I don’t even remember how we got the tape, but my brother and I used to watch the 1987 Minnesota Twins highlight video so frequently that I wouldn’t be surprised if we’d completely worn the film out.
In the beginning, weathered veteran ace Bert Blyleven addresses the crowd during Fan Appreciation Day 1986, and tells fans that if the players can gel together, he sees no reason the Twins couldn’t bring a World Series to Minnesota. My brother and I still joke about “gelling together” to this day.
Think about it for a second, though. Blyleven wasn’t wrong. That team lost 91 games and finished sixth in the AL West, but Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek and Gary Gaetti all had great seasons, with each finishing over 120 in OPS+. However, it was the pitching staff that betrayed that team. Frank Viola (95 ERA+) had a rough season, and just Blyleven and closer Keith Atherton really had strong seasons out there.
Flash forward one year, and Blyleven’s crystal ball proved prophetic. So sit back, take an hour and enjoy “Twins Win!” — the story of the 1987 World Series Champions.
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