Kirby Puckett

baseball player

Personal Information

Born March 14, 1961, in Chicago, IL; son of William (a postal employee) and Catherine Puckett; married Tonya Hudson, 1986; children: Catherine.
Education: Attended Bradley University (Peoria, IL), and Triton Community College (River Grove, IL).

Career

Baseball player with Minnesota Twins organization, 1982--. Drafted by Twins in first round of January 1982 free agent draft; played for the Elizabethton (Tennessee) Twins in the Appalachian League, 1982, and for the Visalia Oaks in the California League, 1983. Joined parent team on May 8, 1984, as outfielder. Played on World Championship teams, 1987 and 1991.

Life's Work

Kirby Puckett is living proof that one needn't be tall and lean to achieve baseball superstardom. The five-foot-eight-inch Puckett has excelled both as a hitter and fielder for the Minnesota Twins for almost a decade and has helped his team to earn two World Series crowns. "Little guys can be giants in the big leagues, and ... Minnesota slugger Kirby Puckett embodies the notion in a big way," wrote Roy Blount, Jr., in Sports Illustrated. Blount went on to call Puckett "a genie self-summoned from a half-pint jar" and a powerhouse "made of springy sacks of cement."

Puckett knew from his teen years that he would never hit six feet in height. He still thought he might have a chance to play professional baseball if he worked wholeheartedly toward that goal. "It was no secret I wasn't going to be tall," he told Sports Illustrated. "So I figured if I can't be tall, I'll be strong. A bodybuilder, like Arnold Schwarzenegger." Indeed, although Puckett is short, he weighs over 200 pounds--the product not of overeating but of years of dedicated weightlifting and bodybuilding. Today he laughs when the subject of his body comes up. "You don't get to pick your body," he said in Esquire. "God just hands 'em out as he sees fit. Would I like to be six-four or six-five, be tall and thin, look like Darryl Strawberry? Sure, that would be cool. Didn't work out that way, though. I got what I got."

On the field, Puckett is a fierce competitor, winning a Gold Glove at his position every year since 1986 and smacking home runs in the nick of time to save his team from losing the World Series. Off the field, he is a genial, easygoing man who enjoys great rapport with his teammates and a veritable love-fest with Minnesota fans. "There is no prejudice in Minneapolis at all," he told Sports Illustrated. "It's one of the best places for interracial things, the kind of place that you want your kids to grow up in. Even if I get traded I'll keep a house in Minneapolis."

Puckett's comfortable home in the Minneapolis suburbs is a far cry from the Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side, where he was born in 1961. Sports Illustrated correspondent Rick Telander calls the projects where Puckett grew up "the World Series champions of inner-city, abandon-hope-all-ye-who-enter-here public housing." The youngest of nine children of William and Catherine Puckett, Kirby spent the first twelve years of his life in the Taylor Homes. He hardly seemed to notice the gangs and the drugs, however. Baseball absolutely consumed him. He spent most of his childhood on makeshift diamonds, with base paths and strike zones scratched out with stones or chalk. After dark he would spend hours in his room with rolled-up socks and aluminum foil bats, imagining game situations and hitting home runs in his head. "I was a kid enjoying myself," he told Sports Illustrated. "I'd come home from school, do my homework, then look for kids to play ball with.... I loved baseball so much I was always thinking of ways I could keep playing."

Puckett's parents encouraged his interest, and he became something of a neighborhood celebrity at a young age. "Even when I was eight years old, I felt like something special," he said in Esquire, "because when I was eight, I was already playing with kids who were older." Puckett gives his parents credit for helping him to survive the harsh ghetto conditions, citing them as his true "heroes in life." He added in Esquire: "I see some of these guys in the big leagues who came from those nice grassy fields in the suburbs and I just want to say, 'You have no idea.' But I wouldn't have wanted to grow up any other way."

