1991 Minnesota Twins
The 1991 Minnesota Twins began the season as afterthoughts.
They entered the year coming off a 74-88 record, which was good enough for 7th
and last place in the AL west. The only significant moves in the offseason were
the additions of local veteran starting pitcher Jack Morris[1],
aging OF/DH Chilli Davis and veteran 3b Mike Pagliarulo.
The team started slowly as expected, before catching fire as the year went along and were a surprise
runaway winner of the AL West winning the division by 8 games over the Chicago
White Sox. Led by Kirby Puckett, Chilli Davis, Morris, Scott Erickson and
closer Rick Aguilera the Twins entered
The A.L.C.S. against the Toronto Blue Jays as underdogs despite boasting a
better record than the Blue Jays in the regular season. The Twins were able to
advance to the World Series behind the A.L.C.S. MVP Kirby Puckett.
In the World Series the Twins where matched against the
Atlanta Braves who also happened to finish last the previous year in the N.L.
West.[2]
This was the first time in MLB history that a team, which had finished last in
there respective division the year before had made the next years World Series
and both teams accomplished this feat.
This World Series is often referred as the greatest World Series of all time as
with 5 games being decided by a final run including the last two games of the
series in Minnesota. Four of the games were decided in the last at bat
including the final two games and 3 of
the 4 home games for the Twins.
Both, Kirby Puckett
and Jack Morris cemented there legacies in this World Series for Minnesotan’s and
throughout the United States: Puckett with a game saving catch in game 6, and
the game winning homerun in the bottom of the 11th inning off Braves
lefty Charlie Liebrandt. This sent the
series to a 7th and deciding game. In game 7, Jack Morris put on what
I believe to be the single greatest pitching performance off all time
considering the circumstances and what was at stake. 10 innings of shutout
baseball! 10 innings!!! If he did this for the Yankees or Red Sox he would
definitely be in the Hall of Fame.
Morris wasn’t perfect that day but he held the Braves scoreless thanks
to great pitching, great defense and a little luck.[3]
This was a great day, as I remember a sense of pride and
feeling of accomplishment in the fact that my team won that I haven’t felt
sports wise too often since then.
The 1992 Twins were actually better than the 1991 team, despite
not re-signing Jack Morris, but so were the 1992 Chicago White Sox leaving the
Twins and us fans to watch the playoffs from home. This is something the
franchise would get used to as they would not see the playoffs again until 2002
Since 1991 the Twins have won a total of one playoff series,[4]
were nearly contracted from baseball and are currently on an embarrassing 9
game playoff losing streak to the New York Yankees. [5]
Sweet. PS the Twins have had a lot of
success in the last 10 years, but just like the Vikings they have been just good
enough to break your heart.
After the Twin’s won the 1991 World Series, Minnesota sports
fans were treated to the first cold weather Super Bowl in N.F.L. history, in
downtown Minneapolis. This game is infamous for Thurman Thomas misplacing his helmet…not
exactly a classic Super Bowl moment. The Washington Redskins prevailed over the
Buffalo Bills 37-24, marking the Bill’s second of four straight losses in the
Super Bowl.
The last of the four major events Minnesota hosted over this one year span was
the 1992 Final Four. The four participants were: Duke, Michigan, Cincinnati,
and Indiana. Duke defeated Indiana by 3 points in the first Semifinal while,
Michigan defeated Cincinnati in the other Semifinal. In the championship game, Duke led by Christian Laettner(future
Minnesota Timberwolves bust) defeated
Michigan , which was led by the fab five 71-51.
With these four events in the book , the greatest one year
span in Minnesota sports was now over. What has followed since?? Only
the two most heartbreaking losses in Viking’s history, the North Stars leaving, The Timberwolves almost leaving and being unable to get past the 1st
round of the playoffs for most of the late 90’s early 2000’s, the Twins almost
getting contracted from the M.L.B., various threats of the Viking leaving, and
more recently, injuries to literally every star player in the local market.
[1]
Morris is from St. Paul
[2]
The Braves were in the NL West until the beginning of the strike shortened 1994
season
[3]
Lonnie Smith oh Lonnie Smith thank you again. Smith’s baserunning gaffe, in which
Chuck Knoblach and Greg Gagne fooled him into hesitating between 1st
and 2nd base on a sure run scoring double kept the game scoreless.
[4]
2002 A.L.D.S over the Oakland A’s
Part 3 the Vikings coming later this week
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