APBA friend Jim Caputo made a good point
about the last post about the completion of my 1991 APBA baseball replay. I alluded to the winner of the World Series between Pittsburgh and Minnesota in an upcoming Love, Life and APBA. I
had meant to write the results last week, almost immediately after the season review, but things got busy, life stepped in
once again and, because I have limited internet service at home, it got put
aside.
Jim compared the tease of the upcoming Series recap to a
television show that "leaves the cliff hanger then gets cancelled.”
Sorry. But better late than never. So, here’s
the recap of one of the better contests I’ve had in the 11 season replays I’ve done so
far.
The Minnesota Twins made it to the Series
by taking Toronto, four games to one. Pittsburgh beat Atlanta in six games.
The Series went seven games, but based upon
stats alone, it should have been a sweep. One team batted .272, but lost, while the other
hit a measly .174 and claimed the 1991 title. The hits came at the right time for the winning team and pitching really prevailed.
Only one game was a blowout, three were
shutouts and three games went extra innings.
Here’s the recap:
GAME 1
Pittsburgh 1 Minnesota 0
Bobby Bonilla, serving as the Pirates’ DH
in the Metrodome, hit a single, driving in Gary Redus in the fourth inning.
Pirates’ pitcher Bob Walk went the distance, giving up five hits and striking
out eight. The only threat posed by the Twins was a two-out triple by Shane
Mack in the second inning. Scott Leius walked and then Greg Gagne flied out to
end the inning.
GAME 2
Minnesota 11 Pittsburgh 4
The Twins had been pretty schizophrenic
during the season. Just as in the Series, Minnesota would score a ton of runs
in one game and then the bats would go quiet in the next. Chili Davis had two doubles and a home run,
driving in three and Dan Gladden went four for five with two RBIs. Kirby Puckett
also went three for four with three RBIs.
GAME
3
Pittsburgh 6 Minnesota 4, 15 innings
The game shifted to Pittsburgh and Andy Van
Slyke took advantage of the home field. His one-out home run in the bottom of
the 15th off Steve Bedrosian gave the Bucs a 6-4 victory and a 2-1 lead in the Series.
The teams were knotted, 1-1, after nine innings. Kevin Tapani held the Pirates
to one hit in nine innings while Doug Drabek only gave up four hits to the
Twins in eight innings.
What made this game remarkable was that the
Twins scored two in the top of the 10th on hits by Gagne and
Gladden. The Pirates responded with a Barry Bonds triple that scored Bonilla and then a sac fly by Mike LaValliere to tie it. In the 13th,
Puckett bashed a triple, scoring Gene Larkin to take a 4-3 lead. Again, though,
the Bucs answered with a two-out pinch hit home run by Orlando Merced. Pirates’
pitcher Bob Patterson, who is rated a D (the lowest rating for a pitcher in the
basic APBA game) held Minnesota hitless in two innings for the win.
GAME 4
Minnesota 3 Pittsburgh 2, 10 innings
Puckett tied the Series at two games apiece with his two-out single in the 10th to drive in Mike Pagliarulo. Rick Aguilera closed out the game for his only save of the seven-game set.
Puckett tied the Series at two games apiece with his two-out single in the 10th to drive in Mike Pagliarulo. Rick Aguilera closed out the game for his only save of the seven-game set.
GAME 5
Pittsburgh 5 Minnesota 0
Walk held Minnesota to five hits in his
complete game and hit a three-run homer in his victory. Three of the anemic
Twins’ hits came with two outs and posed no threat. All five hits were
singles.
GAME6
Minnesota 2 Pittsburgh 0
The Twins returned to Minnesota and Jack
Morris shut down the Pirates, offering only three hits in the second, third and
fourth innings. Mack hit a solo home run in the third and catcher Brian Harper
drove in Davis in the sixth.
GAME 7
Pittsburgh 2 Minnesota 1, 10 innings
Yup. Pittsburgh won my 1991 APBA replay
World Series. I began this season four years ago, mainly because I am a Twins’
fan and wanted to see if they’d win the Series just as they did in the
real season. It all came down to a LaValliere single in the 10th
inning, driving in Gary Varsho. Stan Belinda got the save for Pittsburgh. The Pirates led 1-0 on a Jay Bell home
run in the first inning. The Twins tied it in the bottom of the ninth with one out when
Puckett drove in Gladden and hope swelled that the Twinkies would take the Series crown. Instead, a catcher nicknamed "Spanky" spanked a single to end the Twins' run.
Mack led the Twins, batting .360 with two
home runs and five RBIs and Davis hit .333 with a home run and three RBIs. Gladden batted .320.
Pittsburgh, who batted .174 as a team, was
led by Andy Van Slyke’s .259 average. He hit one home run and scored five runs.
It came down to pitching. Walk had two
complete game shutouts for Pittsburgh and struck out 11.
The season is over and on to my 1947 replay,
This one was one of the better endings that I’ve seen.
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