Last week, after winning six straight games to increase their lead in the American League West Division, the 1991 “replay” Minnesota Twins came to a speed bump by losing three of five. In their 6-0 run, they swept the East-leading Boston Red Sox in a four-game series, but over the past week they lost three of four to the Bosox.
After winning the first game of the series 9-2, their bats let them down while losing 3-2, 2-1 and 4-0. In the 2-1 Sox win, a single run in the bottom of the tenth inning sunk the Minnesotans.
With no real major league baseball to follow due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are using OOTP-20, a comprehensive baseball simulation strategy game, to replay 1991. It was a year that, in real life, saw the Minnesotans win the West by eight games and go on to beat the Atlanta Braves in the World Series.
We wanted to see if the Twins could do it again.
Despite their mini-slump, the Twins remain solidly in first place in the division with a 65-29 record and a .691 winning percentage. Texas is in second place, eight games behind the Twins, with a 55-35 mark, and the White Sox follow at 54-38.
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In the AL East, it’s Boston at 55-38, Milwaukee 49-44 and Detroit 47-45.
In the NL East, Pittsburgh has taken over baseball’s best record at 64-27. St. Louis is in striking distance with a 61-32 record. And in the NL West, the Dodgers (58-34) are well ahead of second-place Cincinnati (46-45).
The Twins still have the best team batting average in the American League (.280). Kent Hrbek is batting .340, Chuck Knoblauch is at .326, Kirby Puckett .322, Mike Pagliarulo .320, Brian Harper .320, and Chili Davis .306. Davis leads the team in home runs with 24 and RBI with 76.
Jack Morris is 14-5 on the mound and Scott Erickson is 9-2. Rick Aguilera has 20 saves and a 1.84 ERA.
