Ex-Twin outfielder Randy Bush gets third World Series thrill

This is an alphabetized list of the Twins who played for both World Series championship teams: Randy Bush, Greg Gagne, Dan Gladden, Kent Hrbek, Gene Larkin, Al Newman and Kirby Puckett.

There were 14 games in the World Series against St. Louis and Atlanta, and Bush started one. He made it memorable.

The Twins were leading 1-0 in the series and 1-0 on the Metrodome scoreboards when they came to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 2 in 1987.

Danny Cox was pitching for the Cardinals, there was one out and the bases were loaded with the Twins stars — Puckett, Hrbek and Gary Gaetti.

Bush was batting sixth and serving as the designated hitter. He hit a line-drive double to right and two runs scored.

One out later, Tim Laudner bounced a single through the shortstop hole and third base coach Rick Renick motioned for Bush to try to score. Vince Coleman was making a throw from shallow left field.

Catcher Tony Pena was receiving the ball and guarding the plate, so Bush improvised.

Diving and sliding to his right, tucking his left arm to his body to keep it away from a Pena tag, Bush then reached and slapped the plate as he went past.

That was the fourth run in what became a six-run inning, as the Twins took a 2-0 lead in the Series with an 8-4 victory.

"There were tons of photographers, so I have great pictures and great memories of that play,'' Bush said.

As does Minnesota. Bush played from 1982 to 1993 for the Twins, and mention his name to fans of that era and they will say "The Slide!''

Bush almost had another of those moments in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. The lefty pull hitter had a wonderful season as a pinch hitter, and he came through again during that scoreless battle between Jack Morris and John Smoltz.

Bush pinch-hit for Greg Gagne to lead off the eighth and singled off Smoltz. Newman ran and got to third on a Chuck Knoblauch single. Eventually, the bases were loaded with one out, when Hrbek ripped a line drive off Mike Stanton that went for a double play.

Two innings later, Gene Larkin arrived as a pinch hitter, and won the game for the Twins, giving Bush a second chance to pour from the Dome's home dugout to celebrate a World Series championship.

It was a bit different for Bush sitting in the third row behind the visitors dugout on Wednesday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

"That ballgame aged me,'' he said.

Bush was 58 when Game 7 between the Chicago Cubs and the Indians started Wednesday night. Hard to say how many years were added during the twists in the drama over nearly five hours (with a rain delay), but when it was over and the Cubs had won 8-6 in 10 innings, there were flashbacks to the autumn glory he shared with Minnesotans twice in five seasons.

"To have gone through it in Minnesota, which I cherish, and to be able to do it again with the Cubs … the emotions are overwhelming,'' Bush said.

Bush was the baseball coach at his alma mater, the University of New Orleans, for five seasons through 2005, when the school and he had a parting.

Andy MacPhail, the GM of those two Twins championship teams, was running the Cubs and hired Bush as a scout based in New Orleans.

MacPhail and the Cubs split on Oct. 1, 2006. That put Jim Hendry, the general manager, in charge of the baseball operation. He promoted Bush to assistant GM in December.

Hendry was fired in August 2011 and Bush served as the interim general manager, until Theo Epstein was hired by the Cubs on Oct. 25, 2011.

The rest is history — as in, putting to rest a history of the Cubs not having won a World Series since 1908.

Epstein changed much, but he kept Bush as an assistant GM. Shiraz Rehman also has an assistant GM title in a talent-loaded front office.

"We are all products of our experiences,'' Bush said. "I feel like Theo and Jed Hoyer value having me as a person who was on the field and can give that perspective. I travel with the team about one-third of the time, and spend a lot of time scouting our minor leagues.''

On Thursday at 7 p.m., the Cubs had been champions for roughly 19 hours, and Bush still was in his Wrigley Field office, preparing for next week's GM meetings in Scottsdale.

Epstein brought a World Series to the Red Sox after 86 years in 2004 (and again in 2007) and has done the same with the Cubs after 108 years.

What is the magic of an Epstein baseball operation?

"Theo is a great information gatherer; he uses all the technology, but he also loves scouts,'' Bush said. "One of the first things Theo said to me really has stuck.

"He said, 'All other teams have smart people. You're not going to be way smarter than any other organization. We just want to work a little harder to shift the advantage a bit in our favor … maybe 52 to 48 percent.'

"It's a humble way to look at it, really. And I think we're all humbled to bring this celebration to Cubs fans and to the city.

''You knew it would be big if we could win, but it's turned out twice as big as I thought.''

Patrick Reusse can be heard 3-6 p.m. weekdays on AM-1500. • preusse@startribune.com