1991 World Series Championship

Lore & Background

A number of outlets regard the 1991 World Series as one of the greatest ever. In 2003, ESPN selected this championship as the 'Greatest of All Time' in their 'World Series 100th Anniversary' countdown, with five of its games decided by a single run, four decided in the final at-bat and three going into extra innings. In addition to the suspense of the outcome of many of its games, the Series had other highlights. For example, the series-deciding seventh game was a scoreless tie (0–0) through the regular nine innings, and went into extra innings; Minnesota won 1–0 in the 10th inning, with their starting pitcher, Jack Morris, pitching a complete game. Morris was named the MVP for the series. With 69 innings in total, the 1991 World Series formerly shared the record for longest seven-game World Series in terms of innings that had been set with the 1924 World Series which, coincidentally, featured the Twins' predecessor, the Senators (the 1912 World Series, which saw one game tied due to darkness, logged the most innings ever, at 75). This record was broken by the 2025 World Series, which lasted 74 innings. As of , this is Minnesota’s last World Series victory and appearance, their third-most recent victory in a postseason series, as well as the most recent men's professional sports championship won by a Minneapolis-St.Paul-based team.

In Their Own Story

The humidity hung heavy over Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on that crisp October night as the clock ticked past midnight. Jack Morris stood on the mound, his jersey soaked in sweat, staring down Francisco Cabrera with eyes that refused to blink. The crowd was a sea of red and white, but for Morris, there was only the diamond, the catcher's mitt, and the weight of 20 years of Twins history resting on his shoulders. He wound up, delivered a sharp fastball inside, and watched as Cabrera swung through it. Third out. The mound erupted instantly, a chaotic storm of teammates lifting their captain into the air, knowing that in that single moment, they had secured immortality for Minnesota.

Reader's Guide

Three years after their 1987 World Series championship, the Minnesota Twins went 74–88 in 1990 to finish last in the American League West (29 games behind the Oakland Athletics, the eventual World Series runner-up) for the first time since 1982. However, in 1991, thanks to breakout seasons from pitchers such as Scott Erickson and Kevin Tapani and a Rookie of the Year-winning performance from second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, along with a strong season by newly acquired free agent and future Hall of Famer Jack Morris, the Twins won their division by eight games over the Chicago White Sox. They defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in five games in the American League Championship Series to advance to the Fall Classic. Kirby Puckett batted .429 with two home runs and five RBI to win the ALCS MVP award.

Did You Know?

• The 1991 World Series was the first time both teams had finished last in their respective leagues the previous season.
• Five games of the 1991 World Series were decided by a single run, and three went into extra innings.
• Game 7 was scoreless through nine innings; the Twins won 1–0 in the 10th on a complete game by Jack Morris.
• The 1991 World Series formerly shared the record for longest seven-game World Series (69 innings) with the 1924 World Series.