Introduction

 Back in 1994 I started my obsession with baseball video games, when in late spring of that year I picked up my copy of Sega's World Series Baseball off of layaway at the Kmart store that I worked at. A few years earlier some of my dorm mates at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT, had wasted countless hours playing Sports Talk Baseball and Football, but this was the start of what continues to this day. 

Living in and growing up in MN of course my brother and I were Twins fans, and so setting up the season of course we picked the Twins. (Once we figured out that we could only play one season at a time, we decided to each play every other game.) By 1994 I had pretty much stopped collecting cards, until... we started getting boxes, at work, from a company in Texas called "Vintage Sports Cards" And what they were was basically full boxes of Junk wax era cards that ranged anywhere from 10 bucks up to 30 bucks depending on brand. Some of the boxes I picked up included 1988 Fleer, 1990 Upper Deck, 93 Studio, 92 Leaf, 1986 Topps, among others. I'd gone down the rabbit hole and disappeared for the rest of the decade. 

Anyway back to the game, I remember completing seasons as the Twins, Marlins, Pirates, Rockies and Astros. The only successful season was as the Twins, which was remarkable, because as most fans know, the 93 season was the start of a 8 year slide in the standings and potentially, threatening to leave the state for the second time since 1984. 

So, I came up with the idea for this blog after purchasing a second hand Genesis system of ebay for my son, who, loves the old school gaming and especially the Sonic the Hedgehog games and now he can play them on their original system. Yesterday I picked up an almost brand new copy of the World Series baseball game, and have started a new season as the Twins. As those who had the game back in the day know, the schedules were randomized and didn't follow the actual schedules for the 94 season. Today I played game one of 162. I will talk briefly about the game, and feature a player and card from the 1994 Topps set. 

Game 1 Royals at Twins. Twins 8 Royals 7 10 innings. 

Kent Hrbek walks it off as the Twins take the season opening game. Kirby Puckett goes 5 for 5 with 2 homers and 4 rbi.  

1994 Topps Kirby Puckett Card #100.

What can I say about Kirby? Those who know me, know that I spent my entire 7 year baseball career, trying to emulate Puck, mostly unsuccessfully, which is probably why the last game of my career was in the 1991 MN State baseball tourney, after striking out as a pinch hitter in a blowout game. From the moment he was called up, arriving late to the Big A in Anaheim CA, taking a taxi from LAX and having to borrow the 85 bucks to pay the cabbie, and going 4 for 5 in his first game, to getting beaned in the face by a Dennis Martinez fastball in his last career at bat, Puck was MN Twins baseball.  So many memories flood back, I could write an entire blog on just Puckett. But I won't. He was my favorite player, and to this day, even though we later found out, that he was not the perfect person that we all wanted him to be, it's okay because we all have our faults, and if we are going to judge others we better make damn sure that we are perfect ourselves, which we all know, isn't true. I am not going to condone, the accusations, but I won't judge either because I wasn't there and the only people that know the truth of the situations are Kirby, the others involved, and god. 

I love this card, because of the hundreds of cards he had up to this point it one of the few that he is pictured in his home jersey. Studying the background it looks as if it was a spring training game and guessing that may be a Red Sox catcher in the background. Quite possible Tony Pena? Am assuming he swung and missed this pitch, or fouled it off. A nice action card, and one in the home whites. Would have loved more of the pre 1987 home whites in more cards, but there are not very many if any that show the Twins of that era in the white pull overs other than team issued cards. 

I can only imagine, or dream of what those last 3 years of his career could have been. Another batting or RBI title in 1996. Imagine that lineup for a moment Chuck Knoblauch leading off. Paul Molitor hitting second, Puckett third. Cordova, Hollins, Becker, Pat Meares, Scott Stahoviak and Matt Walbeck rounding out the lineup. Surely 3000 hits would have arrived, and being able to tutor the young guns of those early 2000's teams on the field of play. Regardless, history cannot be changed and the fantasy of what might have been is just that, fantasy. That being said, I will always have a spot for Kirby in my collection and in my heart. Touch em all Kirby Puckett! Touch em all!