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 One
of the most popular players of his
(or any) time, Kirby Puckett
radiated an effervescent joy both on
and off the field that endeared him
to fans, media and players alike.
Built like a cross between a
fireplug and a bowling ball, the
5'8" 210-lb Puckett collected more
hits in his first 10 years than
(2,040) than any player in the 20th
century. When glaucoma prematurely
ended his career before the 1996
season, his .318 lifetime batting
average ranked as the highest for
any right-handed batter since World
War II...Book
Kirby Puckett for Your Event
Puckett was Baseball America's
Appalachian League Player of the
Year in 1982, California League
Rookie of the Year in 1983, and
Minnesota's Rookie of the Year in
1984, becoming the ninth player in
major league history to debut with
four hits in a nine-inning game and
leading AL outfielders with 16
assists.
Puckett's star burned brightest
during Game Six of the 1991 World
Series, which pitted the Twins
against the
Atlanta Braves in an unlikely
matchup of teams that finished last
in their division the season before.
With the Twins trailing three games
to two, Puckett collected three
hits, three RBIs and two runs
scored. He made a spectacular
leaping catch against the
Metrodome's center field plexiglass
to rob
Ron Gant of extra bases, and
then led off the bottom of the 11th
inning with a game-winning home run.
The Twins claimed their second
championship in four years the next
day as ace
Jack Morris tossed 10 shutout
innings in a dramatic 1-0 win.
While Minnesota fell on hard times
in the seasons to come, Puckett
continued to produce at a steady
rate. He led the AL in hits (210)
for the fourth and final time while
batting .329 in 1992, and was
leading the AL with 112 RBIs when
the players' strike ended the 1994
season in mid-August. Puckett would
certainly have amassed more
impressive career totals than his
2,304 safeties or 207 round-trippers
(he batted .314 with 23 home runs in
his final season) had he not awoken
one day during spring training in
1996 with blurred vision that left
him unable to continue playing the
game he loved. In 2001 Puckett was
elected to the Hall of Fame in his
first year of eligibility, becoming
the third-youngest living player
(behind
Sandy Koufax and
Lou Gehrig) to receive
baseball's highest honor.
>>>
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