Former Twins reliever dies at 97

The Minnesota Twins announced on Thursday evening the passing of longtime Major League reliever Al Worthington, who died at the age of 97. A veteran of 14 seasons in the majors, Worthington was one of the oldest living former MLB players when he passed away.

Born on February 5, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama, Worthington grew up in a baseball-focused family as one of 10 children. He later attended the University of Alabama, where he played both baseball and football. He began his professional baseball journey in 1951 after signing with the Chicago Cubs, before being traded to the New York Giants following a season in the minors.

Worthington reached the major league in 1953 with the Giants and made an immediate impact by throwing back-to-back complete-game shutouts in his first two starts. He remained with the franchise through its transition from New York to San Francisco, appearing in the 1954 World Series championship season and later becoming part of the inaugural San Francisco Giants team in 1958. He also played alongside Willie Mays during his tenure with the team.

In 1959, Worthington publicly challenged a Giants staff member over alleged sign stealing involving binoculars, an incident that contributed to his eventual trade. He was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in 1960 and later that same year moved to the Chicago White Sox. While with Chicago, he again objected to sign-stealing practices, including claims involving a scoreboard light system. He also had a short run with the Cincinnati Reds before eventually returning to MLB action after time in the minors.

Worthington’s most productive years came after joining the Minnesota Twins in 1964. Over four consecutive seasons with the team, he recorded sub-3.00 ERAs and became a reliable bullpen arm. In 1965, he logged a 1.37 ERA after joining Minnesota and finished with a career-high 21 saves while helping the Twins reach the World Series, where he allowed one unearned run in four innings in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He remained an important reliever through 1969, when Minnesota won the American League West title and he appeared in the AL Championship Series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Throughout his MLB career, Worthington compiled a 75-82 record with a 3.39 ERA, 834 strikeouts, and more than 1,200 innings pitched across 602 games. He was retroactively credited with 111 career saves, with more than half of his appearances coming in relief.

After retiring, Worthington coached at Liberty Baptist College (now Liberty University), where he won 343 games over 13 seasons and later served as athletics director. He was married to Shirley for 73 years until her death in 2024 and is survived by a large, multigenerational family.

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