First, there were the four must-win victories just to get the team to a one-game playoff. Then, there was a “I can’t believe this is happening again” sort of mentality. Combined with being the last days of Metrodome baseball, sentiments were sky-high!
Then the game actually started—and provided almost no relief until Alexi Casilla sent Carlos Gomez pinwheeling around third base and into the playoffs proper. There’s a strong case I was never more morose as when Jesse Crain (my mortal enemy) gave up what looked for all the world like a season-ending RBI double. Conversely, seeing Joe Nathan induce an improbable game-saving double play and Michael Cuddyer chugging around the bases on an equally-as-unlikely “Dome triple” to keep the season alive were moments of pure sports fan ecstasy.
It’s possible I’ve had one or two more joyous moments as a Twins fan, but nothing has yet come close to the highs-and-lows rollercoaster of Game 163 in 2009.
The newbie: The playoff curse is broken in 2023!
Last Day Division Title (2006)
Killer Crushes #500 (1971)
Mudcat’s World Series Must-Win (1965)
Kirby Puckett takes Milwaukee (1987)
Breaking the playoff losing streak (2023)