Seventeen years ago to the day, relatively unknown pinch hitter Jerry Willard strolled to the plate against Minnesota Twins reliever Steve Bedrosian in Game 4 of the 1991 World Series.

Willard lifted a fly ball to the outfield and Atlanta Braves second baseman Mark Lemke tagged up and beat the throw home to give the Braves a 3-2 walkoff victory that evened the series at 2-2.

Everyone may remember this series as one of the great World Series because of the incredible 1-0, 10-inning Game 7 that included Jack Morris’s 10 inning performance and Gene Larkin’s walkoff single that scored Dan Gladden. What everyone may not realize is that this was the best World Series ever!

Walkin’ Off

It was a Fall Classic that included five 1-run games, but all five of those games were won in the home team’s last at bat:

  • Game 2: Won 3-2 by Minnesota in the bottom of the 8th on third baseman Scott Leius’s leadoff home run.
  • Game 3: Won 5-4 by Atlanta in the bottom of the 12th on Lemke’s single to left field that scored David Jusitce from second base.
  • Game 4: Won 3-2 on Willard’s sac fly.
  • Game 6: Won 4-3 by Minnesota in the bottom of the 11th on Kirby Puckett’s walkoff homer against Charlie Liebrandt.
  • Game 7: Won 1-0 on Larkin’s series-winning single with the bases loaded.

A Little Luck

In the 8th inning of the final game, Minnesota and Morris got lucky when Lonnie Smith couldn’t score from first base on a Terry Pendleton double after he lost sight of the ball coming around second.

Still the Braves seemed primed to score the first run(s) of the game with runners on second and third with no outs. However, after an unproductive ground out by Ron Gant and an intentional walk to Justice, Morris got Sid Bream to ground to first baseman Kent Hrbek who fired home starting a 3-2-3 double play to end the inning.

Home Field Advantage

How important was home field advatage? Every single game was won by the home team. Minnesota treated the ravenous fans in the Baggy Dome to a 4-0 record including Puckett’s walkoff homer in Game 6 and the series win in Game 7. The Atlanta fans, excited by the Braves’ worst-to-first run, were treated to three consecutive wins in Games 3-5, including a 14-5 blowout in Game 5.

So what if home field advantage was determined by the All-Star Game as it is now? Well, it wouldn’t really have mattered because the American League won the All-Star Game 4-2 thanks to a 3-run homer by All-Star Game MVP Cal Ripken Jr.

Aces Wild

The 1991 playoffs was when John Smoltz first established himself as one of, if not the, premier postseason pitcher (15-4, 4 SV, 2.65 ERA with 194 K in 207 IP). After going 2-0 in the NLCS, including a complete game, 6-hit shutout in Game 7 to get the Braves to the World Series, Smoltz went 7 innings allowing only 2 runs in the game eventually won by Willard’s sacrifice fly. He also pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings in the memorable Game 7.


However, Smoltz was bested in Game 7 and the series by the performance of Morris. While Morris’s 10-inning, 7 hit shutout in Game 7 is the stuff of postseason lore, Morris also pitched great in Games 1 & 4. In both games, he pitched 7 innings giving up two runs in each outing. His three games of excellence earned him the distinction of being MVP for the best World Series ever.

Shotgun Spratling

Photo Credits: Sports Illustrated - Ronald C. Modra; SI - Heinz Kluetmeier

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