WORLD SERIES / MINNESOTA TWINS VS. ATLANTA BRAVES : THE ’91 SERIES

When the Minnesota Twins play host to the Atlanta Braves tonight in the Metrodome, they will be seeking their second World Series championship in their 31st season in Minnesota, having beaten St. Louis in 1987. The Braves are making their first WS appearance since going to Atlanta in 1966. But the franchise does have two series titles to its credit--1957 while in Milwaukee and 1914 while in Boston.

THE BRAVES

* In their fifth season in Milwaukee, the Braves won the franchise’s second series title in 1957 by beating the Yankees in seven games. Hank Aaron batted .393 (11 hits, 7 RBI) and Lew Burdette overshadowed future Hall of Fame pitching teammate Warren Spahn by winning three games.

* The 1914 “Miracle Braves”--so called because they went from last to first during the season, taking 34 of their last 44 games--won the franchise’s first Series title for fans in Boston, where they played from 1901 until 1952. Then as now, the Braves had brilliant pitching, allowing six runs in their four-game sweep of heavily-favored Philadelphia Athletics.

* In 1958, the Braves had a chance to make it two in a row but fell to the Yankees in seven games. The Braves led the Series three games to one, but lost the last three. They scored only five runs after scoring 20 times inthe first four games.

THE TWINS

* Kirby Puckett’s 10 hits and .357 average led Minnesota to its only Series championship in 1987 when the Twins edged the Cardinals, four games to three. * Pitcher Jim Kaat set a record for a seven-game series in ’65 against the Dodgers when he recorded three putouts. * Although outhit, 64-42, the ’65 Twins forced the series to seven games only to see Sandy Koufax throw his second 10-strikeout shutout of the series to win it for L.A. Jim (Mudcat)Grant won two games for the Twins. * Frank Quilici collected two hits in an inning in the first game of the ’65 series an 8-2 Twins’ victory over the Dodgers. Fifteen other players have accomplished the feat in series history. * Dan Gladden, whose grand-slam homer featured the Twins’ 10-1, opening-game win over the Cardinals in ‘87, hit safely in all seven games,, leading both teams in totals bases (16) and tying for the lead in doubles (2).

MOST SERIES WINS BY TEAM New York Yankees: 22 St. Louis Cardinals: 9 Boston Red Sox: 5 Philadelphia A’s: 5 Cincinnati Reds: 5 L.A. Dodgers: 5 N.Y. Giants: 5 Pittsburgh Pirates: 5Detroit Tigers: 4 Oakland A’s: 4 Baltimore Orioles: 3 Chicago Cubs: 3 Chicago White Sox: 3 Cleveland Indians: 2 N.Y. Mets: 2 Six teams with 1 victory include the Minnesota Twins, Boston Braves and the Milwaukee Braves

The Five Greatest World Series Moments (as selected by The Times’ Ross Newhan): 1--Oct. 8, 1956: Don Larsen’s perfect game--the only one in Series’ history--in Game 5, giving the N.Y. Yankees a 2-0 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. 2--Oct. 13, 1960: Bill Mazeroski’s Series-winning home run in Game 7 to rally the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 10-9 victory over the Yankees. 3--Oct. 18, 1977: Reggie Jackson’s three home runs in Game 6, sparking the Yankees to an 8-4 victory over the Dodgers. The outburst helped Jackson establish a single-Series record of five homers. 4--Oct. 15, 1988: Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit home run off Dennis Eckersley in the ninth inning of Dodgers’ 5-4, Game 1 victory over Oakland. 5--Oct. 3, 1947: Cookie Lavagetto’s pinch-hit, two-run double in ninth inning of Game 4, breaking up Bill Beven’s no-hitter and giving the Brooklyn Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Yankees.