Can the Minnesota Twins, with the best record in the American League, cool off the American League batting champion, Wade Boggs, and fight their way to the 1991 World Series? Can the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the best record in baseball, overcome another team with more than 100 wins, the Los Angeles Dodgers?
The table is set in the 1991 Globe fantasy replay league. The regular season is complete, and now the playoffs are ready to begin with the Twins taking on Boston and the Pirates taking on LA in league championship series.
With no real major league baseball yet to follow, 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.
Minnesota finished the replay regular season with a 102-60 record, well ahead of the Chicago White Sox (95-67) and Texas Rangers (92-70) in the AL West. Boston finished 93-69 in the AL East, ahead of Milwaukee (86-76) and Toronto (83-79). In the NL East, it was Pittsburgh at 106-56 and St. Louis in second place with a 93-69 record. The Dodgers were 101-61 in the NL West, ahead of San Diego (92-70) and Cincinnati (84-78).
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Kent Hrbek led the Twins in hitting with a .315 batting average, followed by Chuck Knoblauch at .309 and Kirby Puckett .307. Puckett also hit 25 home runs and drove in 101 runs. Chili Davis batted .289 for the Twins with 39 homers and 116 RBI.
Jack Morris was 23-10 on the pitcher’s mound with a .309 earned run average, leading the league in wins, complete games (12) and shutouts (5). Scott Erickson was 16-6 with a 2.93 ERA, and Rick Aguilera had 35 saves.
The Red Sox’ Boggs led the league in hitting at .342. Cal Ripken of Baltimore led in home runs (44) and RBI (129). Milwaukee’s Paul Molitor led in hits (209) and runs (122). Texas’ Nolan Ryan was the ERA leader (2.12) and strikeout leader (281). Bryan Harvey of the Angels led the league with 43 saves.
