Twenty years ago yesterday the Blue Jays entered the top of the ninth inning in Game 2 of the 1992 World Series trailing the Atlanta Braves 4-3.

After Pat Borders led off by lining out to right, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston pinch hit Derek Bell for Manny Lee. Bell drew a walk from Braves closer Jeff Reardon.

Gaston then went to his bench again, this time inserting Ed Sprague for Duane Ward.

Then this happened:

Front page of Toronto Star sports, 20 years ago today. More on the content inside later today at sportsnet.ca twitter.com/MikeCormack/st…

— Mike Cormack (@MikeCormack) October 19, 2012

Roberto Alomar’s home run off of Dennis Eckersley in Game 4 of the ALCS is rightly regarded by many as the most important hit in franchise history, but there’s a good chance the Braves walk away with the ’92 Series if not for Sprague’s blast.

Here’s how it was reported in the Star’s lead story the next day:

Jays even Series score on Sprague’s big blast (By Tom Slater)

“I knew (Reardon) liked to start out with a fastball for a strike,” a remarkable cool Sprague said after the game. “And Rance Mulliniks had told me to make sure it was a fastball down.

“It was down and I got on top of it. I hit it really good.”

Further down in the story was this quote from Cito Gaston:

“It was Sprague all the way,” Jays manager Cito Gaston said of his choice for a pinch hitter. “You’ll be aware of this young man for a long time.”

Remember the “Trenches?” Derek Bell always will:

More World Series headlines from that day’s Star:

- Blue Jays didn’t exactly catch World Series fever in Game 1 (Dave Perkins)

- Jimy bears no resentment toward George (Milt Dunnell)

- Braves figure they’re in Series to finish job (Jim Proudfoot)

- LaMacchia is celebrating Series clash (Marty Noble)

- Everyone agrees Morris is trying too hard (Neil McCarl and Allan Ryan)

- CBS set to show Canada to the U.S. (Ken McKee)

ANGELS WAITING ON WORD FROM GREINKE:

The Los Angeles Angels are keen to lock up impending free agent Zack Greinke, but the right-hander has been playing hard to get, writes Mike DiGiovanna who adds the team is likely to decline the team options on starters Dan Haren and Ervin Santana in order to clear salary room for Greinke.

BRIAN WILSON THROWS, IS STILL BIZARRE:

Earlier this year, San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson underwent Tommy John surgery. Earlier today, Wilson tossed a baseball for the first time since the procedure, six months ago today.

Writes Henry Schulman in the San Francisco Chronicle:

“After his first 20 tosses, Wilson walked a few steps toward center field and let out a primal scream. After his last toss, he walked toward Dave Groeschner standing on the left-field foul line and gave the head trainer a fist bump.

“It felt pretty great,” Wilson said. “Activate me.”

Wilson then took to Twitter:

15,811,200 seconds of waiting.54,900 minutes of rehab. Today is National Play Catch Day in the Weez calendar.

— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38) October 19, 2012

LEAN AND CLEAN GIAMBI IMPRESSES ROCKIES

The Colorado Rockies are looking for a new manager and yesterday they interviewed Jason Giambi for the job.

Troy E. Renck in the Denver Post reports, “Given Robin Ventura’s success with the White Sox and Mike Matheny’s Cardinals on the verge of a World Series berth, the Rockies are intrigued by the idea of hiring a manager with no coaching experience.”

An admitted steroid user earlier in his career, Renck says Giambi has matured in recent years and become a mentor to some current Rockies players.

“I made a mistake and came out the other side. Now, I am doing it right and that’s the biggest thing I can pass onto these guys,” Giambi told Denver Post last winter.

“Also, the game has made it so you have do things the right way. There’s no looking in the mirror and saying, ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ They did the greatest thing in the world with (the testing).”

The Rockies aren’t expected to make an announcement until next week.