European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 15, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 21american league playoffs champs revolve around i jays find to inspirational Puckett Abe Sticks fast by John Eisen Berg the Baltimore Sun Toronto a everything kept coming Back around to Kirby Puckett. Mike Pagliarulo got the biggest hit and Jack Morris won two games and the bullpen did not allow an earned run in 18 i innings but the Minnesota twins kept coming Back around to Kirby Puckett for deliverance in the american league championship series. It was his single that tied game 3 in the sixth inning when there had been every reason to believe the Toronto Blue jays were about to take the series in hand. It was his Home run in the fourth inning of game 4 that started the twins on a big rally that crushed the Blue jays spirit. Then sunday throughout the ebb and flow that was game 5, he was everywhere. Hovering in the first inning to get the twins rolling. Singling in the fifth As part of a twins rally that announced that though Down three runs they weren to about to go Down silently. And then at Bat in the eighth with the leading run on  was a moment of perfect symmetry for the twins. Suddenly everything had come Back around to Puckett. Just As it has for six years now. In Good times and bad. Back around to Puckett. The twins twin. Up there batting against the jays Best reliever Duane Ward with the game on the line with the american league Pennant on the line in fact. A a he a struck me out in the sixth on a pitch i  have swung at a Ball a Puckett said later in the twins clubhouse a and so All i did was go up there that time saying i Wasny to going to give him anything. He was going to have to earn whatever he  the first pitch was a fastball inside and the second pitch was another fastball Over the plate and Puckett swung and sent it bouncing Between the first baseman and second baseman into right Field the runner on second coming around to score the difference in the twins 8-5 win. Then he was accepting the series map trophy in a humid clubhouse smelling of warm Champagne and then he was backed up All the Way into the Shower by a swarm of reporters Beer dripping off the brim of his Cap Puckett talking and talking and talking. A growing up in the projects in Chicago where 1 did this is the kind of thing you dream about a he said haying hit a team High .429 with four runs nine hits and six Rols. A a it a a thrill to win the map thing. But someone has to win it right anyone knows there a a roomful of people in Here who deserve  he was right about that. Pagliarulo sloth inning tie breaking Homer in game 3 essentially won two games for the twins that one and the next one with the jays clearly depressed. Morris was Stellar. The bullpen was absolutely vicious. But every one of those others understood that they  have been thru without Puckett that it always comes Back to him. A a Here a a Guy who did no to complain when other players signed after him for More Money a pm Andy Mac Phail said a because he understood that he would Benefit in the end. And Here a a Guy whose personality absolutely controls the clubhouse. We can to have Prima Donnas Here with Kirby Here setting the Lead example. Its the same with the lakers and magic the 49ers and Montana the orioles and Ripken. You can t cop an attitude when the Best player on the team is the first player to report to practice the hardest worker the example of All examples. Puckett reported to Spring training two weeks Early this year. He comes Early every year. A How can anyone show up with a sour attitude when you have Kirby sitting there for two weeks working out to make the team better a Macphail said. A the has a genuine enthusiasm a Hie As goes playoff map Kirby Puckett so go his twins. For the game that just can to be measured in  he is 30 years old now and not quite the player he was five years ago no longer the big Power hitter or triple digit rib Man. The twins talked in the Spring about moving him from Center Field to make his life easier. He responded with a solid year for him .319, 15 homers 89 Bis probably another Gold Glove. A people were talking All year about other people about Chili Davis carrying us and Jack Morris and All the new Guys and that was Fine a Puckett said. A fall i wanted to do was win after coming in last place last year and we were winning. I really Wasny to doing anything special for  just being there every Day. Just being one of the three or four most versatile players in the game. How Many others hit for Power and average to All Fields run the bases Well throw hard not Many. A puck is just puck a manager Tom Kelly said. A a there a nothing you need to  he had Only one hit in his first seven at bats in this series and people were talking about a slump. A i just told