The 1991 Minnesota Twins season was the 31st season for the Minnesota Twins franchise in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, their 10th season at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the 91st overall in the American League.
| 1991 Minnesota Twins | ||
|---|---|---|
| World Series Champions American League Champions American League West Champions | ||
| League | American League | |
| Division | West | |
| Ballpark | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | |
| City | Minneapolis | |
| Record | 95–67 (.586) | |
| Divisional place | 1st | |
| Owners | Carl Pohlad | |
| General managers | Andy MacPhail | |
| Managers | Tom Kelly | |
| Television | WCCO-TV KITN Midwest Sports Channel (Jim Kaat, Ted Robinson, Dick Bremer) | |
| Radio | 830 WCCO AM (Herb Carneal, John Gordon) | |
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They won the World Series, the second time the Twins had won the World Series since moving to Minnesota in 1961. At the beginning of June in the 1991 regular season, the Twins had an MLB-leading 15-game win streak, which remains a club record. On June 17, 1991, the streak came to an end at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles (as seen in the movie A Few Good Men) but not before the Twins moved from fifth place to first, a lead they would not relinquish while finishing 95–67, first in the AL West. The Twins' winning streak of 1991 falls seven games short of the all-time American League record of 22 consecutive regular season wins set by the Cleveland Indians in 2017.
The Twins' division title was an unprecedented turnaround. In 1990, the team finished last in the division with a 74–88 record. They were the first team to go from a last-place finish to a World Series championship. They and the Atlanta Braves of the same season were the first teams to go from last place to a pennant. The Twins defeated the Braves in seven games in a Series which has been considered one of the best to have ever been played.[1][2][3][4]
There was a considerable reshaping of the team in January and February, beginning when third baseman Gary Gaetti left as a free agent on January 25 and signed with the California Angels. Less than 12 hours after Gaetti's departure, the Twins signed free agent Mike Pagliarulo from the New York Yankees as a new third baseman. Two more key free agent signings followed with designated hitter Chili Davis on January 30 and St. Paul native Jack Morris on February 5.[5] The July 1989 blockbuster trade that sent 1988 AL Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola to the New York Mets in exchange for relief pitchers Rick Aguilera and David West and starter Kevin Tapani proved to be pivotal to the 1991 season. There were only seven players still on the roster from the 1987 World Championship team, none of them pitchers: Randy Bush, Greg Gagne, Dan Gladden, Kent Hrbek, Gene Larkin, Al Newman, and future Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett.[6] Into this framework, young stars were blended successfully, including Scott Leius to platoon with Pagliarulo at third, Shane Mack in right field, Scott Erickson, a 20-game winner with a 12-game winning streak,[7] and A.L. Rookie of the Year second baseman Chuck Knoblauch.
2,293,842 fans attended Twins games, the eighth highest total in the American League.
Offseason
edit- December 2, 1990: Roy Smith was released by the Twins.[8]
- January 14, 1991: Tom Edens was signed by the Twins as a free agent.[9]
- January 25, 1991: Mike Pagliarulo was signed as a free agent by the Twins.[10]
- January 29, 1991: Chili Davis was signed as a free agent by the Twins.[11]
- February 5, 1991: Jack Morris was signed as a free agent by the Twins.[12]
The club moved spring training operations from Orlando's Tinker Field, where the franchise had trained since 1936, to the Lee County Sports Complex in Ft. Myers.
Regular season
editFor the second time in his career, Kirby Puckett had a six-hit game on May 23. This was an eleven-inning game; the previous time in 1987 was in nine innings.
The highest paid player on the team was Jack Morris at $3,700,000; followed by Kirby Puckett at $3,166,667.
Offense
edit| Statistic | Player | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| HR | Chili Davis | 29 |
| RBI | Chili Davis | 93 |
| BA | Kirby Puckett | .319 |
| Runs | Kirby Puckett | 92 |
Pitching
editJack Morris, Kevin Tapani, and Scott Erickson were a solid, 1-2-3 punch in the team's rotation. The fourth and fifth spots were less certain, with Allan Anderson, David West, and Mark Guthrie starting over 10 games. Rick Aguilera was a solid closer, earning 42 saves.
| Statistic | Player | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| ERA | Kevin Tapani | 2.99 |
| Wins | Scott Erickson | 20* |
| Saves | Rick Aguilera | 42 |
| Strikeouts | Jack Morris | 163 |
- *League leader
Defense
editThe regular lineup included Kent Hrbek at first base, rookie Chuck Knoblauch at second, Greg Gagne at shortstop, Brian Harper at catcher, and Kirby Puckett, Shane Mack, and Dan Gladden in the outfield. Mike Pagliarulo and Scott Leius platooned at third. Junior Ortiz was the backup catcher, and Al Newman was a reliable utility infielder.
