The Twins announced the passing of longtime MLB reliever Al Worthington on Thursday evening. He was 97.
Worthington, a product of the University of Alabama, signed with the Cubs to begin his professional career in 1951. Chicago traded him to the then New York Giants after one minor league season. The 6’2″ righty broke into MLB as a starter with New York in 1953, firing consecutive complete game shutouts in his first two appearances.
Worthington finished his rookie season with a 3.44 earned run average but spent the next couple years in the minors. He made 10 regular season appearances for the ’54 team that swept Cleveland to win the World Series behind an MVP season from Willie Mays. Worthington was on the playoff roster but didn’t make an appearance in a series most famous for Mays’ iconic basket catch at the Polo Grounds in Game 1.
Called back up in 1956, he pitched a couple seasons in a swing role. He was a member of the inaugural San Francisco team when the Giants relocated for the ’58 campaign. Worthington had moved mostly to relief by that point. He played in San Francisco until 1960. Worthington had brief stints with the White Sox, Red Sox and Reds after that. Those were probably most memorable for his outspoken opposition to his teams stealing signs, which he opposed on religious grounds.
Worthington landed with the Twins at the end of the 1964 season. He had the best run of his career with Minnesota in his late 30s, reeling off four straight sub-3.00 ERA campaigns. He allowed one unearned run over four innings in a World Series defeat at the hands of the Dodgers in 1965 and made one appearance in the ’69 AL Championship Series during his age-40 season.
Over parts of 14 MLB campaigns, Worthington managed a 3.39 earned run average. He struck out 834 batters in more than 1200 innings and finished more than half of his 602 career appearances. Although MLB didn’t officially recognize the save statistic until his final season, Worthington was retroactively credited with over 100 career saves. After the end of his playing career, he coached and served as the athletic director at Liberty University. MLBTR sends condolences to Worthington’s family, friends and loved ones.
