There's nothing wrong with the conventional wisdom: Jack Morris pitched 10 amazing innings in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, which was played 25 years ago Thursday, and the Twins scored on Gene Larkin's bases-loaded single to beat Atlanta 1-0.

But without a sneaky play by Twins middle infielders Chuck Knoblauch and Greg Gagne, Morris doesn't get out of the eighth inning without allowing a run.

Lonnie Smith led off the top of the eighth with a single. But Smith, one of the faster runners in baseball at the time, only got to third base when Terry Pendleton smashed a double that bounced to the wall in left-center. Jack Buck, the play-by-play announcer, quickly pointed out the "terrible" baserunning by Smith on the play.

Smith never picked up the ball, and he was apparently duped by a fake by Knoblauch, who pretended to field the ground ball, and Gagne, who went to cover second and pretended to catch a throw.

HOWARD SINKER