Puckett did not begin to play organized baseball until he went to high school. At Calumet High in Chicago--and for a semipro team called the Chicago Pirates--he played third base, a position he chose because third basemen were not expected to hit home runs. He began his rigorous weight training in high school when it seemed certain that he would always be short. The training helped increase his speed on the base paths and his endurance, but it was not enough to win the confidence of the major league scouts. He did not receive any contract offers as a high school senior, so after graduation he went to work at a local Ford manufacturing plant.

A year later, Puckett again tried to catch the attention of a scout. He attended a free-agent tryout for the Kansas City Royals. The tryout resulted not in a bid for professional ball, but rather in a college scholarship to play baseball for Bradley University in Peoria. The Bradley coach, Dewey Kalmer, moved Puckett from third base to center field and worked with him on his offense. By year's end Puckett had earned the first of a string of awards--he was named to the all-Missouri Valley Conference team.

Puckett left Bradley after only one year because his father died. To be nearer to his mother, he enrolled in a Chicago-area junior college, Triton Community College. It was during his one season there that he finally caught the eye of the scouts. He hit .472 with 42 stolen bases, and he could bench-press 300 pounds. The Twins decided to draft this potential source of talent high in the first round of the January 1982 draft. Their farm director had seen Puckett play in an Illinois collegiate league during the strike-shortened 1981 season and had been suitably impressed.

As with almost every major leaguer, Puckett was sent into the minor league system, first to Class A Elizabethton in the Appalachian League. There he hit .382 and led the league in seven statistical categories, including batting, at-bats, runs, hits, total bases and stolen bases. Baseball America named him that league's player of the year. In 1983 he was promoted to a high Class A team in Visalia, California, where he batted .314 and was selected the California League's best major league prospect. He joined the parent club in the spring of 1984.

In his major league debut on May 8, 1984, Puckett had four hits in five trips to the plate. By season's end he led the Twins in multi-hit games and was voted their rookie of the year. Only one cloud marred Puckett's otherwise rosy horizon--he could not seem to hit the long ball. Despite averaging .292 in his first two years with the Twins, he had only four home runs. With mock contempt, Reggie Jackson called Puckett "a Punch and Judy hitter." Before the 1986 season, Puckett underwent an intensive overhaul of his hitting during spring training. Batting coach Tony Oliva taught him how to trust his strength and speed and to stop worrying about getting jammed by the pitcher. "Before I was too anxious," Puckett told Sports Illustrated in May of 1986. "I didn't want [pitchers] to throw the ball by me. So I lunged and hit a lot of weak grounders." The problem corrected, Puckett became an explosive force for the Twins and a yearly member of the American League All-Star team.

In 1986 he hit 31 home runs and drove in 96--as a lead-off hitter. He also won his first Gold Glove Award as a fielder for his deceptively strong throw from center field and his ability to make spectacular leaping catches of balls destined for the seats. He finished sixth in the American League's Most Valuable Player balloting and was second in the league in runs scored (119). As Telander noted, "Maturity and weight training had finally turned Puckett the runt into Puckett the pit bull." Former Twins manager Ray Miller told Sports Illustrated of Puckett: "You look at him, and you think he's a fat little kid. You touch him, and he's like concrete."

All of Minnesota warmed to the new superstar, especially as the Twins advanced toward the World Series in 1987. Puckett had another exceptional year, batting .332 with 28 home runs and 99 runs batted in. Once again he won the Gold Glove at his position and made the American League All-Star team. He was also a commanding presence during the American League Championship Series and the World Series, tying a World Series record for most times reaching base in a game (5), most runs scored in a single game (4), and most hits in a World Series. Somehow he also found time to host The Kirby Puckett Report, a television show in his adopted hometown.

If the career of Kirby Puckett can be said to have one shining moment, it has to have been in the sixth game of the 1991 World Series. The Twins had come from last place to first in order to qualify for the Series, and in one of the most exciting World Series ever played, they faced the Atlanta Braves. In the sixth game--a must-win situation for the Twins, who trailed in the Series--Puckett smashed an eleventh-inning home run that won the game for the Twins and forced a seventh game, which they also won. Esquire contributor Mike Lupica called Puckett's heroic long ball "the kind of shot that comes out of one October and lands in all those that follow." Puckett told Sport magazine that he considers winning two World Series championships his greatest accomplishment as a player. "There can only be one champion, and we were it," he said. "We went as high as you can go in baseball."

