Thoughts on Game 7 of '91 World Series

I texted my dad and asked what I was doing when the Twins won Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.  He said I was soundly asleep in his arms as I was only six months old.  To date, that is the only World Series the Twins have won during my lifetime.  

Jack Morris (and I promise not to talk about his Hall of Fame chances) turned in one of the most impressive starts in postseason history as he hurled a ten inning complete game shutout and the Twins won 1-0.  Thanks to the iTunes store, I purchased the game to watch so I could enjoy the gem as a 21 year old.

For fun, Nils suggested I give my thoughts on the game and here they are.  

The first thing that ran through my mind was that the fashion was horrendous.  Now if a player wears “tweeners,” it means his pants are too short or it’s goofy.  In ’91, it was the thing to do.  The stirrups were still in and it seemed like every player was proudly showing them off.  It would be cool to see a team wear those again for a throwback uniform night but then and only then.

My jaw nearly hit the floor when the camera zoomed in on third base coach Ron Gardenhire.  I’ve grown up with Ron in the dugout in his jacket but in this game, his figure was easier to make out and his belly was a more tight.  The same goes for Bobby Cox.

Remember when David Ortiz hit the walk-off homer in the 2004 ALCS and Tim McCarver said, “Mr. Everest erupts again!”?  Well the lines from Tim McCarver were about as bad as they are now.  One quote I plucked from the game was about the Braves third baseman Terry Pendleton.  Jack Buck said, “TP, that’s what his teammates call him.”  To which McCarver replied, “TP, an appropriate name for someone who plays on the Braves.”

Is that politically correct?  Not in today’s world, but it made me chuckle.

Though I knew Morris pitched the entire game, when he came out for the tenth I couldn’t believe it.  In today’s game, a starter rarely goes past seven innings.  It was great to see a guy grit it out but as a pitcher, my arm started to hurt watching (thought I’m sure Morris’s sore arm was drowned by champagne and beer following the game).  

The last thing that stood out was the expressions of the players on the field.  Today, it seems like players are too cool for school.  After a big out, pitchers mostly walk off the field like it was no biggie.  Morris wasn’t afraid to fist pump after getting out of jams and it gave me goosebumps to see him flaunt in front of the Braves.  

He wasn’t the only one showing his emotions though.  After a big 3-4-3 double play between Kent Hrbek and Brian Harper, players in the field were jumping and fist pumping as they went back to the dugout, something seldomly seen in today’s style of play.

If you haven’t watched the game yet, watch it.  It’s a great way to waste a cold winter night and can it’s only $1.99 in iTunes.  My hat goes off to those Twinkies who gave the fans something to remember, even if they were only six months old.