In February, the Gulf War conflict between Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and a coalition of thirty-two nations including the United States, Britain, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia took place. The main coalition forces invaded southern Iraq on February 24 and, over the next four days, encircled and defeated the Iraqis while liberating Kuwait. By the time U.S. President George Bush Sr. declared a cease-fire on February 28, most of Hussein's forces had either surrendered or fled.
The "Cold War" between the United States and Russia finally came to an end as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was ousted by a group of communist radicals. The ill-planned coup soon faltered as infuriated citizens took to the streets of Moscow and other cities in support of Russian President Boris Yeltsin. After Gorbachev reluctantly resigned, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved and fourteen regions became independent nations ending seventy-four years of communist rule.
Basketball icon Magic Johnson stunned the world shortly before the start of the 1991 season after announcing his retirement due to testing positive to the HIV Virus. He later accepted an invitation by the NBA players to his twelfth All-Star Game in which he won the MVP honors.
The Detroit Tigers' Cecil Fielder hit a 502-foot home run out of the Milwaukee Brewers' County Stadium, for what was believed to be the first ball ever truly knocked "out of the park". The tape measure blast traveled even further after it landed in the back of a truck that didn't stop until it reached Madison.
On June 6th, the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers combined for eighteen-innings to tie a Major League mark by leaving forty-five stranded runners on base. The Royals also set an American League record with twenty-five of the "castaways" belonging to them.
Thirty-nine year-old Dave Winfield went five-for-five and hit for the cycle as the California Angels defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-4. He completed the sequence in the eighth with a triple becoming the oldest player ever to accomplish the feat.
Darryl Strawberry tied a National League record by striking out five times in a single game as his Los Angeles Dodgers fell 9-3 to the Montreal Expos. The struggling slugger also stumbled in the outfield dropping a fly ball for a three-base error.
Atlanta Braves ace Tom Glavine won a league leading twenty games for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. His nine complete games were tied for first, and he finished third in strikeouts and earned run average, on his way to his first-of-two career Cy Young Awards.
Fellow Brave Otis Nixon set a new National League record by stealing six bases during a 7-6 loss to the Montreal Expos and tied the major league record previously set by Eddie Collins, who did it twice in 1912.
Pete Rose continued to make headlines when he was released from a federal prison after serving five months for tax evasion. He was also required to provide 1,000 hours of community service at several of Cincinnati's inner-city schools.
The Major League's Umpires Union voted to sit out Opening Day resulting in amateur officials reporting as replacements. The arbiters, whose contract had expired on December 31st, returned to work the following day with better benefits and an increased starting salary.
During a straw vote held at the owner's meetings in California, the National League voted unanimously to admit Denver, Colorado and Miami, Florida into the league as expansion teams in 1993.
The Committee for Statistical Accuracy righted a thirty year wrong after officially removing the asterisk attached to Roger Maris' single-season homerun record of 61 in 1961. The committee also defined a no-hit game as one; which ends after nine or more innings with one team failing to get a hit. The decision erased fifty games (mostly shortened) from the list that had previously been considered no-hitters.