Season standings
edit| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | 95 | 67 | .586 | — | 51–30 | 44–37 |
| Chicago White Sox | 87 | 75 | .537 | 8 | 46–35 | 41–40 |
| Texas Rangers | 85 | 77 | .525 | 10 | 46–35 | 39–42 |
| Oakland Athletics | 84 | 78 | .519 | 11 | 47–34 | 37–44 |
| Seattle Mariners | 83 | 79 | .512 | 12 | 45–36 | 38–43 |
| Kansas City Royals | 82 | 80 | .506 | 13 | 40–41 | 42–39 |
| California Angels | 81 | 81 | .500 | 14 | 40–41 | 41–40 |
Record vs. opponents
editSources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BAL | BOS | CAL | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIL | MIN | NYY | OAK | SEA | TEX | TOR |
| Baltimore | — | 8–5 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 7–6 | 5–8 | 4–8 | 3–10 | 4–8 | 5–8 | 3–9 | 4–8 | 9–3 | 5–8 |
| Boston | 5–8 | — | 4–8 | 7–5 | 9–4 | 5–8 | 7–5 | 7–6 | 3–9 | 6–7 | 8–4 | 9–3 | 5–7 | 9–4 |
| California | 6–6 | 8–4 | — | 8–5 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 9–4 | 6–6 | 8–5 | 6–6 | 1–12 | 6–7 | 5–8 | 6–6 |
| Chicago | 8–4 | 5–7 | 5–8 | — | 6–6 | 4–8 | 7–6 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 8–4 | 7–6 | 7–6 | 8–5 | 7–5 |
| Cleveland | 6–7 | 4–9 | 5–7 | 6–6 | — | 7–6 | 4–8 | 5–8 | 2–10 | 6–7 | 5–7 | 2–10 | 4–8 | 1–12 |
| Detroit | 8–5 | 8–5 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 6–7 | — | 8–4 | 4–9 | 4–8 | 8–5 | 4–8 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 5–8 |
| Kansas City | 8–4 | 5–7 | 4–9 | 6–7 | 8–4 | 4–8 | — | 9–3 | 6–7 | 7–5 | 6–7 | 7–6 | 7–6 | 5–7 |
| Milwaukee | 10–3 | 6–7 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 8–5 | 9–4 | 3–9 | — | 6–6 | 6–7 | 8–4 | 3–9 | 7–5 | 6–7 |
| Minnesota | 8–4 | 9–3 | 5–8 | 5–8 | 10–2 | 8–4 | 7–6 | 6–6 | — | 10–2 | 8–5 | 9–4 | 6–7 | 4–8 |
| New York | 8–5 | 7–6 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 7–6 | 5–8 | 5–7 | 7–6 | 2–10 | — | 6–6 | 3–9 | 5–7 | 6–7 |
| Oakland | 9–3 | 4–8 | 12–1 | 6–7 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 7–6 | 4–8 | 5–8 | 6–6 | — | 6–7 | 4–9 | 6–6 |
| Seattle | 8–4 | 3–9 | 7–6 | 6–7 | 10–2 | 4–8 | 6–7 | 9–3 | 4–9 | 9–3 | 7–6 | — | 5–8 | 5–7 |
| Texas | 3–9 | 7–5 | 8–5 | 5–8 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 6–7 | 5–7 | 7–6 | 7–5 | 9–4 | 8–5 | — | 6–6 |
| Toronto | 8–5 | 4–9 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 12–1 | 8–5 | 7–5 | 7–6 | 8–4 | 7–6 | 6–6 | 7–5 | 6–6 | — |
Roster
edit| 1991 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
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| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Game log
edit| Legend | ||
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| Twins win | ||
| Twins loss | ||
| Postponement | ||
| Bold | Twins team member | |
| 1991 game log: 95–67 (Home: 51–30; Away: 44–37) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April: 9–11 (Home: 7–4; Away: 2–7)
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May: 14–14 (Home: 6–8; Away: 8–6)
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June: 22–6 (Home: 12–4; Away: 10–2)
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July: 16–10 (Home: 7–3; Away: 9–7)
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August: 17–12 (Home: 8–5; Away: 9–7)
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September: 15–10 (Home: 10–4; Away: 5–6)