Puckett was given the nickname "Puck" as a result of his short stature. As the years have passed the nickname has taken on a warm connotation, a testament to the fond feelings his teammates and fans have for him. Puckett added to his unconventional appearance when he began to shave his head prior to each baseball season. "Minnesota's Puck has turned himself into everything an every-day player can be," wrote Blount. "What he has done is take traditional little-guy attributes, nimbleness and drive, and conjure with them." The reporter added: "Drive can get on people's nerves. But Puckett has channeled his tenacity into an almost uncanny geniality."

In 1989 Puckett briefly made history by becoming--at the time--professional baseball's highest-paid player. His three-year, $9 million contract was a record at the time but has since been passed by the likes of Bobby Bonilla, Barry Larkin, and Danny Tartabull. Puckett told Esquire that he spends little time thinking about what he is paid. "You might think I'm lying," he said, "but I don't worry about the money, I really don't. Business is business.... I worry about being consistent. The Twins will make a decision when the time comes, I'll make a decision, there won't be any hard feelings. If I have to go, I have to go."

Puckett and the Twins made a decision about Puckett's future in Minnesota following the 1992 season, during which Puckett led the American League in hits (over 200), ranked second in batting average (.329), and batted in over 110 runs. On December 4, 1992, Puckett announced that he had decided to stay in Minnesota and that he had signed a five-year, $30 million deal with the Twins. "I had more lucrative offers," Puckett said at the signing of the second-biggest contract in baseball history, confirming rumors that he had been offered as much as $35 million by other teams. "But I thought about my family. I didn't only think about baseball. Who's to say that you will be much happier elsewhere? The grass isn't always greener on the other side. I'm happy to be a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my career."

Kirby Puckett lives near Minneapolis with his wife Tonya and their daughter, Catherine. The affable Puckett told Esquire that he couldn't be happier with the way his life has turned out. "I'm living out my dream every day," he said. "I think of myself as an average person. I've never thought I was God's greatest gift to the game of baseball. But I came in smiling and I'm gonna leave smiling."

Awards

Numerous awards include Calvin Griffith Award as Minnesota Twins' most valuable player, 1985; made American League All-Star Team, 1986-92; Rawlings Gold Glove Award for defensive play, 1986; Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, 1987, 1988, and 1989; Gold Glove Award, 1991; rated "best hitter in the American League" by Baseball America.

Works

Writings

• I Love This Game! (autobiography), 1993.

Further Reading

Sources

• Detroit News, December 5, 1992.
• Esquire, April 1992.
• Oakland Press (Oakland County, Michigan), December 5, 1992.
• Sport, September 1990.
• Sports Illustrated, July 23, 1984; May 12, 1986; June 15, 1987; April 6, 1992.

— Mark Kram

Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett rounding the bases after his Game 6 winning home run of the 1991 World Series.
Center fielder
Born: March 14, 1960(1960-03-14) Chicago, Illinois
Died: March 6, 2006 (aged 45) Phoenix, Arizona
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 8, 1984 for the Minnesota Twins
Last MLB appearance
September 28, 1995 for the Minnesota Twins
Career statistics
Batting average	.318
Hits	2,304
Home runs	207
Runs batted in	1,085
Teams
Minnesota Twins (1984–1995)
Career highlights and awards
10× All-Star selection (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995) 2× World Series champion (1987, 1991) 6× Gold Glove Award winner (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992) 6× Silver Slugger Award winner (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994) 1991 ALCS MVP 1996 Roberto Clemente Award 1993 MLB All-Star Game MVP 1993 Branch Rickey Award Minnesota Twins #34 retired
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2001
Vote	82.14% (first ballot)

Kirby Puckett (March 14, 1960 – March 6, 2006) was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire major-league career with the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1995. He is the Twins franchise's all-time leader (1961-present) in career hits, runs, doubles and total bases. His .318 career batting average was the highest by any right-handed American League batter in the second half of the 20th century.