" - Nolan Ryan
1991 American League Player Review |
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Statistic | Name | Team | # | Top 25 |
Base on Balls | Frank Thomas | Chicago | 138 | Top 25 |
Batting Average | Julio Franco | Texas | .341 | Top 25 |
Doubles | Rafael Palmeiro | Texas | 49 | Top 25 |
Hits | Paul Molitor | Milwaukee | 216 | Top 25 |
Home Runs | Jose Canseco | Oakland | 44 | Top 25 |
Cecil Fielder | Detroit | |||
On Base Percentage | Frank Thomas | Chicago | .454 | Top 25 |
RBI | Cecil Fielder | Detroit | 133 | Top 25 |
Runs | Paul Molitor | Milwaukee | 133 | Top 25 |
Slugging Average | Danny Tartabull | Kansas City | .593 | Top 25 |
Stolen Bases | Rickey Henderson | Oakland | 58 | Top 25 |
Total Bases | Cal Ripken, Jr. | Baltimore | 368 | Top 25 |
Triples | Lance Johnson | Chicago | 12 | Top 25 |
Statistic | Name | Team | # | Top 25 |
1991 A.L. History | 1991 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History |
1991 American League Pitcher Review |
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Statistic | Name | Team | # | Top 25 |
Complete Games | Jack McDowell | Chicago | 15 | Top 25 |
ERA | Roger Clemens | Boston | 2.62 | Top 25 |
Games | Duane Ward | Toronto | 81 | Top 25 |
Saves | Bryan Harvey | California | 46 | Top 25 |
Shutouts | Roger Clemens | Boston | 4 | Top 25 |
Strikeouts | Roger Clemens | Boston | 241 | Top 25 |
Winning Percentage | Scott Erickson | Minnesota | .714 | Top 25 |
Wins | Scott Erickson | Minnesota | 20 | Top 25 |
Bill Gullickson | Detroit | |||
Statistic | Name | Team | # | Top 25 |
1991 A.L. History | 1991 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History |
1991 American League Standings1991 All-Star Game | 1991 A.L. Final Standings | 1991 World Series |
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East | Team | Roster | W | L | WP | GB | Payroll |
Toronto Blue Jays | 91 | 71 | .562 | 0 | $31,016,809 | |
Detroit Tigers | 84 | 78 | .519 | 7 | $24,169,179 | |
Boston Red Sox | 84 | 78 | .519 | 7 | $35,501,537 | |
Milwaukee Brewers | 83 | 79 | .512 | 8 | $23,771,616 | |
New York Yankees | 71 | 91 | .438 | 20 | $31,390,000 | |
Baltimore Orioles | 67 | 95 | .414 | 24 | $14,396,669 | |
Cleveland Indians | 57 | 105 | .352 | 34 | $13,133,428 | |
West | Team | Roster | W | L | WP | GB | Payroll |
Minnesota Twins | 95 | 67 | .586 | 0 | $22,514,814 | |
Chicago White Sox | 87 | 75 | .537 | 8 | $16,694,979 | |
Texas Rangers | 85 | 77 | .525 | 10 | $22,525,314 | |
Oakland Athletics | 84 | 78 | .519 | 11 | $39,906,167 | |
Seattle Mariners | 83 | 79 | .512 | 12 | $16,431,833 | |
Kansas City Royals | 82 | 80 | .506 | 13 | $31,117,661 | |
California Angels | 81 | 81 | .500 | 14 | $31,996,561 | |
A.L. | Team | Roster | W | L | WP | GB | Payroll |
1991 American League Team Standings |
1991 American League Team ReviewHitting Statistics League Leaderboard |
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Statistic | Team | # |
Base on Balls | Detroit | 699 |
Batting Average | Minnesota | .280 |
Doubles | Boston | 305 |
Hits | Minnesota | 1,557 |
Home Runs | Detroit | 209 |
On Base Percentage | Minnesota | .347 |
Runs | Texas | 829 |
Slugging Average | Texas | .424 |
Stolen Bases | Oakland | 151 |
Triples | Milwaukee | 53 |
Statistic | Team | # |
1991 American League Team ReviewPitching Statistics League Leaderboard |
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Statistic | Team | # |
Complete Games | Chicago | 28 |
ERA | Toronto | 3.50 |
Fewest Hits Allowed | Toronto | 1,301 |
Fewest Home Runs Allowed | Kansas City | 105 |
Fewest Walks Allowed | Cleveland | 441 |
Saves | Toronto | 60 |
Shutouts | Toronto | 16 |
Strikeouts | Texas | 1,022 |
Statistic | Team | # |
On May 1, 1991, Rickey Henderson stole third base during the fourth inning for career theft nine-hundred thirty-nine — breaking Lou Brock's all time stole base record.
The ageless Nolan Ryan, also on May 1st, who was "only" forty-four years old that day, pitched his record seventh no-hitter against Toronto, striking out sixteen Blue Jay batters.
Did you know that slugging sensation / record setting Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians was sent down to the Minor Leagues on June 6, 1991, for failing to run out a ground ball?