them two games did t mean anything that i was going to keep hacking up there and if Good things were meant to happen they would a Puckett said. He reached base in seven of his next 11 at bats either scoring or driving in a run four times. And then it All came Back around to him again in the eighth sunday the perfect moment wards fastball running out Over the plate. A we All jumped up and cheered a outfielder Shane Mack said a but 1 can Tell you one thing. No tone of us was  by Howard i  Toronto a the Toronto Blue jays could t shake off the Pesky Minnesota twins. It wont be much easier escaping the Quot Choker Label. Another episode was added sunday to the Blue jays history of squandering Good Fortune. Their 5-2 Lead after five innings tuned into an 85 Minnesota Victory that gave the twins the Al playoffs in five games. A until you win it All you re going to live with that Label. People will keep saying that a Blue jays reliever Tom Henke said. Quot if we get to the world series and done twin it people will still say that. To get that Label you have to be there there Are a lot of people who would change places with  in 1985, the Blue jays lost the Al playoffs in seven games after leading Kansas City 3-1. In 1987, they blew a 3w-Gamc Lead in the Al East by losing the last seven games. In 1989, they made it to the playoffs but lost to Oakland in five games. And last year they led the division by i a games with eight to go. They lost six of them and Boston won the Al East by two games. Quot i guess what happens in the past affects what people think a said Tom c Androtti Toronto a starter sunday. Quot in the past the Blue jays have had better teams on paper than most and they be been underachievers. I  characterize this team As  with the addition of key players such As Joe Carter Roberto Alomar Devon White Juan Guzman and Candiotti the Blue jays thought Oil Bostons late charge in the Al East. But after splitting the first two games of the playoffs in Minnesota they lost three straight in Toronto. The twins overcame a deficit of 2-0 to win the third game by 3-2. And they came Back from a 1-0 deficit to win the fourth game 9-3. On sunday they tied the game with three runs in the sixth and won it with three More in the eighth. A they Pul the Ball in play a said Josing Pitcher Duane Ward who came in after Mike Timlin allowed c Huck Knoblauch a game tying two run single. A a that a a Nightmare for a pitching staff. Instead of a team that goes out and tries to hit Home runs these Guys Are trying to put the Ball in  the Blue jays tried to do the same but they had Little Success with men on base. A the twins were getting hits at the right time when it counted a said David Wells who came in and gave up Kent Hrbek a two run double. Quot it did no to happen for us in the alas and that a something that really hurts when you get your Guys on  Minnesota a relievers had something to do with that. Starter Kevin Tapani allowed five runs in four innings. Relievers David West Carl Willis and Rick Aguilera allowed just three runners a on a single a walk and an error a in the final  kid Knoblauch grows into Winner Toronto apr in Spring training he was the kid. Eight months and one Al Pennant later. Chuck Knoblauch no longer is a Rookie. A i Felt like the new kid on the Block Back then a he said Champagne dripping from his brow. A but this team is different from any other team. There Aren t any big egos. In be got to give credit to the Kent Hrbek and the Kirby pucketts and the Chili Davies. They made me feel like i  once the season started he wasted Little time proving he belonged in the major leagues. He batted .333 in april and continued his excellent play right through sunday when he drove in the tying run and helped set up the Winner in Minnesota a 8-5 Victory Over the Toronto Blue jays. With the win the twins took the Al playoffs in five games and earned their second world series trip in five seasons. They  have done it without Knoblauch the pint sized 23-year-old from Texas who filled huge holes at both second base and in the no. 2 spot in the batting order. While Puckett started the series 1 Tor 8 and Hrbek began 1 for 18, twins like Knoblauch kept things going. A at times you could Tell he was 22 or 23 years old a teammate Brian Harper said. A but on the Field he was a very mature ballplayer. He was a great addition. Knoblauch a one out double off Mike Timlin in sundays sixth inning capped a three run rally that made it 5-5. Alter Dan Gladden singled with two outs in the eighth Knoblauch Drew a walk from i Oronto closer Duane Waid. Puckett and Hrbek followed with singles and the twins were series bound twins style. Gladden and Knoblauch at the lop of the order were on base in both the sixth and eighth innings. Puckett and Hrbek who Are paid handsomely to drive in runs did