Puckett was the fourth baseball player during the 20th century to record 1,000 hits in his first five full calendar years in Major League Baseball, and one of only two to record 2,000 hits during his first ten full calendar years. After being forced to retire at age 35 due to loss of vision in one eye from glaucoma, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 in his first year of eligibility.

In 2006 Puckett suffered a stroke at his home in Arizona. He died the next day. At the age of 45, Puckett became the second youngest retired player in the Baseball Hall of Fame to die, Lou Gehrig being the youngest (37).

Contents 1 Early life 2 Major League Baseball career 2.1 Early career: 1984–1986 2.2 Prime of career: 1987–1990 2.3 Later career: 1991–1995 2.4 Retirement and accolades 3 Controversy 4 Death 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links

Early life

Puckett was born in Chicago, Illinois in the Chicago housing projects.^[1] He was the youngest of nine children. Puckett attended Calumet High School, and won High School All American Honors in baseball.^[2] He briefly attended Bradley University before transferring to Triton College in River Grove, Illinois.^[3] Puckett was subsequently drafted by the Twins in the first round of the 1982 baseball draft.^[4]

Major League Baseball career

Early career: 1984–1986

Kirby Puckett's first year in Major League Baseball was 1984. He went 4 for 5 in his first game against the California Angels.^[5] That year, Puckett hit .296. Puckett was fourth in singles in the American League.^[6] In 1985, Puckett hit .288. His numbers were fourth in the league for hits, first in at bats, and third for triples.^[7]

In 1986, Puckett began to emerge as an outstanding player. With an average of .328, Puckett was elected to his first all-star game. He ended third in slugging percentage, second in runs scored, second in hits, sixth in home runs, and fourth in extra base hits.^[8] Kirby also improved his defensive skills, earning his first Gold Glove Award.^[9]

Prime of career: 1987–1990

In 1987, Puckett led the Twins to the World Series.^[10] The Twins second since relocating to Minnesota (1965 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers) came after Puckett batted .332 with 28 home runs and 99 RBI in the regular season.^[11][12] His performance was even more impressive in the seven-game Series upset over the St. Louis Cardinals, batting .357.^[13]

During that championship year, Puckett put on arguably his best performance on August 30 in Milwaukee against the Brewers, when he went 6-for-6 with two home runs, one off Juan Nieves in the third and the other off closer Dan Plesac in the ninth.^[14]

Statistically speaking, Puckett had his best year in 1988, hitting .356 with 24 home runs and 121 RBI, to finish third in the MVP balloting for the second straight season. The Twins won 91 games, six more than in their championship season the year before, but finished second to the Oakland Athletics in the American League West.^[15]

Kirby Puckett won the AL batting title in 1989 with a mark of .339, while also finishing fifth in at bats, second in doubles, first in hits, and second in singles. In April 1989, he earned his 1,000th hit, the fourth player in recorded baseball to do so in his first five seasons.^[16] He continued to play well in 1990, finishing with a .298 batting average, but the Twins slipped all the way down to last place in the AL West.^[17]

Later career: 1991–1995

In 1991, the Twins got back on the winning track and Puckett led the way by batting .319, eighth in the league. Minnesota surged past Oakland midseason and captured the division title, then upset the favored Toronto Blue Jays in five games in the American League Championship Series. Puckett batted .429 with two home runs and six RBI in the playoffs to win MVP honors.^[18]

The subsequent 1991 World Series was ranked by ESPN to be the best ever played, with four games decided in the final at-bat and three games going into extra innings. Both the Twins and their opponent, the Atlanta Braves, had finished last in their respective divisions in the year before winning their league pennant, something that had never been done before.^[19]