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October: 2–4 (Home: 1–2; Away: 1–2)
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Notable transactions
edit- April 2, 1991: Nelson Liriano was released by the Twins.[13]
- May 10, 1991: Carmelo Castillo was released by the Minnesota Twins.[14]
- June 3, 1991: 1991 Major League Baseball draft
- David McCarty was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (3rd pick).[15]
- Scott Stahoviak was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (27th pick).[16]
- LaTroy Hawkins was drafted by the Twins in the 7th round.[17]
- Brad Radke was drafted by the Twins in the 8th round.[18]
- Matt Lawton was drafted by the Twins in the 13th round.[19]
- December 19, 1991: Brian Harper was signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Twins.[20]
Player stats
editBatting
editStarters by position
editNote: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Brian Harper | 123 | 441 | 137 | .311 | 10 | 69 |
| 1B | Kent Hrbek | 132 | 462 | 131 | .284 | 20 | 89 |
| 2B | Chuck Knoblauch | 151 | 565 | 159 | .281 | 1 | 50 |
| 3B | Mike Pagliarulo | 121 | 365 | 102 | .279 | 6 | 36 |
| SS | Greg Gagne | 139 | 408 | 108 | .265 | 8 | 42 |
| LF | Dan Gladden | 126 | 461 | 114 | .247 | 6 | 52 |
| CF | Kirby Puckett | 152 | 611 | 195 | .319 | 15 | 89 |
| RF | Shane Mack | 143 | 442 | 137 | .310 | 18 | 74 |
| DH | Chili Davis | 153 | 534 | 148 | .277 | 29 | 93 |
Other batters
editNote: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Larkin | 98 | 255 | 73 | .286 | 2 | 19 |
| Al Newman | 118 | 246 | 47 | .191 | 0 | 19 |
| Scott Leius | 109 | 199 | 57 | .286 | 5 | 20 |
| Randy Bush | 93 | 165 | 50 | .303 | 6 | 23 |
| Pedro Muñoz | 51 | 138 | 39 | .283 | 7 | 26 |
| Junior Ortiz | 61 | 134 | 28 | .209 | 0 | 11 |
| Paul Sorrento | 26 | 47 | 12 | .255 | 4 | 13 |
| Jarvis Brown | 38 | 37 | 8 | .216 | 0 | 0 |
| Lenny Webster | 18 | 34 | 10 | .294 | 3 | 8 |
| Carmelo Castillo | 9 | 12 | 2 | .167 | 0 | 0 |
Pitching
editStarting pitchers
editNote: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Morris | 34 | 246.2 | 18 | 12 | 3.43 | 163 |
| Kevin Tapani | 35 | 244.2 | 16 | 9 | 2.99 | 135 |
| Scott Erickson | 32 | 204.0 | 20 | 8 | 3.18 | 108 |
| Allan Anderson | 29 | 134.1 | 5 | 11 | 4.96 | 51 |
| David West | 15 | 71.1 | 4 | 4 | 4.54 | 52 |
Other pitchers
editNote: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Abbott | 15 | 47.1 | 3 | 1 | 4.75 | 43 |
| Tom Edens | 8 | 33.0 | 2 | 2 | 4.09 | 19 |
| Denny Neagle | 7 | 20.0 | 0 | 1 | 4.05 | 14 |
| Larry Casian | 15 | 18.1 | 0 | 0 | 7.36 | 6 |
| Willie Banks | 5 | 17.1 | 1 | 1 | 5.71 | 16 |
| Gary Wayne | 8 | 12.1 | 1 | 0 | 5.11 | 7 |
Relief pitchers
editNote: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Aguilera | 63 | 4 | 5 | 42 | 2.35 | 61 |
| Mark Guthrie | 41 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4.32 | 72 |
| Carl Willis | 40 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2.63 | 53 |
| Steve Bedrosian | 56 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4.42 | 44 |
| Terry Leach | 50 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3.61 | 32 |
Postseason
editSeven players and five of the coaching staff from the 1987 World Champions repeated as 1991 World Champions.
