First to Last: Game 7 of the 1991 World Series

[Music] John Smoltz known for playing the accordion when I was four but mainly for baseball I'm still thankful I grew up in Michigan where I rarely saw the Sun it seems like I'd watched Jack Morris or p3 or or Frank Tanana or anybody that pits for the Tigers and as soon as they were gone I would go outside and I would create this strike zone and it was a small I mean the brick wall was no wider than what I'm sitting right now in the front door of my house was there so I had to understand that if I miss left I was gonna hit that screen door I did too many times I was at Tiger Stadium I was in the biggest game I was the announcer I was you know I was I was everything and it was just me and a brick wall and a strike zone [Music] left-hander delivers pockets [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] when Kirby hit the homerun Dame in game 6 I knew my destiny I was at the pinnacle of my career and you know I got a good night's sleep I woke up I had breakfast with my family they were all in town hanging out with me and sleeping bags all over the floors you know I mean we just had a full house perfect pitching matchup can you believe this Jack Morris and John Smoltz Jack Morris with John Smoltz boyhood idol Minnesota signed him to pitch big games like this Atlanta traded for Smoltz to do the same but the hardest thing about Game seven was the waiting around for it to start when I walked out to the mound and then that's when I started all my preparation I didn't think about pitching the night before I didn't wrestle in the night I would take a nap at the stadium before big game and so I get to the park I'd play cards or do whatever and there's not a lot of places and visiting locker room take a nap so I just got up on that training room table there weren't many of them curled up you know just kind of drifted away in my own little world and I guess you know come to find out dad came in to talk to the team you know fired up his imaginable I am going to see him tonight right before the game I'm gonna tell him that I'm real proud of him no matter how they go how the game comes out I was in the training room taking a nap so I don't know what he said and and I just know that that I was preparing myself by being as relaxed as possible you know you're so amped up your soul mentally physically ready to go in the time just tick tick tick away and you just have to wait because there's nothing you can do but when I went out to the bullpen it was the only time my career I got a standing ovation just walking out to the Balkans it sent goosebumps up my back and I just was so inspired [Applause] [Music] [Applause] while they're getting ready in the Metro dome and get used to this scene because you'll no doubt depending on the twins to see it all night long you know there is no game in baseball more important at Game seven of the World Series I don't want to set the tone right away the first fourth inning I knew was going to be challenging with that emotion yeah I was about ready to go punch my catcher it's like that's the enemy we're not we're not buddies [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I knew Jack was going to be as grisilde and as mean and in a game seven well I didn't want to throw five pitches if I could get away with three so here it is hit it you are not confident you're not going to win if you have a negative thought it's over you've already lost so you've got to believe in yourself and there's nothing more egotistical than saying to yourself everybody else is home watching me that's the way you gotta feel [Music] the crowd in the dome was as loud as you can imagine most people say outlook that had to be the most nerve-wracking game you've ever pitched and it really wasn't it was the opposite I was on a mission because I was 211 in the first half I was terrible so in the second half I was on this playoff game every game it played out like like I had always wanted the first you're King Kong today yeah you're Superman get out there and show the world what you are you know find a way to not give up a run don't give up the leaf [Applause] but John Smoltz is young and the situation no score through [Music] [Applause] the partner seventh inning seventh game Oh Jack Morris takes it into the eight phases the top of the order that was kind of the old guy in fact they called me fossil going into that year it was a very emotional year for me personally I was going through a divorce I had a tremendous amount of support from my teammates I knew where I was at I knew I had a lot left you know there's no tomorrow we're all going home but as a veteran player coming to new team if you're gonna lead you gotta lead by example so I didn't try to overthrow I just tried to go strikes the ball one in the air he doesn't see it Salani puts on the brakes and he goes back a step back towards second base and that's all it took great opportunity for Atlanta I love TK because he had the same mindset I did you want to win I want [Applause] they want justice in the place to hold out there you're a baseball player and you don't relish postseasons long fort want it and your soul then you're probably not going to be very good at I was different when I was pitching I was in a zone that's where I was that day the things that I would I couldn't pay attention to and the things that I wanted to hear was a dull boy a dull roar kind of means the crowds frustrated because they haven't scored you know I don't think there was a man on third many times until the eighth [Applause] runner going base hit I was going nine if I had the years the jack had I would have told Bobby no sir get off the mound I'm finished in this room when you think about the travels and the journeys that he went on but yet along the one I that I went on I would have never imagined when I told him I'm not leaving it wasn't long before he turned around said all right go get him it's just another game [Applause] this watch Jack Morris work he is a warhorse net guy right there graduates [Applause] Lawrence is Oilers game going Hey at third base one Minnesota bench cause here on the path the twins are gonna win the World Series [Applause] you know that was just a snapshot of time that seemed like it lasted forever it was about me getting to a point of living a dream as a kid that I had always wanted to do and that was pitching in the World Series and getting an opportunity against Jack Morris was kind of like a bonus it was what I had watched my whole life and what I had thought my whole life what I had put myself in a situation as a kid pitching every one of these games in the sidewalk right outside my my brick wall of the house and I just emulated every scenario that you can imagine and so when I walked out there it was like living a dream just pure joy you know one of the greatest moments my life happened shortly after the end of the game we had went up the clubhouse you know I got the MVP award then they were you know the whole team was waiting for me to come back on the field you're gonna take a victory lap started out around the left-field centerfield came back towards right-field coming back towards home plate and I noticed an up in the stands I saw my dad with my two kids so I had a guard to open the gate and I got him but down in the field I just stopped there that and my middle son came up to me and he was crying his eyes out and I thought he got hurt with all the crowd you know and all the craziness that was happening and I go Eric what's wrong it's wrong he says dad I'm so happy and I get so emotional when I think about that because it's one of the best things I could ever show a kid is you know my determination my drive but but his response to me is what said the day apart it wasn't even about the game McMorris about that special relationship the everything kids [Music] you

Channel: MLB

Views: 94,314

Keywords: Atlanta Braves, Major League, Minnesota Twins, Jack Morris, John Smoltz, Major League Baseball, Baseball, MLB, 1991, 1991 World Series, Game 7, pitchers duel, dominant pitching, Game 7 of the World Series

Id: oQolx1l5U5Q

Length: 12min 29sec (749 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 26 2017