Front Page: 1987 Revisited: Twins Upset Tigers

[Parker Hageman]

 

No, that's my interpretation from watching the game a couple of months ago.

 

Viola let 2 runs go in the 2nd inning and after that the Cardinals were shut out.  But watch the game instead of listening to the announcers -- that was a defensive stop and not Viola being dominant.  When I re-watched the game for the first time I was truly impressed by the defense on that team.

 

I don't want to digress this topic too much.  We can carry on this conversation elsewhere.

 

 

The thing that struck me about Game 7 is how bad the officiating was. There was the botched rundown as well as the missed Don Baylor play at the plate. 

[spanman2]

October 24th 1987 my dad remarried after having been widowed for 5+ years.  I was a 10 year old kid in Fulda, MN staying up late watching the game at a relatives awaiting a move to South Central PA where my dad was with my new step-mom.  It was their wedding day and years later my dad and I were reminiscing about the '87 Series.  You talk about certain plays etc.  His most 'memorable' moment was hoping he didn't 'end his marriage' before it began by watching game 6 on his wedding night!  His excuse was 'these things just don't happen every day'.  I guess you could say that is true about getting married and watching our beloved Twins in the World Series!  Nearly 4 years later I was a 14 year old staying up late watching the ALCS/World Series games cheering loudly and waking up the step-mother.  I think the old man used the same excuse in 91 as he did in 87.  Baseball and sports are a beautiful thing!  I have a 3.5 year old son and hope he gains that enjoyment of the Twins staying up late and driving his mom crazy by doing so.   

[Han Joelo]

Just want add my thanks, Parker. I wouldn't be a Twins fan without '87, or probably even a baseball fan, although Kirk Gibson helped cement that--was his Dodger moment the next year?

[Doomtints]

 

October 24th 1987 my dad remarried after having been widowed for 5+ years.  I was a 10 year old kid in Fulda, MN staying up late watching the game at a relatives awaiting a move to South Central PA where my dad was with my new step-mom.  It was their wedding day and years later my dad and I were reminiscing about the '87 Series.  You talk about certain plays etc.  His most 'memorable' moment was hoping he didn't 'end his marriage' before it began by watching game 6 on his wedding night!  His excuse was 'these things just don't happen every day'.  I guess you could say that is true about getting married and watching our beloved Twins in the World Series!  Nearly 4 years later I was a 14 year old staying up late watching the ALCS/World Series games cheering loudly and waking up the step-mother.  I think the old man used the same excuse in 91 as he did in 87.  Baseball and sports are a beautiful thing!  I have a 3.5 year old son and hope he gains that enjoyment of the Twins staying up late and driving his mom crazy by doing so.   

 

 

Cool story.

 

I was in the process of moving out of Minnesota during the playoffs.  For the Detroit series we were still in MN.  For the first half of the WS we were looking for a home in our new state.  We were back in town for the final win.  I left the state as a living resident for good the day after Thanksgiving.  

Fun times, and this was the perfect conclusion to living in Minnesota as a big Twins fan.  

Edited October 12, 2016 by Doomtints

[TwinsCD]

 

As the post-game celebration continued -- with the Twins’ roster and coaching staff dripping in champagne and cheap beer -- KARE11, the local NBC affiliate broadcasting the game, notified viewers that the team would host a welcoming party that night at the Metrodome. The gates would be opening at 9 PM.

 

In the linked video below, that crawl ran BEFORE Reardon delivered the final pitch.  A bit ballsy by the powers-that-be at KARE back then.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S2pZ6QGtg0

[Old Twins Cap]

Ahhh, weep for those days.  Gaetti hopping like a chicken after the Evans pick off.  Hits from up and down the line up.  A stopper.  The starters.  Defense.  Youth.  Home grown. The underdogs become champions.

 

Weep for those days.

[David HK]

I watched that game 5 with pals at Stub & Herbs-  what a game!  And that night at the Dome, when the team returned to a full house- wow, one of my favorite sports memories of all time.  It was a special time, and a special team.  I gotta find those old photos from that rally sometime-  if I do, I'll post 'em here.  If anybody else has some, please do the same!

