[Author's note: This is a series originally posted at TwinsDaily.com revisiting the 1987 postseason from the Star Tribune. On October 17, 1987, the Twins defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 10-1. Here's a look back at that game. If, however, the thought of Twins not in postseason play makes you depressed, be sure to pick up the TwinsDaily.com GM Handbook for $4.95 to find out how to fix the mess.]
With tickets and Homer Hankies sold out for days, Minnesota Twins fans were more than ready for the main event to start.
However the World Series did not start off in the Twins' favor. Not immediately anyway.
The Cardinals clung to a one-nothing lead through the first three innings. Jim Lindeman, a former roommate of Kirby Puckett's at Bradley University, reached on a double after his old roomie misjudged what should have been a caught popup to shallow center and later scored on an RBI groundout by Tony Pena.
Shortstop Greg Gagne, who fielded the Pena bouncer that allowed Lindeman to score, drew criticism from ABC's analyst Tim McCarver for the play. McCarver's analysis, as the Star Tribune's Bob Lundegaard pointed out, was wrong -- which is surprising considering the color man's usually spot-on takes.
As it turns out, the run proved to be as harmless as a minnow bite.
Although the left-handed Joe Magrane, a former Minnesota resident himself, had kept the potent Twins hitless through the first three innings, the Twins offense came alive in the fourth inning.
Gary Gaetti, the American League Championship Series MVP, led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. Prior to the game, Gaetti had chatted with reporters in the clubhouse about the Twins' chances of winning the Series.
After Gaetti's single, Don Baylor did the same. Ditto for Tom Brunansky. Kent Hrbek followed suit with a chopper up the middle and drove in the team's first two runs of the Series.
People worried about Hrbek. After all, he had gone 1-for-20 in the ALCS against Detroit. The single, even if it was just a chopper, helped reassure fans he was OK. Later, he talked about that at-bat to the Star Tribune's Tony Moton.
When Steve Lombardozzi walked, the fifth consecutive Twins hitter to reach base, Whitey Herzog emerged to tell Magrane his night was over. Magrane exited to a chorus of "Happy Trails" by Twins fans.
Herzog called on veteran Bob Forsch. Catcher Tim Launder promptly started the singles parade again to score another run and reload the bases. That's when outfielder Dan Gladden came to the plate.
During the regular season, the mulleted Gladden had seven plate appearances with the bases loaded. He had managed just a single in those at-bats.
Earlier in the game Gladden had grounded into a fielder's choice, eliminating Tim Laudner, who had walked in front of him, at second. With one out, Magrane decided to pay extra attention to the Twins' outfielder, throwing over to first nine consecutive times reported one Star Tribune blurb. (Nevertheless, on the next batter, Gladden promptly stole second.)
Magrane admitted after the game he focused too much on Gladden, wrote Star Tribune staff writer Jon Roe.
Now, with the bases loaded and Magrane out of the game, Gladden launched a 1-2 Forsch offering over the left field plexiglass for the first grand slam in a World Series game since 1970 and put the Twins squarely ahead 7 to 1. The noise at the Dome registered 118 decibels -- the same as a jet taking off -- when the ball cleared the fence.
Twins shortstop Greg Gagne said afterwards that the volume of the crowd was unbelievable at that moment.
Sid Hartman later talked to then-Twins general manager Andy McPhail regarding the process of acquiring Gladden late in spring training that year.
After the game Steve Lombardozzi, who would be the recipient of a Gladden punch a season later, raved about the outfielder's contributions to reporter Dennis Brackin.