Remembering the 1991 World Series title on the 25th anniversary
It's considered one of the best World Series in Major League Baseball history, but for Twins fans, the run to the 1991 title was pure magic.
Twenty-five years ago, on Oct. 27, 1991, the Twins beat the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in 10 innings to capture the World Series title. The seven-game series featured three extra-inning affairs, five one-run games and four that came down to the final at-bat. The Twins' biggest moments sound like fiction, only because the championship came together so perfectly.
Each home team won games one through five. Minnesota returned to the Metrodome needing to win the next two facing a 3-2 deficit.
And that they did. Who can forget Jack Buck's famous "and we'll see ya . . . tomorrow night!" call after Kirby Puckett blasted a homer to deep left center in extras to force a game seven? Who can forget Puckett's fist-pumping trot and teammate mob at home plate? It's that moment that's memorialized in his statue at Target Field. That swing was so monumental it makes it easy to forget Puckett's leaping grab in the third inning at the peak of the 13-foot Plexiglass to keep their 2-0 lead intact.
Not only was there a "tomorrow night," but also tomorrow night was even better. After a scoreless tie through nine innings, Gene Larkin squared up a high fastball to score Dan Gladden in the 10th for the game- and series-winner. He ritualistically ran to first, arm extended in a fist above his head in front of a euphoric Metrodome crowd.
Jack Morris delivers a pitch against the Braves in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
Those are the moments that pop, but St. Paul native Jack Morris played an immense role pitching 23 innings in three games over an eight-day span. His game seven 10-inning shutout will likely never be matched, especially under those circumstances. He was named the MVP of the series.
Reliving the '91 World Series is experiencing the best there is in sports. The season before, Minnesota finished last in the division, but made an unprecedented turnaround with Manager of the Year recipient Tom Kelly. They would surge to first in the division behind key offseason acquisitions Chili Davis and Morris as well as a midseason blockbuster trade involving Frank Viola.
The Twins won the World Series four seasons prior, but it is '91, with its drama, stars, clutch performances and, ultimately, victory, that make it an all-time moment in franchise history.
Gene Larkin gestures to the crowd during the World Series against the Atlanta Braves at the Metrodome. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
It doesn't really seem like 25 years have passed, does it? Maybe because it is a moment that can be remembered like it was yesterday. Or even tomorrow night.