Studly Dudley

Thirty-five years ago today, on October 27, 1991, Jack Morris pitched all 10 innings of Game 7 of the World Series, shutting out the Atlanta Braves 1-0 at the Metrodome before 55,118 fans. The St. Paul native allowed seven hits, struck out eight and walked two on 126 pitches, and he was still out there in the 10th only because he talked his manager out of removing him. Both clubs had finished last in 1990, Minnesota at 74-88 and Atlanta at 65-97, and Kirby Puckett's 11th-inning homer off Charlie Leibrandt the night before had forced this game. Morris, signed as a free agent after 14 seasons in Detroit, had already won Game 1, and now he matched zeroes with 24-year-old John Smoltz, who allowed six hits over 7⅓ scoreless innings before Mike Stanton and Alejandro Peña relieved him. Atlanta's chance came in the eighth: Lonnie Smith singled and Terry Pendleton doubled off the left-center wall, but Smith, deked by Chuck Knoblauch and Greg Gagne faking a play at second, stopped at third. Ron Gant grounded out, David Justice was walked intentionally, and Sid Bream grounded into a 3-2-3 double play, Hrbek to catcher Brian Harper and back to Hrbek. Minnesota's mirror-image chance died the same way in the bottom of the eighth, Hrbek lining into a bases-loaded double play turned by Mark Lemke, and the Twins left the winning run at third in the ninth. After nine innings and 118 pitches, manager Tom Kelly told Morris he was done. “TK, I'm fine. I'm REALLY fine,” Morris said — and he stayed in. Morris retired Atlanta in order in the 10th on eight pitches. Then Dan Gladden broke his bat on a double to left, Knoblauch bunted him to third, Puckett and Hrbek were walked intentionally, and Gene Larkin, pinch-hitting for Jarvis Brown, drove Peña's first pitch to deep left-center for the game's only run. Series MVP Morris — 2-0, a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings — won 254 career games, took a second straight title with Toronto in 1992, and entered the Hall of Fame via the Modern Era Committee in December 2017. ⚾ A 10-inning shutout on 126 pitches in a 1-0 Game 7 — is Morris's gem the greatest pitching performance in World Series history? 👇️