1991 Minnesota Twins
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Twins
won the World Series
, the second time the Twins had won the World Series since moving to Minnesota in .
The Twins finished 95-67, first in the AL
West.
2,293,842 fans attended Twins games, the eighth highest total in the American League
.
All-Star Game
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
won the World Series
1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
, the second time the Twins had won the World Series since moving to Minnesota in .
The Twins finished 95-67, first in the AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
West.
2,293,842 fans attended Twins games, the eighth highest total in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
Offseason
- December 2, 1990: Roy SmithRoy Smith (1980s pitcher)Le Roy Purdy Smith is a former professional baseball pitcher and executive. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball from until . He is currently a scout for the New York Mets.-Playing career:...
was released by the Twins. - January 14, 1991: Tom EdensTom EdensThomas Patrick Edens is a former Major League Baseball player. Edens was drafted 14th overall by the Kansas City Royals in 1983 and pitched all or part of seven seasons in the majors between and for six different teams.His best year was 1992 with the Minnesota Twins as a middle reliever, when he...
was signed by the Twins as a free agent. - January 25, 1991: Mike PagliaruloMike PagliaruloMichael Timothy Pagliarulo, aka "Pags" , is a former Major League Baseball third baseman during the 1980s and into the mid 1990s...
was signed as a free agent by the Twins. - January 29, 1991: Chili DavisChili DavisCharles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees...
was signed as a free agent by the Twins. - February 5, 1991: Jack MorrisJack MorrisJohn Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
was signed as a free agent by the Twins.
Regular season
- The highest paid player on the team was Jack MorrisJack MorrisJohn Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
at $3,700,000; followed by Kirby PuckettKirby PuckettKirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
at $3,166,667.
Offense
| Statistic Baseball statistics Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics... | Player | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
Chili Davis Chili Davis Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees... |
29 |
| RBI | Chili Davis Chili Davis Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees... |
93 |
| BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases... |
.319 |
| Runs Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... |
Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases... |
92 |
Pitching
Jack 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 Baseball statistics Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics... | Player | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
Kevin Tapani Kevin Tapani Kevin Ray Tapani is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs from 1989 to 2001.-Early life:... |
2.99 |
| Wins Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
Scott Erickson Scott Erickson Scott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Erickson was born in Long Beach, California, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins... |
20* |
| Saves | Rick Aguilera Rick Aguilera Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs.... |
42 |
| Strikeouts | Jack Morris Jack Morris John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career... |
163 |
- *League leader
Defense
The 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.Roster
| 1991 Minnesota Twins | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
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Notable transactions
- April 2, 1991: Nelson LirianoNelson LirianoNelson Arturo Liriano Bonilla is a former Major League baseball player. He played for various teams from 1987 to 1998 batting a career average of .260 over those 11 seasons. In 1999, he played in one game for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.Before turning professional, Liriano played amateur...
was released by the Twins. - May 10, 1991: Carmelo CastilloCarmen CastilloMonte Carmelo Castillo is a former right-handed outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.-External links:...
was released by the Minnesota Twins. - June 3, 1991: 1991 Major League Baseball Draft1991 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Other notable players:...
- David McCartyDavid McCartyDavid Andrew McCarty is a former first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1993 through 2005, McCarty played with the Minnesota Twins , San Francisco Giants , Seattle Mariners , Kansas City Royals , Tampa Bay Devil Rays , Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox...
was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (3rd pick). - Scott StahoviakScott StahoviakScott Edmund Stahoviak is a former Minnesota Twins first baseman. He was born on March 6, 1970, in Waukegan, Illinois. He attended Creighton University, and was an integral part of Creighton's NCAA College World Series appearance in 1991...
was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (27th pick). - LaTroy HawkinsLaTroy HawkinsLaTroy Hawkins is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Through 2011, he was third of all active pitchers in career games pitched.-Minnesota Twins:...
was drafted by the Twins in the 7th round. - Brad RadkeBrad RadkeBrad William Radke is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in the Twins organization during the late 90's...
was drafted by the Twins in the 8th round. - Matt LawtonMatt LawtonMatthew "Matt" Lawton, Jr. is a retired professional baseball whose career spanned 15 seasons, including 12 seasons in Major League Baseball. Lawton, an outfielder, made his major league debut September 5, 1995, with the Minnesota Twins, who signed him four years prior...
was drafted by the Twins in the 13th round.
- David McCarty
- December 19, 1991: Brian Harper was signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins.
Starters by position
Note: 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 Brian Harper Brian David Harper is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for teams in both the American and National Leagues during his 16-year career and is currently the manager of the Chicago Cubs' AA club, the Tennessee Smokies.-Minor leagues:Harper was drafted by the California Angels in... |
123 | 441 | 137 | .311 | 10 | 69 |
| 1B | Kent Hrbek Kent Hrbek Frequently injured , Hrbek retired after the players strike in 1994, citing his nagging injury problems and desire to spend more time with his wife and daughter at their home in Bloomington, MN... |
132 | 462 | 131 | .284 | 20 | 89 |
| 2B | Chuck Knoblauch Chuck Knoblauch Edward Charles "Chuck" Knoblauch is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals... |
151 | 565 | 159 | .281 | 1 | 50 |
| 3B | Mike Pagliarulo Mike Pagliarulo Michael Timothy Pagliarulo, aka "Pags" , is a former Major League Baseball third baseman during the 1980s and into the mid 1990s... |
121 | 365 | 102 | .279 | 6 | 36 |
| SS | Greg Gagne | 139 | 408 | 108 | .265 | 8 | 42 |
| LF | Dan Gladden Dan Gladden Clinton Daniel "Dan" Gladden III is an American former Major League Baseball player and current radio broadcaster.-Baseball career:Gladden is a graduate of Westmont High School in Campbell, California... |
126 | 461 | 114 | .247 | 6 | 52 |
| CF | Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases... |
152 | 611 | 195 | .319 | 15 | 89 |
| RF | Shane Mack | 143 | 442 | 137 | .310 | 18 | 74 |
| DH | Chili Davis Chili Davis Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees... |
153 | 534 | 148 | .277 | 29 | 93 |
Other batters
Note: 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 |
|---|
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
Relief pitchers
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|
Awards and honors
- Kent HrbekKent HrbekFrequently injured , Hrbek retired after the players strike in 1994, citing his nagging injury problems and desire to spend more time with his wife and daughter at their home in Bloomington, MN...
, Lou Gehrig Award - Jack Morris, Babe Ruth AwardBabe Ruth AwardThe Babe Ruth Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to the MVP of the World Series, one...
- Jack Morris, World Series Most Valuable Player
- Kirby PuckettKirby PuckettKirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
, ALCS Most Valuable Player - Chuck Knoblauch, 1991 AL Rookie of the Year
All-Star Game
1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 62nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 1991 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, the home of the Toronto...
- The Twins had three All-Stars in the 1991 All-Star GameMajor League Baseball All-Star GameThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
: Closer Rick AguileraRick AguileraRichard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
, Pitcher Jack MorrisJack MorrisJohn Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
, and Center Fielder Kirby PuckettKirby PuckettKirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
. Scott EricksonScott EricksonScott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Erickson was born in Long Beach, California, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins...
would have started the all-star game had he not been injured in a start at home against the Chicago White Sox in June.