It was one of the more controversial plays in World Series history, and Ron Gant was right in the middle, or rather on one leg of it.
Flash back to Game 2 of the 1991 World Series between the Braves and Twins in the Metrodome. In the third inning with Lonnie Smith running from first with two outs, Gant drove a single into left field. The throw from outfielder Dan Gladden went to third but was wild.
Gant rounded first, and Twins pitcher Kevin Tapani picked up the ball and threw it to first baseman Kent Hrbek. Gant went back into the bag standing up but in an attempt to tag him, Hrbek lifted him off the bag and Gant was called out by umpire Drew Coble.
It was obvious at the time of the play and clearly showed on every replay angle that Gant was safe.
The out ended the inning, and Gant was furious and had to be held back from Coble by first-base coach Pat Corrales and manager Bobby Cox, who also ripped into the young umpire.
Coble insisted that Gant’s own momentum pulled him off the base. With there being no instant replay then, the play was not reversed and the Braves would lose the game 3-2.
To rub salt into the wound, in 2011 the Twins gave out bobblehead dolls commemorating the 20th anniversary of the controversial play.
Now 24 years later, Gant still says he was safe, but that it was his fault for not sliding back into the base.
“The umpire got it wrong,’’ he said. “But I still believe it was my fault because I was taught to slide back into any base and I went back into first standing up. I go back in feet first, then that doesn’t happen, but it still doesn’t make it right because we may have won that game.’’
If Gant had been safe, the Braves would have had runners at first and third with two out and David Justice, who hit three home runs and drove in eight runs that postseason, at the plate in what eventually was a one-run loss and a series the Braves lost in seven games.
