It`s time to divvy up the loot, dole out the accolades and savor the moment.
Such is baseball protocol when it comes to dispensing the spoils of victory.
The Minnesota Twins, an organization in transition, took one quantum leap forward Sunday night by winning the franchise`s first World Series in 63 years, purging the favored St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 in Game 7 behind the pitching of Frank Viola. The 1924 Washington Senators, the once-proud ancestors of the transplanted Twins, wore the franchise`s previous crown.
The Twins, who voted 35 3/4 World Series shares, figure to reap $85,580 per man from the Series vault.
Large bills only, please.
The Cardinals will attempt to sooth their wounds with $56,052 per man after passing the losers` hat. They voted 40 3/4 shares.
Minnesota fans stormed the streets, honked the life out of their horns, waved their haughty ”Homer Hankies” and engaged in what otherwise appeared to be good, wholesome revelry.
This time last year, Twins management was contemplating its short-term and long-term direction. Tuesday afternoon they will contemplate which direction to start the noon parade in downtown Minneapolis.
Tom Kelly, named interim manager late last sason, did not inspire the overriding confidence of the team`s front office at the end of the 1986 campaign. Jim Frey was being interviewed by young general manager Andy MacPhail to take Kelly`s place, as well as the position of player personnel director.
It was practically a ”done deal” until the former Cubs manager insisted on more than a two-year contract to try to restore the Twins to respectability. The club`s executive branch and playing roster were both in a state of flux with team owner Carl Pohlad and the rest of the board of directors in polite disagreement. Alas, Kelly was retained as full-time manager.
”The ballclub was in danger of being broken up,” said Kelly, 37, the youngest non-playing manager to guide a world champion since the Giants` John McGraw in 1905. ”How much was management going to put up with guys going out and getting beat up all the time? But Mr. MacPhail made a decision to stay with it one more year.”
The time was right for the Twins, who won only nine more games than the sixth-place Cubs of the National League East.
”In years past, the strides we`ve made have gone in the opposite direction,” said Viola, one of six key Twins who were rookies in 1982 (others were Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, Tim Laudner and Randy Bush). ”I told somebody before the season started that it was put up or shut up for the Class of `82. I guess we put up.”
The 84th World Series will be remembered for its consummate home-field advantage-the first Fall Classic to see both teams win all of their home games. The Twins used their 4-3 home-field advantage to the max. The Metrodome theatre-in-the-round proved the undoing of the National League champion Cardinals, who had grown to love the great outdoors of Busch Stadium.
”We appreciate the fans and their support,” said Kelly. ”They`ve been great and we love them. But it`s the boys on the field that get the job done, not the fans. The boys are the ones that have to perform, to pitch, to hit, to field. They`re the ones.”
– Dispelling any rumors of a Homer Hanky hangover, Minnesota continued to marvel Monday at the Twins` first World Series title and got ready for the biggest celebration yet.
Declaring Tuesday the official Minnesota Twins World Championship Day, Gov. Rudy Perpich called on employers and public schools to free ecstatic fans from everyday life to watch a Twins motorcade parade through Minneapolis and St. Paul Tuesday afternoon.
The governor announced the state would lead the way by giving non-essential employees-the definite majority-the afternoon off so they could witness the gala in person or on television.
A crowd between 200,000 and 400,000 is expected to line the parade route in the twin downtowns and join a Capitol rally planned to culminate the celebration.
– ABC`s telecast of Game 7 of the 1987 World Series received an overnight rating of 29.1, highest of the Series. Game 7 of the 1986 Series between the Mets and Red Sox received a 38.9 rating, fourth highest in Series history.
The overnights showed a city without major-league baseball registering the greatest number of viewers. Denver`s 36.5 rating and 50 share were the highest numbers recorded in the 15-city overnight ratings.
