Minnesota Twins win the first World Championship in franchise history
On October 25, 1987 — In a World Series in which neither team lost a game in its home park, the Minnesota Twins win the World Championship behind starter Frank Viola and reliever Jeff Reardon, beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 – 2, in Game 7. The franchise’s last championship came in 1924 as the Washington Senators.
Frank Viola wins Series MVP
Frank Viola was in perfect pitch for Game 7 of the World Series. Viola allowed six hits in eight innings and pitched Minnesota to a 4-2 victory Sunday over St. Louis and was named the most valuable player of the 1987 Series. “This is the happiest moment of my life,” he said. “I’m thinking of all my teammates, my friends, and my family.” Viola won the first game of the Series, 10-1, allowing five hits. But he struggled in Game 4 at St. Louis, allowing six hits and five runs in 3’3 innings. The Twins, who finished sixth in the American League West last season, left St. Louis trailing 3-2, and Viola was hoping to get one more turn under the friendly Teflon ceiling at the Metrodome. “I was happy to have another chance,” he said. “I ended the season on a much better note than if I had ended it on Game 4. I would have had a bitter taste in my mouth for a long time.”
Viola, who struck out seven, joined a list of great seventh-game World Series pitching performances. There was some concern over Viola pitching on three days’ rest. Viola was 2-2 in his previous five starts on three days’ rest, and his earned run average on those starts was 5.64. “I felt great tonight,” he said. “I had a real good fastball and a good change-up. I could have pitched on two days’ rest. I have all winter to rest.” Viola was 2-1 in the Series with a 3.72 ERA. He is the 15th pitcher to win the World Series MVP, but just the third in the past 19 seasons. Pitchers won the award 12 times in the first 14 years after the award was started in 1955. Viola left the game in the eighth inning. He allowed two runs in the second inning when the Cardinals got four singles. “It’s great just to win the World Series, but to win the MVP makes it just that much more special,” he said.
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