Going into Game 6, the Twins trailed three games to two and had to win to stay alive. Puckett gave the Twins an early lead by scoring Chuck Knoblauch with a triple. Puckett also made a leaping catch on the Plexiglas wall to rob Ron Gant of an extra-base hit in the third inning. The game went into extra innings, and in the first at-bat of the bottom of the 11th, Puckett hit a dramatic game-winning home run on a 2-1 count off Charlie Leibrandt to keep his team alive.^[20] This dramatic game has been widely remembered as the high point in Puckett's career. The images of Puckett rounding the bases, arms raised in triumph (often punctuated by CBS television broadcaster Jack Buck saying "And we'll see you tomorrow night!"), are always included in video highlights of Puckett's career. In the years to come, and especially after Puckett's death, Game 6 came to symbolize his entire career as an excellent ballplayer who always came through for the Twins when they needed it the most. The Twins went on to win game seven, winning the World Series.^[21]

The Twins did not make the postseason another time during Puckett's career, but Puckett himself refused to follow suit. In 1994, Puckett was switched to right field, but still won his first league RBI title by driving in 112 runs.^[22] He was having another brilliant season in 1995 before having his jaw broken by a Dennis Martínez fastball on September 28.^[23]

Retirement and accolades

On March 28, 1996, Puckett woke up without vision in his right eye. He was diagnosed with glaucoma, and was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his professional career. Several surgeries over the next few months could not restore vision in the eye; Puckett never played professional baseball again.^[24] On July 12, Puckett announced his retirement from baseball at age 35.^[25] Puckett moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, in the winter of 2003.

The Twins retired Puckett's number 34 in 1997. In 2001, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In 1999, he ranked Number 86 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.^[26]

Puckett had been admired throughout his career and for some years after. His unquestionable baseball prowess, outgoing personality, charity work, community involvement, and nice-guy attitude earned him the respect and admiration of fans across the country. In 1993, he received the Branch Rickey Award for his community service work.^[27]

Controversy

Puckett became the subject of controversy in the years before his death. He was arrested and charged with groping a woman in a restroom at Redstone American Grill in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on September 5, 2002. A witness testified that he saw Puckett drag a woman into the bathroom at the restaurant, and that she appeared terrified when she came out moments later. The alleged victim claims Puckett squeezed her breast hard enough to cause a bruise. Puckett was charged with false imprisonment, a felony; fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a gross misdemeanor; and fifth-degree assault, a misdemeanor.^[28] Puckett was acquitted.^[29]

In the March 17, 2003 edition of Sports Illustrated, columnist Frank Deford wrote an article entitled "The Rise and Fall of Kirby Puckett", that documented Puckett's alleged indiscretions and attempted to contrast his private image with the much-revered public image he maintained before his arrest. One of Puckett's companions of many years commented once that when Puckett could not play baseball anymore, "He started to become full of himself and very abusive." His weight ballooned to more than 350 pounds and he was alleged to have begun to perform lewd acts in public, such as urinating in the parking lot of a shopping center in plain view of other people.^[30]

Death

Wikinews has related news: Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett dies of stroke

On the morning of March 5, 2006, Kirby Puckett suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. He underwent emergency surgery that day to relieve pressure on his brain; the surgery failed, and his former teammates and coaches were notified the following morning. Many, including 1991 teammates Shane Mack and Kent Hrbek, flew to Phoenix to be at his bedside during his final hours along with Kirby's ex-wife Tonya Puckett and two children Kirby Jr. and Catherine. His autopsy report, released after the end of the 2006 season, revealed the cause of his stroke was hypertension.

Former manager Tom Kelly surrounded by former teammates Dan Gladden, Jim "Mudcat" Grant, and Kent Hrbek, Twins Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, and friends at the Memorial Service at the Metrodome on March 12, 2006

He died on March 6 in Phoenix of complications from the stroke shortly after being disconnected from life support, just 8 days away from his 46th birthday.^[31][32] The official cause of death was recorded as "cerebral hemorrhage due to hypertension." Puckett died at the second-youngest age (behind Lou Gehrig) of any Hall of Famer inducted while living, and the youngest to die after being inducted in the modern era of the five-season waiting period. Puckett is survived by his children, son Kirby Jr. and daughter Catherine. At the time of his death he was engaged to remarry.^[33]

A private memorial service was held in Twin Cities suburb of Wayzata on the afternoon of March 12 (declared "Kirby Puckett Day" in Minneapolis), followed by a public ceremony held at the Metrodome attended by family, friends, ballplayers past and present, and approximately 15,000 fans (an anticipated capacity crowd dwindled through the day due to an incoming blizzard that night). Speakers at the latter service included Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew, Cal Ripken and Dave Winfield, and a multitude of former teammates and coaches.

