1991 Minnesota Twins season

The 1991 Minnesota Twins won the World Series, the second time the Twins had won the World Series since moving to Minnesota in 1961.

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.

Offseason

• December 2, 1990: Roy Smith was released by the Twins.^[1]
• January 14, 1991: Tom Edens was signed by the Twins as a free agent.^[2]
• January 25, 1991: Mike Pagliarulo was signed as a free agent by the Twins.^[3]
• January 29, 1991: Chili Davis was signed as a free agent by the Twins.^[4]
• February 5, 1991: Jack Morris was signed as a free agent by the Twins.^[5]

Regular season

• The highest paid player on the team was Jack Morris at $3,700,000; followed by Kirby Puckett at $3,166,667.

Offense

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.

*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.

Season standings

Roster

Notable transactions

• April 2, 1991: Nelson Liriano was released by the Twins.^[6]
• May 10, 1991: Carmelo Castillo was released by the Minnesota Twins.^[7]
• June 3, 1991: 1991 Major League Baseball Draft
  • David McCarty was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (3rd pick).^[8]
  • Scott Stahoviak was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round (27th pick).^[9]
  • LaTroy Hawkins was drafted by the Twins in the 7th round.^[10]
  • Brad Radke was drafted by the Twins in the 8th round.^[11]
  • Matt Lawton was drafted by the Twins in the 13th round.^[12]
• December 19, 1991: Brian Harper was signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins.^[13]

Player stats

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

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

Postseason

See 1991 American League Championship Series and 1991 World Series.

Awards and honors

• 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

All-Star Game

• 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.

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Orlando^[14]

References

1. ^ Roy Smith page at Baseball Reference
2. ^ Tom Edens page at Baseball Reference
3. ^ Mike Pagliarulo page at Baseball Reference
4. ^ Chili Davis page at Baseball Reference
5. ^ Jack Morris page at Baseball Reference
6. ^ Nelson Liriano page at Baseball Reference
7. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/castica01.shtml
8. ^ David McCarty page at Baseball Reference
9. ^ Scott Stahoviak page at Baseball Reference
10. ^ LaTroy Hawkins page at Baseball Reference
11. ^ Brad Radke page at Baseball Reference
12. ^ Matt Lawton page at Baseball Reference
13. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/harpebr01.shtml
14. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007

External links

• Player stats from www.baseball-reference.com
• Team info from www.baseball-almanac.com
• 1991 Standings
• Interview with Mike Pagliarulo About the 1991 Twins