Only one man has been a part of each of the three Minnesota Twins World Series teams: Tony Oliva. An outfielder in 1965, he was the hitting coach on the 1987 team and bench coach in 1991.
Awards and honors
edit- Kent Hrbek, Lou Gehrig Award
- Jack Morris, Babe Ruth Award
- Jack Morris, World Series Most Valuable Player
- Kirby Puckett, ALCS Most Valuable Player
- Chuck Knoblauch, 1991 AL Rookie of the Year
- The Twins had three All-Stars in the 1991 All-Star Game: closer Rick Aguilera, pitcher Jack Morris, and center fielder Kirby Puckett. Scott Erickson would have started the all-star game had he not been injured in a start at home against the Chicago White Sox in June.
Other post-season awards
edit- Calvin R. Griffith Award (Most Valuable Twin) – Jack Morris
- Joseph W. Haynes Award (Twins Pitcher of the Year) – Jack Morris
- Bill Boni Award (Twins Outstanding Rookie) – Chuck Knoblauch
- Charles O. Johnson Award (Most Improved Twin) – Shane Mack
- Dick Siebert Award (Upper Midwest Player of the Year) – Jack Morris
- The above awards are voted on by the Twin Cities chapter of the BBWAA
- Sherry Robertson Award (Twins Outstanding Farm System Player) – Pat Mahomes
Farm system
editLEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Orlando[21]
References
edit- ^ Murphy, Brian (April 2001). "Twins' 'Overachiever' Kirby Puckett Gets Call to Glory". Baseball Digest.
It was his play in Game 6 of the '91 Series against Atlanta that cemented his legacy in Twin Cities sports history. After robbing the Braves' Ron Gant of a home run in the field, Puckett hit an 11th-inning homer off Charlie Leibrandt to force a seventh game that the Twins eventually won in what some baseball historians consider the greatest World Series ever.
- ^ Hurst, Matt (October 28, 2011). "World Series 2011: The 5 Best Fall Classic Game 6's Ever". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
The 1991 World Series is easily the best World Series ever played, with three games being won in the final at-bat and four coming down to the final pitch. Kirby Puckett's heroics in Game 6 allowed the Twins to stay alive and eventually win Game 7.
- ^ Yellon, Al (October 28, 2011). "The Top 10 World Series Games, Including (Of Course) 2011 Game 6". Baseball Nation. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
No. 10: 1991 World Series, Game 6: This is the game where Jack Buck exclaimed "And we'll see you tomorrow night!" In addition to Puckett's extra-inning heroics, the Twins' bullpen held the Braves scoreless for the last four innings of the game, allowing just three singles, two of which were erased by double plays.
- ^ Yellon, Al (October 28, 2011). "The Top 10 World Series Games, Including (Of Course) 2011 Game 6". Baseball Nation. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
No. 6: 1991 World Series, Game 7: The Senators franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961; 30 years later, the team played two of the most excruciatingly exciting World Series games on consecutive nights. It's the only Series I'm honoring here with a pair of games. This one featured a 10-inning shutout thrown by Minnesota's Jack Morris while the Twins were leaving 12 men on base, finally scoring the game-winner on Gene Larkin's bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the 10th.
- ^ Kelly, Tom; Robinson, Ted (1992). Season of Dreams: The Minnesota Twins' Drive to the 1991 World Championship. Voyageur Pr. pp. 22–26. ISBN 978-0-89658-209-5.
- ^ Kelly, Tom; Robinson, Ted (1992). Season of Dreams: The Minnesota Twins' Drive to the 1991 World Championship. Voyageur Pr. pp. 121–158. ISBN 978-0-89658-209-5.
- ^ Kelly, Tom; Robinson, Ted (1992). Season of Dreams: The Minnesota Twins' Drive to the 1991 World Championship. Voyageur Pr. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-89658-209-5.
- ^ "Roy Smith". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Tom Edens". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Mike Pagliarulo". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Chili Davis". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Jack Morris". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Nelson Liriano". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Carmelo Castillo". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Dave McCarty". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Scott Stahoviak". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "LaTroy Hawkins". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Brad Radke". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Marcus Lawton". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Brian Harper". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-96-371897-6.