1991 Minnesota Twins season


The 1991 Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball won the World Series, the second time the Twins had won the World Series since moving to Minnesota in 1961. During the 1991 regular season the Twins had an MLB-leading 15-game win streak, which remains a club record. On June 18, 1991, the streak came to an end at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles but not before the Twins moved from fifth place to first, a lead they would not relinquish until winning baseball's championship. The Twins' winning streak of 1991 falls just 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 finished 95-67, first in the AL West, which represented a turnaround from 1990, when 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 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.
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. 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. 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, 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

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

For 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

StatisticPlayerQuantity
HRChili Davis29
RBIChili Davis93
BAKirby Puckett.319
RunsKirby Puckett92

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.
StatisticPlayerQuantity
ERAKevin Tapani2.99
WinsScott Erickson20*
SavesRick Aguilera42
StrikeoutsJack Morris163

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.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

Notable transactions

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
CBrian Harper123441137.3111069
1BKent Hrbek132462131.2842089
2BChuck Knoblauch151565159.281150
3BMike Pagliarulo121365102.279636
SSGreg Gagne139408108.265842
LFDan Gladden126461114.247652
CFKirby Puckett152611195.3191589
RFShane Mack143442137.3101874
DHChili Davis153534148.2772993

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
9825573.286219
11824647.191019
10919957.286520
9316550.303623
5113839.283726
6113428.209011
264712.255413
183410.29438
38378.21600
9122.16700

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Postseason

See 1991 American League Championship Series and 1991 World Series.
Seven 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

All-Star Game
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Orlando