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Oakland, obviously, has played in the Metrodome several times, but they just cannot prepare themselves for what's going to happen. It's magnified.

For instance, if you can take a typical game of 30,000, 40,000 people in there, playoff time, magnetized three or four-fold, the decibel level, when I played, in '91, you can't even fathom how loud it is in there. It makes it very hard to communicate

SPEAKER 2: Did you wear earplugs?

SPEAKER 1: Well, believe it or not, I did not. There were a few players on the Braves that did actually put in. I don't know if you've ever trapped shot or gun skeet shooting. Most of the shooters will put in ear protection. They're little rubberized things you can stick in your ears. Believe it or not, our trainer did have some of those, and some of the players did put those in.

SPEAKER 2: How did that maybe mess up the communication between players?

SPEAKER 1: When you're in the Dome in playoff time, you realize you're not going to be able to make verbal communications. The hardest play for the opposing team is that little bloop in between shortstop in left field or second base and right field, because, typically, what happens is if the ball is to the right field, the second baseman will go back. He will be the person to catch the ball until the right fielder calls him off.

And, obviously, it's very easy, typically, to hear the right fielder saying, I've got it. I've got it. And then the second baseman moves out of the way. But when you're in the Dome, that's just not going to happen. You have to actually use your past experience and your intelligence to tell you whether or not you think the right fielder should be there. So it makes it difficult.

SPEAKER 2: And, of course, you wave your arms like a windmill, I bet, too.

SPEAKER 1: That's right.

SPEAKER 2: But you can also lose that ball in the rough.

SPEAKER 1: Yeah. So if you can't verbally communicate, obviously, most of the time, you try to make eye contact. But the problem with the Dome, if you take your eye off the ball to see if the other person, the other infielder, outfielder is coming in to make the catch, if you look back up, it's very difficult to find that ball.

So you lose the verbal communication. You can't take your eye off the ball. So you just have to go on your experience.

SPEAKER 2: What about those homer hankies? Did they ever bug you guys as they're all waving in unison?

SPEAKER 1: Actually, it does. It does for a while. The amazing factor of what happened in Game 1 of the World Series in '91, I was the starting catcher. And I honestly could barely feel the ball hit my mitt. The first two innings, that's how excited I was.

After that time. believe it or not, the players have the ability to focus in on the game. You play 162 games during the season. You have a chance to focus in and just play your game. I honestly think the fans are more nervous, especially like Game 6 and Game 7 of the '91 World Series. I think the fans were more nervous than the players.

We go out and we do what we're professionally taught to do. But there's no question when the Twins score a run or have a rally going, and they get the music playing loud, and the fans are cheering, and those homer hankies, there's 50,000 homer hankies. The place looks like a sea of white with the roof and all the homer hankies.

SPEAKER 2: Oh, sounds like that's pretty tough sledding for the opposing team.

SPEAKER 1: There's no question that the Twins have a distinct advantage. I think it was really key for the Twins to win one of the games out in Oakland. I think they'll have a very good chance of winning both games in Minnesota, and won't even have to go back out to Oakland for Game 5.