Al Worthington, One of the Greatest Relievers in Twins History, Passes Away at 97

[Cody Christie]

The Minnesota Twins announced Thursday that former pitcher Al Worthington passed away earlier this week at the age of 97.

For younger Twins fans, Worthington's name may not immediately jump off the page. However, his impact on some of the most successful teams in franchise history is impossible to overlook. Long before closers became baseball celebrities and bullpen usage charts consumed front offices, Worthington quietly became one of the game's most reliable late-inning arms and a key contributor to Minnesota's first American League pennant.

Worthington arrived in professional baseball after starring at the University of Alabama and signing with the Chicago Cubs organization in 1951. After only one season in the minors, he was traded to the New York Giants, a move that would launch a major-league career spanning parts of 14 seasons.

His introduction to the majors was memorable. Called up in 1953, Worthington opened his career by throwing complete-game shutouts in each of his first two appearances. He posted a 3.44 ERA as a rookie and appeared briefly for the Giants during their 1954 championship season. Although he did not pitch in the World Series, he was part of the club that defeated Cleveland in a Fall Classic best remembered for Willie Mays' iconic over-the-shoulder catch at the Polo Grounds.

Worthington spent six seasons with the Giants organization, including the franchise's historic move from New York to San Francisco in 1958. Along the way, he transitioned from starting pitcher to reliever, a role that ultimately prolonged his career. Stops with the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds followed before his baseball journey took an unexpected turn.

By 1964, Worthington was 35 years old and back in the minor leagues. Many players at that stage are contemplating retirement. Instead, the Twins purchased his contract from the Reds organization and gave him another opportunity. It turned out to be one of the better under-the-radar moves in franchise history.

From 1964 through 1969, Worthington became a bullpen cornerstone for Minnesota. He won 37 games, recorded 88 saves, and posted four consecutive seasons with an ERA below 3.00. His finest season came in 1965 when he went 10-7 with 14 saves and a sparkling 2.14 ERA across 62 appearances.

That season, the Twins captured their first American League pennant and advanced to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Worthington delivered four scoreless innings during the series, allowing only an unearned run despite Minnesota ultimately falling in seven games.

The right-hander remained a valuable contributor through the end of the decade, including a final postseason appearance during the Twins' 1969 American League Championship Series run. By the time he retired after the 1969 season, he had established himself as one of the most effective relievers in franchise history.

Although the save did not become an official Major League Baseball statistic until the final year of his career, Worthington was retroactively credited with 111 saves. He finished his major-league career with a 75-82 record, a 3.09 ERA, 834 strikeouts, and 602 appearances. More than half of those outings ended with him recording the final outs of the game.

His baseball accomplishments extended well beyond the major leagues. Before reaching the majors, Worthington spent four seasons with the Minneapolis Millers and helped lead the club to the 1955 American Association championship while posting a 19-10 record with 18 complete games. In nine minor-league seasons, he compiled a 98-69 record.

After retiring as a player at age 40, Worthington dedicated nearly two decades to coaching and administration at what is now Liberty University. From 1973 through 1986, he amassed a 343-189-1 record as the school's baseball coach and later served as athletic director. His contributions earned him induction into both the Liberty University Hall of Fame and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2010, the Twins recognized his place in franchise history by naming him one of the organization's "50 Greatest Twins." Worthington was the fourth-oldest living former major-league player at the time of his passing and one of the last remaining players who wore a Giants uniform before the franchise relocated to San Francisco.

For Twins fans, however, his legacy will always be tied to the club's first pennant winner. More than 60 years after arriving in Minnesota as a veteran searching for one last opportunity, Worthington remains one of the most successful bullpen arms the franchise has ever had.

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[TopGunn#22]

Nicely summarized Cody.  Great Work !  Thank You for remembering a "Baseball Lifer" who for me as a kid, was always a guy I felt confident would nail down that Twins win out of the bullpen.  His sidearm delivery was often duplicated in the late innings of backyard Whiffle Ball and "Tenney Ball" (Baseball with a Tennis Ball) games.  

[twinfan]

I fondly remember Worthington as a major contributor to the excellent Twins teams of the mid-late 60s (yes, I am that old). Sorry to hear of his passing. Thanks for the info.

[Rosterman]

Thank you, Cody, for the wonderful recap of a wonderful Minnesota Twin. I still wonder why Al never made it (yet) into the Twins Hall of Fame. He was the stopper of the sixties.

Plus he was so wonderful in the community. He was a yearly fixture on the church father's/sons banquets back then. Plus, I have to say, he was one of those players that always answered a fan who requested an autograph, often with an envelope using his own postage that would include a color photo, a religious tract, and a photocopy of an article or two from his days as a Giant. All signed is his most readable signature.

He kept baseball alive in his life by coaching university athletes. He appeaered as a relief ace in 327 games for the Twins, pitching a combined 473 innings, so we often got multiple innings from his aging arm. Teaming with Johnny Klippstein from '64-66 they were an awesome 1-2 punch in the late innings!

And for the real oldtimers still here, he was on the diamond for The Minneapolis Millers!

Thanks again, Cody!

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

Very nice tribute to a former great Twins player that many have forgotten about. Thank you!

[Linus]

I remember him from when I was a kid. I did not remember that he was late in his career with the Twins. 

[Rigby]

15 hours ago, Rosterman said:

Thank you, Cody, for the wonderful recap of a wonderful Minnesota Twin. I still wonder why Al never made it (yet) into the Twins Hall of Fame. He was the stopper of the sixties.

Plus he was so wonderful in the community. He was a yearly fixture on the church father's/sons banquets back then. Plus, I have to say, he was one of those players that always answered a fan who requested an autograph, often with an envelope using his own postage that would include a color photo, a religious tract, and a photocopy of an article or two from his days as a Giant. All signed is his most readable signature.

He kept baseball alive in his life by coaching university athletes. He appeaered as a relief ace in 327 games for the Twins, pitching a combined 473 innings, so we often got multiple innings from his aging arm. Teaming with Johnny Klippstein from '64-66 they were an awesome 1-2 punch in the late innings!

And for the real oldtimers still here, he was on the diamond for The Minneapolis Millers!

Thanks again, Cody!

Great rivalry with the Saints over the decades including the holiday series they played annually. Patrick Reusse has written some excellent articles on those 1950's teams. Al was on the 1955 American Association All-Star team while playing with the Millers.

[Bolt24]

Wow! I haven’t heard Al’s name in 5 + decades . That brings me back to when my father had the games on the radio during the weekends when he was working in the garage listening to CCO with Ray Scott, Herb Carneal  & Halsey Hall.

A long forgotten Twins great. RIP.

[Met Stadium Usher]

On 6/20/2026 at 5:45 PM, Rosterman said:

I still wonder why Al never made it (yet) into the Twins Hall of Fame. He was the stopper of the sixties.

With the evolution of the save statistic and how relievers are used, old timer bullpen aces are undervalued and overlooked. Al Worthington does belong in the Twins Hall of Fame, maybe with Ron Perranoski (nicknamed by Halsey as the "Polish Ambassador) as well, for being the very reliable ace of two division winners. Back in the day, the closers did actually close the last one, two, or three innings on a regular basis, unlike in the very specialized way relievers are used today, for example in Twins history with Mike Marshall who pitched in 90 games with 142 innings in 1979.

As an aside, of course I always wonder how the Twins Hall of Fame can exist without the first great announcer, Halsey Hall, who did so much back in the Millers and Saints days to make the Twin Cities into a baseball friendly territory and then presented the 1960s Twins as the story that everyone tuned in to hear about each day.