| 1991 World Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 19–27 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (Minnesota) Fulton County Stadium (Atlanta) | |||||||||
| MVP | Jack Morris (Minnesota) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Don Denkinger (AL), Harry Wendelstedt (NL), Drew Coble (AL), Terry Tata (NL), Rick Reed (AL), Ed Montague (NL) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Twins: Jack Morris Tony Oliva (coach) Kirby Puckett Braves: Bobby Cox (manager) John Schuerholz (GM) Tom Glavine John Smoltz | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | CBS | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Jack Buck and Tim McCarver | |||||||||
| Radio | CBS WSB (ATL) WCCO (MIN) | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Vin Scully and Johnny Bench (CBS) Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren, Dave O'Brien and Don Sutton (WSB) Herb Carneal and John Gordon (WCCO) | |||||||||
| Streaming | ||||||||||
| ALCS | Minnesota Twins over Toronto Blue Jays (4–1) | |||||||||
| NLCS | Atlanta Braves over Pittsburgh Pirates (4–3) | |||||||||
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The 1991 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1991 season. The 88th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Minnesota Twins (95–67) and the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves (94–68). The Twins defeated the Braves four games to three to win the championship, their second in Minnesota and third overall.[1][2][3][4] The series was unique because of the standings of the two participating teams in the previous season: both finished the 1990 season in last place; before 1991, no league champion had ever finished the previous season in last place.
A number of outlets regard the 1991 World Series as one of the greatest ever.[5][6] 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.[7] 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 shares 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).
To date, this is Minnesota’s last World Series win and appearance, and this remains the last appearance by a team from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in a championship round of the four major North American men's sports leagues.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Thrills of 1991 World Series remain fresh".
- ^ "The inside story of how the Braves and Twins saved the best parts of the 1991 World Series for after it was over". October 27, 2021.
- ^ "The World Series 100th Anniversary – #1 1991 Minnesota Twins 4, Atlanta Braves 3". Page 2. ESPN. 2003.