Even at the very end, Tom Kelly made all the right moves.
It was Kelly, the manager of Minnesota Twins, who sent Gene Larkin up as a pinch-hitter. And it was Kelly who gave Larkin the edge to drive in the biggest run of 1991 by keeping the player sharp all season."I got almost 300 at-bats and I wasn't an everyday player," Larkin said after his bases-loaded single beat the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in Game 7 of the World Series. "T.K. does a great job of using everybody."
For that - and for guiding the Twins from last place in 1990 to the AL West championship in 1991 - Kelly on Wednesday was named American League Manager of the Year.
The Twins' victory over the Braves enabled Kelly to join Boston's Bill Carrigan and Pittsburgh's Danny Murtaugh on the list of those who have managed in two World Series without a defeat. The Twins also won the title in 1987, Kelly's first season.
The Twins were 74-88 in 1990, last in the AL West. At Kelly's urging, they pursued free agents Jack Morris, Mike Pagliarulo and Chili Davis. After a 2-9 start that led to speculation the manager would be fired, the Twins had the majors' best record over the last 151 games.
Kelly said 1991 was more satisfying than 1987 because he was allowed to have more say about the club's makeup.
"I don't want to sound like I'm blowing my own horn, but I wanted (batting coach Terry) Crowley. I wanted Pagliarulo. I made a big push to get Chili and I campaigned for Jack," Kelly said.
"When the owner says, `If you get Morris, you've got to guarantee me first, second or third,' what you're doing as a manager is putting your guts right up there on the table. Now, you've got to win."
Kelly's Twins responded. Their 95-67 record was the fourth-best in club history.
Kelly received 27 of a possible 28 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America and finished with 138 points. Detroit manager Sparky Anderson, who received the other first-place vote, was second with 50 points. Toronto's Cito Gaston was third with 17.
Jim Lefebvre, Joe Morgan and Stump Merrill, all fired, were among a record 10 managers to receive votes. Lefebvre and Morgan tied for fourth with 16 points.
Voting is done at the end of the regular season by two baseball reporters from each AL city.