 

[Tibs]

Parker, I love your writing. If you wrote a book I'd buy it in a second.

[Parker Hageman]

 

I watched that game 5 with pals at Stub & Herbs-  what a game!  And that night at the Dome, when the team returned to a full house- wow, one of my favorite sports memories of all time.  It was a special time, and a special team.  I gotta find those old photos from that rally sometime-  if I do, I'll post 'em here.  If anybody else has some, please do the same!

 

I would love to see pics from any of those games/celebrations. People definitely need to share some of those.

[Blake]

My then wife and I went to the Metrodome for the welcome home party. The people at the Metrodome later told me (I did some contract work at the Metrodome for a while and got to know a few of the people who worked there) they were stunned at the crowd that showed up to welcome the Twins back from Detroit.

[spanman2]

We could use some of that talent and attitude on the current roster.  Besides 87/91 my favorite Twins team was the 2002 version.  They had the bleep you attitude we came to play with heart/determination and sheer love of playing baseball.  Like the 87/91 team they grew up together took some lumps together and leaders developed over time.  The current Twins roster lacks that big time!  Hopefully that develops sooner rather than later.  

[Blake]

The 87 Twins were a raucous bunch that played with a chip on their shoulder and won it all.

 

The 91 Twins were a professional team through and through, took care of business and won it all.

 

Be nice to see one or the other show up in the near future with Twins teams.

[David HK]

At last!  Finally found a couple of pix from that magical night--  I know there are more around somewhere, but hey, that was life in the pre-digital age, eh?

 

[Matt Johnson]

Gaetti colluding with Holdingford High School grad and brief St. Cloud State Huskie Joe Brinkman. I like it. 

[Aaron Cross]

The 1987 ALCS. Probably my greatest sports memory. It was magical. NBC's intro was magical. A version of "Take me out to the ballgame" with a little boy finding a magical baseball. And NBC's baseball theme they played before and after games.......ingrained in my mind forever. Gaetti's two home runs. Magic. The comeback. Puckett's double driving in Gladden. Magic. As the ending credits rolled after game one, and NBC's baseball music played to a replay of gladden sliding into home, Bob Costas with the immortal words "And for all the doubters, the Minnesota Twins are very much for real".

 

Chills up my spine. Pretty amazing experience for a 13 year old.

[Aaron Cross]

We gotta get a 1987 Twins discussion going! Such an amazing season. Such interesting names on that roster. Steve Carlton! Joe Niekro! Don Baylor! Wow! What a season!

 

One thing I felt bad about was Berenguer blew that 1-0 lead in game 3. Winning game 3 would have put Niekro on the mound for game 4!

[Tovar12]

I was fortunate enough to have friends that got on the phone and dialed and dialed and dialed and waited to get in, to buy tickets (no internet sales back then).  I was at game 1 of the 87 ALCS and also game 7 of the World Series.  After we won the World Series, I remember running around downtown Mpls high-fiving strangers and people hanging out of cars.  My buddy and I had to drive back to Rochester and work the next day too!  I also was lucky enough to have a friend take me to game 7 of the '91 World Series.  I always remind my two boys that their "old man" was at both World Series game 7s.  It's also easy for me to remember the years they were born (87 & 91)!

 

So many memories!

[Oldgoat_MN]

This was great, Parker.  Thank you.

It's also fun to read how all the posters here remember it. Special for all of us.

 

Interesting thing about your story: Gibson apologizing for his .286/.375/.476 (.851) slash line. Well, he apologized for the strikeouts. 

 

Look at that and you will see (or remember) how much game has changed as far as how people appreciate the contributions made by the players. Yes, "he walks too much" was once considered by some to be a put-down of a ballplayer.

[Aaron Cross]

We gotta get a 1987 Twins discussion going! Such an amazing season. Such interesting names on that roster. Steve Carlton! Joe Niekro! Don Baylor! Wow! What a season!

One thing I felt bad about was Berenguer blew that 1-0 lead in game 3. Winning game 3 would have put Niekro on the mound for game 4!

BTW, I'm referring to Berenguer blowing game 3 of the World Series. Reardon blew game 3 of the ALCS. That was a heart breaker.