To the Victor Go the Spoils (and Special Sections)

Game 7 of the 1987 World Series was Sunday, Oct. 25, and the special section was published that following Thursday. The cover was a giant picture from the parade with this box of text with the headline “Minnesota Magic.”

That may be a little difficult to read, so I typed it up below. I get goosebumps every time I read it.

This photo of Kent Hrbek losing his mind — arms up in celebration, dogpile already starting to form — is a classic.

You can’t talk about a Twins title without mentioning the Homer Hanky. Here’s a great ad from the paper:

Along with all the ring, special news coverage, merchandising and all that stuff, winning a title gives you the opportunity to do all sorts of other silly stuff, like make music videos. Here’s an ad for the Berenguer Boogie:

What was the Berenguer Boogie? Thankfully someone has uploaded it to YouTube, because words can’t do it justice:

Game 7 of the 1991 World Series was on Sunday Oct. 27 and, again, the special section was released the following Thursday, which was Halloween. Hmmm, Halloween 1991 … why does that day seem to stick out for some reason? …

It was a series to savor, indeed.

A variation of this iconic photo of Dan Gladden and an upended Greg Olsen made the cover of Sports Illustrated. Dazzle was tagged out on the play, which came in Game 1 of the series, but the Twins had already built a four-run lead by then.

Here’s another just incredible shot: The Catch.

Kirby looks like he must’ve found a trampoline hidden on the warning track to catapult himself that high off the ground. Twins fans looked on with bated breath, but we know Kirby wasn’t going to let the Twins lose that night. His walkoff homer later that evening went to nearly the same spot. Of course, Puckett’s blast cleared the 13-foot tall plexiglass wall and Jack Buck delivered one of the most famous home run calls of all time.

Don't worry, we'll get to Jack Morris and Game 7 a little later today.

Let’s get some good vibes flowing. What are some of your favorite memories from the Twins’ World Series championships? The Twin Cities are buzzing with the Super Bowl in town, but what was the aftermath of those championship seasons like?