Twins' Meares, Puckett made big impression on Big Unit in '95

This was not the first time the Twins knocked around Randy Johnson. They did so as recently as 13 years ago, and in a more surprising circumstance.

It was 1995 and Johnson was in the process of winning the first of his five Cy Young Awards. He finished 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts in 2141/3 innings. He had a May victory over the '95 Twins and two no-decisions.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, then the third base coach, said: "Usually when the Big Unit pitched against us in those days, I stood at third like a cigar store Indian."

That was not the case on June 16, 1995, when the Twins reached Johnson for nine hits and eight runs in six innings. Brad Radke cruised through seven to get a 10-1 victory.

"That was the popcorn game," said Rick Stelmaszek, the Twins' long-serving bullpen coach. "The Unit was standing out there in his stretch and just as he was getting ready to go into his delivery, some guy in the front row dropped his popcorn box on the field."

"It distracted Johnson and he broke his hands for a balk," said Stelmaszek. "He pointed out the guy, mad as you can get."

As recalled by Gardenhire and Stelmaszek, the balk contributed to the Big Unit blowing up and helping the Twins to a decisive rally.

"What I remember was Pat Meares going deep on him, and then the next time up, Meares tried to lay down a drag bunt," said Scott Ullger, another Twins' coach. "Johnson didn't like that. He dang near killed Mearesey with the next pitch."

All three members of the 1995 coaching staff still to be found in the Twins clubhouse agreed that shortstop Meares "owned" Johnson.

"I think Meares hit three home runs off him that year," Gardenhire said. "At least two."

Two was the correct recollection. Meares hit a two-run homer off the Big Unit on June 16 and then homered off him in the September no-decision.

Johnson allowed only 12 home runs in that regular season, so getting a pair was impressive. Yet Meares' ownership of the Big Unit was an overstatement.

Meares and Reboulet had two hits apiece against Johnson in the 10-1 upset in the Kingdome. The memorable blow, though, was Kirby Puckett's grand slam that made it 8-1 in the sixth inning.

It was a drive to well back in left-center -- the only home run that Puck hit in 60 career at-bats against Johnson.

Later that summer, Puckett was asked about Johnson by Sports Illustrated and said: "Let me tell you, no righthanded hitter is comfortable against him. It's a scary feeling. All I do is shorten my swing, be quick and try to go up the middle."

The Big Unit that the '95 Twins drubbed was the 31-year-old version with a fastball that stayed between 96 and 98 miles per hour and a slider that hurried away from lefties and dived at the ankles of righthanders.

The Big Unit the '08 Twins defeated 7-2 Friday in the Metrodome tops out at 93 with his fastball and relies much more heavily on his slider. What was similar to the past was the popcorn:

Brendan Harris also helped the big inning with a double in his first at-bat ever against Johnson.

"Legend, Hall of Famer ... what can you say?" Harris said. "It's great to beat him."

Yes, it's great to beat the Big Unit of 2008, as opposed to being miraculous in 1995.