to make sure that he was on the record as supporting the "Kansas City, Kansas" Royals.

Photo of Dole with doctored map of Royals Stadium

"Geography Lesson" - Royals Stadium is actually in Kansas

Press Release: "The Kansas City, Kansas Royals" (PDF)

Photo of Dole's statement on the 1985 World Series

Statement in support of the Royals, 1985 (PDF)

Following the Royals' 1985 World Series championship, they were invited to the U.S. Capitol for a reception and celebration of their victory.

Listen to a short radio report on the Royals' visit

The 1985 World Series Kansas City Royals baseball team in the Majority Leader office, signed by several team members

Tickets to A Royal Reception

Press Release on the Royals' visit to Washington D.C. (PDF)

Agenda for the Royals Reception (PDF)

Schedule of KC Royals visit to the Capitol

Final Itinerary for the Royals visit to the Capitol
3 pages (PDF)

List of invited guests to the Royals Reception (PDF)

Photo of seating arrangement document for Royals

Seating charts for Royals Reception
3 pages (PDF)

Photo of Dole leading Royals procession from bus to Reception

The Royals procession to the reception

Photo of Dole shaking hands with George Brett and Bret Saberhagen

George Brett, Bob Dole, and Bret Saberhagen

Photo of George Brett signing a magazine cover for Walt Riker

Elizabeth Dole and Walt Riker (Senator Dole's press secretary) at a table with George Brett, apparently signing a magazine cover

Royals owners and Senators from Kansas and Missouri at the Royals Reception

"Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and applauds the accomplishments of the Kansas City Royals, 1985 Champions"

Unsigned ceremonial copy of Senate Resolution recognizing the KC Royal's victory (PDF)

Congressional Record with the Senate Resolution, with additional remarks by Senators Kassebaum, Danforth, and Eagleton
2 pages(PDF)

Text of Senate Resolution recognizing baseball's new world champions
2 pages (PDF)

Photo of Dole with Kauffmans at the reception

Royals co-owners Ewing and Muriel Kauffman and Avron and Wendy Fogelman are presented with framed copies of the Senate Resolution at the Royals Reception

Ewing Kauffman (1916-1993) established the Kansas City Royals in 1969 and was responsible for the construction of Royals Stadium, which opened on April 10, 1973, in Kansas City.

Letter from Kauffman to Dole, inviting him the opening game at the Royals Stadium, 1973 (PDF)

Letter from Kauffman to Dole, thanking him for attending the Royals Stadium opening game, 1973 (PDF)

Kauffman made his last public appearance at the stadium on May 23, 1993, when he was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. One month before Kauffman died, the facility was officially renamed in his honor in a ceremony at the stadium on July 2, 1993; it is the only stadium in the American League named in honor of a person.

Remarks By Senator Bob Dole On Senate Floor

Salute to Ewing Kauffman, August 2, 1993 (PDF)

WSJ 7/15/93 article: "Kansas City Royals Make a Pitch to IRS" - highlights the ownership group interested in purchasing Royals following Kauffman's death, hoping to prevent the Royals leaving. (PDF)

Kansas City Royals Press Release explaining possible ownership group and possibility of leaving if the plan does not go as hoped following Ewing Kauffman's death
5 pages (PDF)

Dole with Washington Senators player, 1963

Dole with Washington Senators players, 1963

Dole posing with former MLB Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, 1985

Photo: baseball signed by Peter Ueberroth

Official 1987 World Series baseball, Inscribed to Bob Dole and signed by Peter Ueberroth

Photo: Dole with Rocky Colavito, Hank Aaron, and Early Wynn, 1987

Dole with baseball legends Rocky Colavito, Hank Aaron, and Early Wynn, 1987

Image of Speech text: 'National Baseball Hall of Fame Anniversary,' 1985

Speech: National Baseball Hall of Fame Anniversary, 1985
3 pages (PDF)

Scan of Thank You Letter from Howard C. Talbot Jr. of Baseball HOF to Dole, 1985

Thank You letter from Baseball Hall of Fame to Dole, 1985 (PDF)

Dole signing a baseball for his Press Secretary Walt Riker, 1987

Photo of President Clinton signing a baseball for Dole's Press Secretary Walt Riker, 1993

President Bill Clinton signing a baseball for Dole's Press Secretary Walt Riker, 1993

Photo: Dole waving to crowd at a World Series game, 1987

Dole waving to crowd from stands at a World Series game, 1987

'Dole 96' baseball jersey at a 1996 Presidential campaign event

"Baseball card: Bob 'Peach-Head' Mitchell in a Kansas City Monarchs uniform of the Negro baseball league, inscribed to Bob Dole, 1996

Senator Dole in a KC Royals jacket, on the day of Game 7 of the 2014 World Series

This exhibit was created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Kansas City Royals' 1985 World Series Championship victory. Drawing on the one-of-a-kind materials found in the Dole Senate Collections and in the Walt Riker Papers, we hope to showcase Sentor Dole's love of baseball and his decades-long support for the KC Royals. Walt Riker was Senator Dole's Press Secretary from 1981-1993 and also an avid Royals fan.

To learn more about the Dole Archives and our collections, please visit our website. Information on the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas can be found at doleinstitute.org.

If you have any questions or comments about this exhibit or the Dole Archives, feel free to email us at dolearchives@ku.edu or contact us on our website.

The Dole Institute is committed to universal accessibility in all programs and resources. We are in the process of making all of our web projects fully accessible. An accessible version of the archival material represented on this site will be made available upon request. Please contact us at dolearchives@ku.edu to request the document be made available in an accessible format, or doleinstitute@ku.edu for general assistance.