The year was 1991. Although we didn't know it yet in the middle of the season, 1991 would turn out to be among the very best seasons in Twins history because they went on to win the World Series.

One of the stars of that 1991 team was rookie second baseman Chuck Knoblauch. He came onto the scene and quickly won nine-year-old me over. I asked my grandma to buy me a jersey of his, which we probably could not afford, so my grandma 'made' me one by simply taking a real Twins shirt and, using puff paint, writing "Knoblauch 11" on the back.

While I knew it wasn't exactly authentic, I wore it with pride every day of the seven-day Vacation Bible School I went to that summer.

Chuck Knoblauch
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I was thrilled when my grandpa came home from work one day to tell us he was able to get the company tickets for an upcoming Twins game. Not only that, the tickets were in the very first row of seats above the Twins' dugout at the Metrodome.

I don't remember a lot about that game as far as who they were playing, what point in the season they were in, whether they won or lost or even who all came to the game with us.

What I do remember is at one point my aunt told me to look down over the railing because Chuck Knoblauch was 'in the hole,' which meant he was on the top step of the dugout waiting for his turn to bat.

As I stood up a disaster occurred: I spilled my giant souvenir-sized cup of soda RIGHT DOWN CHUCK KNOBLAUCH'S BACK. I immediately retreated back into my seat but when my aunt looked down to see what happened Chuck looked PISSED (and rightfully so). I popped my head over and apologized profusely which seemed to calm him a little bit but he still seemed pretty mad.

I tried my best to avoid any kind of eye contact with him throughout the game and was just kind of nervous the way kids get, as if he was going to actually yell at me or have me kicked out of the game.

We stayed until the end of the game and, as Knoblauch was walking off the field he looked up at me and gestured for me to come down to the railing. Even though I was scared that he was going to cuss me out, he instead tossed me his wristbands and both of his game-used batting gloves... I can still remember how they smelled!

The gloves were white, COVERED in pine tar, and said "KNOB" along the wrist strap. So freakin' cool!

The only photo I could find of the wristbands... Since I was nine I probably had lost the gloves already!
The only photo I could find of the wristbands... Since I was nine I probably had lost the gloves already!
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I thought I had lost BOTH of the batting gloves (I was nine after all) but my aunt recently found one that she had apparently kept, so it is still tucked into my collection somewhere.

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