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The greatest games ever


mikelink45

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blog-0715781001564095523.jpgTed wrote "Arguably the most exciting game the Minnesota Twins have played in nearly a decade, the home team dropped a 14-12 affair last night (err this morning) at Target Field." In his recent post - Yankees blog. So I got to thinking - what are the best games the Twins have played - win or lose?

 

Do the two extra innings affairs with the Oakland A's count?

 

Certainly the game seven Jack Morris game is number one. I was there and will never forget it. (Don't tell me Jack isn't a hall of famer.)

 

And I would put game six with Puckett's HR in the twelfth right behind it ( I was there too - so bias is showing).

 

How about game seven of the 1987 World Series, the 500th world series game played, with the Vikings having to postpone their game for a day, where miscue after miscue by umps, teams, runners ended up with the Twins winning on Roy Smalley's 35th birthday and in his last game. He would appear four times in the WS and get on base four times. But this was more about Hrbek and first base and hitting a grand slam.

 

Or maybe game one in 1987 which was not a great game except we won behind Viola, it was the first WS game ever played in a dome, and Dan Gladden hit a grand slam?

 

In the 1965 World Series Jim Kaat out pitched Sandy Koufax to win game two and then lost in the best game - number 7 by a score of 2 - 0 with Koufax taking the series title for the Dodgers.

 

In 1962 Jack Kralick won a no-hitter 1 - 0. How is that for nail biting? May 11, 2011 Francisco Liriano won a no-hitter 1 - 0 to tie Jack Kralick's margin of victory. Dean Chance also had a one run margin for a no-hitter 2 -1.

 

When I looked up the Twins longest games I came up with the Tampa Bay Rays beating us in extra innings in 5 hours and 42 minutes this year, and then the Twins winning in 17 on a Kepler hit June 19. I would keep that on the list. Then June 27 we lost in 18 innings!

 

I have to have the 2009, 163rd game on my list - 6 -5, 12 innings, loser goes home final to the season! Bob Kneppel won for us - I cannot even remember him and Fernando Rodney lost for the Tigers! And we came back from a 3 - 0 deficit. Carlos Gomez scores on a Luis Castillo hit!

 

Then there are the Johan games -8/15/2006 - 8 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 10 Ks (when Ks were harder to get) and we won 3 - 2 against Cleveland. 9/17/2005 seven innings against KC. No runs,1h, 1BB. 8in, 4H, 2BB, 13 K against White Sox on June 28, 2002. Poor Texas played against Johan in 2007 in what is arguably his best game with 83 of his 112 pitches for strikes, 8 innings no runs 2H 0 BB 17 K Twins won 1-0.

 

 

 

My ranking:

  1. Game 7 1991
  2. Game 6 1991
  3. Game 163 2009
  4. Johan Santana 2 hitter versus Texas 2007.
  5. 1962 Kralick No-hitter
  6. 2011 Liriano No-hitter
  7. Johan Santana wins
  8. Game 1 - 1987 WS
  9. Game 7 - 1965 WS (the only loss I can put on the list)
  10. Game 7 - 1987 WS
  11. Game 2 - Yankee Series this week for tension and drama
  12. June 19th - Kepler wins for us in 17

Fill it up with your favorites.

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This was awesome!

 

Mike, your memory is scary good! How do you do it?

 

I have to vote game 7 of the '87 series just because. I mean, our beloved Twins actually won the darn thing!! Finally!!

 

Game 7 and Jack's performance is #2 only because of my vote for #1. And yes, he is absolutely a HOFer!!

 

Not on your list, deservedly, but the entire series against the Tigers in '87 is special because we weren't supposed to win, but did, with defense and pitching and hustle. (I still remember Randy Bush making a difference and stealing 2nd at a crucial point). And while I didn't get to watch the WS with my dad, we did get to watch most of the Detroit series together and had real hope.

 

Full confession, I shed real tears when we won in '87. So that remains #1 on my list.

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The game we played against Cleveland in PR last year was a great game. I’d say both game 163’s were amazing, even though we lost one of them. Greatest comeback game has to be the game against Detroit a couple years ago, right before the ASG where we scored what ... 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th? What game was it ... was it against Detroit in 1987 where they picked off the runner at 3rd? Was that the game

That clinched the AL championship, or am I blurring everything?

 

Getting too old to remember, but what constitutes ‘greatest’?

 

But, like you, game 7 in 1991 ... one of the greatest games ever, of any team. And, yeah, okay, I’m biased.

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Last game at the Dome of the 1987 regular season. Bert Blyleven put runners at the corners with no outs in the first. George Brett hits a hot-shot to Gaetti; to Newman at second for one; Newman ignores all baseball logic and throws home for the atypical 5-4-2 double-play. Then Puckett, Gaetti, and Hrbek all go yard in the bottom of the first, and the Twins clinch a tie for first in the AL West. (Maybe that's just the greatest inning in Twins' baseball?)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaFsAboGwfM

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Last game at the Dome of the 1987 regular season. Bert Blyleven put runners at the corners with no outs in the first. George Brett hits a hot-shot to Gaetti; to Newman at second for one; Newman ignores all baseball logic and throws home for the atypical 5-4-2 double-play. Then Puckett, Gaetti, and Hrbek all go yard in the bottom of the first, and the Twins clinch a tie for first in the AL West. (Maybe that's just the greatest inning in Twins' baseball?)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaFsAboGwfM

I would agree with one of the greatest innings, but 8 - 1 would not make the whole game rank here.  Thanks for the memory and the video.

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The game we played against Cleveland in PR last year was a great game. I’d say both game 163’s were amazing, even though we lost one of them. Greatest comeback game has to be the game against Detroit a couple years ago, right before the ASG where we scored what ... 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th? What game was it ... was it against Detroit in 1987 where they picked off the runner at 3rd? Was that the game
That clinched the AL championship, or am I blurring everything?

Getting too old to remember, but what constitutes ‘greatest’?

But, like you, game 7 in 1991 ... one of the greatest games ever, of any team. And, yeah, okay, I’m biased.

Heh... I was watching that playoff game in '87 with the gang at Stub and Herb's in Dinkytown.  That pickoff play between Laudner and Gaetti was a dagger!  I have never found any video of that game, anywhere, as much as I'd love to see that again.

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Great list, Mikey! 

 

I can't even rank all those games myself, they're all a great jog down memory lane! I went down the youtube rabbit hole for a while after that...

 

My first Twins memory was that 65 season. I remember crying like a 6 year old when they lost that game 7. Cuz... I was a 6 yr-old, I guess...

 

What a sweet list! Thanks for posting this!

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1) Game 7 1991 WS

2) Game 6 1991 WS

3) Game 163 2009

4) Johan 17K's game

5) Dozier Walkoff vs Detroit 2015

6) Scott Baker 1 hitter 8/31/2007 (3 outs from perfection, probably ranked too high, but remember watching live in college)

 

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Thanks for all the comments and inspirations. I'm currently in the gulf of Maine working on a boat with very limited internet. But when I get some is fun to get on and read these comments.

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Thanks for all the comments and inspirations. I'm currently in the gulf of Maine working on a boat with very limited internet. But when I get some is fun to get on and read these comments.

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