Game thread: 1991 Games 1 and 2

[IndianaTwin]

Best I can tell, the Twins have been mathematically eliminated from this year’s World Series chase.

 

But I’ve been feeling in a nostalgic mood. First, my son is 23, and it’s amazing what we’ll do for our kids. I’ve always resisted joining the Cubs bandwagon because of all the people I know that seem to come out of the woodwork each time they sniff the playoffs. I once wrote a newspaper column saying that I wouldn’t accept someone as a Die-Hard Cubs Fan unless they remember Carmen Fanzone, a light-hitting utility infielder of the early ’70s that I recalled from a baseball card.

 

However, Tony has legitimately earned the title of a Die-Hard Cubs Fan for extended loyalty in his young life. He remembers Bartman, sure, but he also remembers Kevin Orie, Augie Ojeda, and Jose Nieves. He’s legit as a DHCF.

 

And I also remember what it was like to be a young adult, finally cheering for a winner, for I was 23 smack-dab in between the 1987 and 1991 World Series. I remember how fired up I was those years after suffering through the late ’70s and early ’80s as a kid. Those memories have returned as we've had a great time watching games together this fall. For his sake, I’ve climbed aboard this year.

 

Second, this week’s Sports Illustrated has a great Steve Rushin article on the 1991 Series, and I realized that 25 years ago THIS WEEK is still the best week I’ve ever had as a baseball fan (other than perhaps the stretch when same son and I traveled to four Halls of Fame and MLB games in seven different cities in eight days, but that’s another story).

 

So, since we don’t have Twins Game Threads to follow this week, let me propose an alternative. How about if we have a 1991 Retrospective Game Thread, with those of us old enough to do so sharing the memories we have of the magical week 25 years ago?

 

I should have started this thread on Thursday, since that was the day of Game 1. But Oct. 21, 1991, was a travel day, so I’ll summarize what happened in Games 1 and 2, drawing from the Wikipedia article at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_World_Series#Game_1.

 

Jack Morris started Game 1, going against Charlie Liebrandt (more on him in a few days). The Twins opened the scoring in the third, when Dan Gladden singled, stole second, and scored on Chuck Knoblauch’s single, with Knoblauch getting caught in a rundown between 1st and 2nd while Gladden scored. They scored again on a three-run homer by Greg Gagne in the fifth.

 

Atlanta answered with a run on the sixth when Ron Gant singled on a two-out single that Gladden misplayed, leaving runners on second and third. Morris got out of the jam by striking out Sid Bream. Kent Hrbek answered with a homer in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-1 lead.

 

The Braves wrapped up the scoring in the eighth when Morris walked the first two batters. In relief, Mark Guthrie got a double play and then walked a batter to put runners on first and third. Rick Aguilera came in and gave up a single to Gant that closed the margin to 5-2, but Aggy then got Bream to fly out and retired all three he faced in the ninth for the save.

 

The Twins jumped out early in Game 2, scoring unearned runs in the first on a two-out, two-run homer by Chili Davis. Leading off, Gladden had reached second on an error by David Justice when Justice and Mark Lemke collided in short right. Knoblauch walked, but Kirby Puckett grounded into a 5-3 double play. The Braves answered in the second when Justice singled, went to third on Bream’s double, and scored on Greg Olson’s sacrifice fly.

 

Then came Hrbek's T-Rex Moment in the top of third. With Lonnie Smith on first and two outs, Gant singled to left. Smith tried for third, reaching when Gladden’s throw got away. But Kevin Tapani, alertly backing up third, caught Gant too far off first. Tapani threw to Hrbek, and Hrbek “lost his balance” as Gant returned standing up, with Gant coming off the bag and getting called out. Hrbek would get a death threat when the series moved to Atlanta, and the Twins honored the incident with a bobblehead in 1991.

 

The Braves tied the game in the fifth when Olson doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Rafael Belliard. They threatened again in the eighth when Belliard led off with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second. Pendleton reached on an infield single, but starting pitcher Kevin Tapani ended the threat with a Gant popup and a Justice fly ball.

 

Scott Leius answered for the Twins in the bottom of the eighth, stroking the first pitch of the inning off starter and loser Tom Glavine into the left field stands, making the score the final 3-2 count. Aguilera struck out the side in the ninth around a one-out single to pick up his second save in two nights. The Series headed to Atlanta with the Twins up 2-0 with the Twins having won the first of what would be five one-run games in the series, with the winning team scoring in its final inning all five times.

 

So, what are your memories from those nights (or the regular season or ALCS)?

And if people enjoy this, could someone offer to write up at least Game 3 tomorrow, Game 4 on Sunday, and Game 5 on Monday? I’ll be on the road, so I probably won’t have time to write, though I might have time to comment. Doesn't have to be the same person each day, and the Wikipedia articles and baseball-reference.com can serve as your prompts.

[USAFChief]

I was in attendance for games 1 and 2...still the highlights of my sports viewing experience. Money was fairly tight in those days, but my wife sent me. I married well.

 

Off the bat, I thought I would catch Gagne's HR.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I remember Aguilera coming up to pinch hit with the bases loaded in extras.

 

But that memory is not until tomorrow's game.

[70charger]

 

Best I can tell, the Twins have been mathematically eliminated from this year’s World Series chase.

 

Such a pessimist.

 

Kidding aside, I happen to be living in Atlanta until the end of the year, and the commemoration of that time when Ron Gant lost his balance is producing, let's say, strong feelings here. Oh, and I have that bobblehead.