PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #68
1991 Minnesota Twins (95-67) vs 1909 New York Highlanders (74-77)
Everyone remembers where they were in Minnesota when Jack Morris battled into the 10th inning of game seven of the world series and the Twins would walk off a title. Tom Kelly is the perfect leader for a team that seems to find a way to persevere even against more talented teams, and as the cliche says, refuse to lose. Morris did win 18 games and almost threw 250 innings with 10 complete games, he will love the mentality of his opponents from the deadball era. Kevin Tapani was excellent going 16-9 with a 2.99 ERA throwing mostly offspeed stuff and Scott Erickson did better then all of them, winning 20 games with three shutouts and true promise at 23 years old, David West had his moments but was hit hard in his 12 starts while the pen was anchored by Rich Aguilera who saved 42 games in 63 games. Mark Guthrie and 33 year old Steve Bedrosian added to the depth in the pen. Chili Davis was the most powerful bat in the order driving in 93 with 29 home runs as the teams aging DH. Star Kirby Puckett had 195 hits and managed a .319 average and 92 runs; Puck was at his best when the game mattered the most. Chuck Knoblauch was among the best young talents any team could hope for at second and is another player that played the game like it was 1909. Shane Mack had a nice year and lead the club in offensive WAR while Kent Hrbeck managed 20 home runs and 84 RBI. Dan Gladden and Greg Gagne were nice pieces that a championship needs to get over the hump. The last champion Minnesota has seen will look to once again find a way, any way, to fight and win a series. The Twins are especially dangerous on the turf at the Metrodome.
Way before they were a dysnasty, the Yankees were still building their product and were known as the Highlanders. George Stallings has a good baseball mind and will surely have his team ready to play, although playing on the turf in the dome will be an outer space like experience for this club. The pitching was lead by two maybe not well known arns but effective. Jack Warhop 105 ERA+ and won 16 games but has the odd stat of hitting 26 batters. Joe Lake went 14-11 with a 1.88 ERA and lead the club with 117 strike outs, he was truly as good as it gets in 1909. Most of the arms were used in all tyoes of roles by Stallings as King Brockett, Rube Manning, and even 35 year old Jack Chesbro had their names called when needed. Jack Quinn is another name to keep an eye on, as when at tough spot arose late in a game, he seemed to be the one to put out the fire. The best hitter on the team may be Frank LaPorte but he only played in about half the games while Willie Keeler at 37 years old only managed to play in 99 games where he hit a career low .264 as even his slap hititng was not working. Hal Chase and Jimmy Austin were fleet of foot each swiping over 25 bases but it was Chase who was the fan favorite and one of the smoothest players of the time. Still wherever he played there was suspicion that a fix may be in, Kid Elberfeld is another one of the veterans that this New York team hoped to revive to greatness, but at 37 the willpower was there for the hall of fame infielder, but the legs were failing. The Highlanders will surely fight in this series but the Twins are the type of team that may not exactly shy away from the old style of play and definately enjoy a series with fight.
Game 1 At Metrodome
Indoors
1909 Highlanders..............4
1991 Twins........................1
WP: J. Lake (1-0) LP: K. Tapani (0-1) S: T. Hughes (1)
HR: None
POG: Joe Lake
1909 Highlanders lead series 1-0
A four run sixth inning highlighted by a Birdie Cree two run single was enough to carry the Highlanders to an opening game win. Joe Lake put aside the Metrodome crowd and was sharp as a knife allowing one earned run on 8 hits. The New York defense also stood up with numerous good defensive plays especially by first baseman Hal Chase. Kevin Tapani takes the loss with Joe Morris going in game two.
Game 2 at Metrodome
Indoors
1909 Highlanders...............6
1991 Twins.........................8
WP: M. Guthrie (1-0) LP: L. Brockett (0-1) S: R. Aguilera (1)
HR: K. Puckett (1), C. Davis (1)
POG: Kirby Puckett
Series tied at 1
Kirby Puckett goes 4-5 with three RBI and a home run as the series now breaks even. Both Jack Morris and Jack Quinn did not have good stuff and the game was tied at 6 in the 7th. Chuck Knoblauch broke the tie with an RBI double and up two in the ninth, Rich Aguilera closed the door on what is becoming a bigger fight then the Twins though they'd have.
Game 3 At Hilltop Park
Clear 62
1991 Twins..................1
1909 Highlanders........11
WP: R. Manning (1-0) LP: S. Erickson (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Rube Manning
1909 Highlanders lead series 2-1
Fourteen hits for New York as Scott Erickson get pummeled and his defense behind him commits two errors and the champion Twins are behind again. Rube Manning went seven strong for the win and Ray Demmitt scored three runs and drove in two. The Highlanders scored 4 runs in the 5th and 5 more in the 6th in what was an impressive performance. The confidence of Geroge Stallings and his club is now becoming obvious and upset could be on the horizon.
Game 4 At Hilltop Park
Partly cloudy 51
1991 Twins....................5
1909 Highlanders..........3
WP: C. Willis (1-0) LP: T. Hughes (0-1) S: R. Aguilera (2)
HR: G. Gagne 2 (2)
POG: Greg Gagne
Series tied at 2
Greg Gagne came to the rescue for the Twins hitting a 2 run home run in the top of the ninth off of Jack Warhop, his second of the game to help Minnesota tie this series. The Twins behind Paul Abbott had a two run lead but back to back home runs by the Highlanders tied the game but the Twins showed resolve. In the bottom of the ninth New York brought the winning run to the plate, but Aguilera forced a game ending 6-4-3 double play to end the drama.
Game 5 t Hilltop Park
Rain 53
1991 Twins...................8
1909 Highlanders.........7
WP: K. Tapani (1-1) LP: J. Lake (1-1) S: R. Aguilera (3)
HR: B. Harper (1), K. Puckett (2), R. Dummitt (2)
POG: Brian Harper
1991 Twins lead series 3-2
Rick Aguilera got Kid Elberfeld to fly out to left with the tying and winning runs on the bases in the bottom of the ninth extinguishing a New York comeback. The Twins had broken the game open with a Kirby Puckett grand slam in the 7th and Brian Harper had 3 hits and 2 RBI in the game as well. Kevin Tapani gets the win despite allowing 15 hits, and Minnesota now goes home as the firm favorites to end the series.
Game 6 At Metrodome
Indoors
1909 Highlanders................4
1991 Twins..........................6
WP: J. Morris (1-0) LP: J. Quinn (0-1) S: R. Aguilera (4)
HR: R. Demmitt (3)
POG: Jack Morris
The Twins back home behind Jack Morris jumped ahead to a 5-0 lead and would hang on as Rich Aguilera earned his fourth save in the 9th. Greg Gagne and Don Gladden hit run scoring doubles in the three run frame and Morris would take the game into the 9th striking out four and allowing only 2 earned runs. The Highlanders stole 5 bases in the game but somehow lost their way in this series losing three in a row to bow out.
1991 Minnesota Twins Win Series 4 games to 2
Series MVP:
Greg Gagne
(10/19, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 3 2B, 1.000 SLG)