See also

• List of top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters
• DHL Hometown Heroes
• List of Major League Baseball Hit Records
• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
• List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
• List of Major League Baseball batting champions
• Hitting for the cycle
• Major League Baseball titles leaders

References

1. ^ "Kirby Puckett". HowStuffWorks.com. http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/kirby-puckett-hof.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
2. ^ "Retired Numbers: Kirby Puckett". mlb.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/min/history/puckett.jsp. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
3. ^ Murphy, Brian. "Twins' `Overachiever' Kirby Puckett Gets Call to Glory". Baseball Digest. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_4_60/ai_71556900/. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
4. ^ "Kirby Puckett Through The Years". wcco.com. http://wcco.com/local/timeline.Kirby.Puckett.2.373183.html. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
5. ^ "The Five Most Important Figures in Minnesota Sports History". Baseball Reference. http://www.nutcan.com/article/The_Five_Most_Important_Figures_in_Minnesota_Sports_History.php. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
6. ^ "1984 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1984-batting-leaders.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
7. ^ "1985 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1985-batting-leaders.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
8. ^ "1986 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1986-batting-leaders.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
9. ^ "American League Gold Glove Award Winners". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_al_alt.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
10. ^ "1987 World Series". mlb.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1987. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
11. ^ "Minnesota Twins History". cbssports.com. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/history/MIN. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
12. ^ "Kirby Puckett Statistics and History". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/puckeki01.shtml?redir. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
13. ^ "1987 World Series". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1987_WS.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
14. ^ "Aug 30, 1987, Twins at Brewers Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL198708300.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
15. ^ "1988 Minnesota Twins season". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1988.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
16. ^ Thornley, Stew. "Kirby Puckett". The Baseball Biography Project. http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=11497&bid=1518. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
17. ^ "1990 Minnesota Twins season". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1990.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
18. ^ "1991 American League Championship Series". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1991_ALCS.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
19. ^ "World Series 100th Anniversery". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/swf/mlb/anniversary/worldseries100.html. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
20. ^ Kurkjian, Tim. "For 11 innings, Puckett's greatness took center stage". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=2357368. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
21. ^ "1991 World Series". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1991_WS.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
22. ^ "1994 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball Reference. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1994-batting-leaders.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
23. ^ "Kirby Puckett facts". The Baseball Page. http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/puckeki01.php. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
24. ^ "Kirby Puckett battles glaucoma; star outfielder undergoes laser eye surgery". Jet. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n25_v89/ai_18260230/?tag=content;col1. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
25. ^ Passan, Jeff. "Puckett's Abrupt Ending". Yahoo Sports. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-puckett030606&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
26. ^ "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". The Sporting News. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
27. ^ "Branch Rickey Award". Baseball Almanac. http://baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_br.shtml. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
28. ^ "Witness testifies Puckett dragged woman into restroom". ESPN. http://assets.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0328/1530708.html. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 
29. ^ Stawicki, Elizabeth. "Puckett acquitted of assault charges". Minnesota Public Radio. http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2003/04/03_stawickie_puckett/. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 
30. ^ "Puckett has history of abuse, say former wife, mistress". Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2003/03/11/si_puckett/. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 
31. ^ "Kirby Puckett dies day after suffering stroke". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2357158. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 
32. ^ "Baseball great Kirby Puckett dies". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/06/obit.puckett/index.html. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 
33. ^ Christensen, Joe. "Goodbye, Kirby". StarTribune.com. http://www.startribune.com/sports/11709746.html. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 

Further reading

• A children's picture-book autobiography, Be the Best You Can Be (ISBN 0-931674-20-4), published by Waldman House Press in 1993;
• An autobiography, I Love This Game: My Life and Baseball (ISBN 0-06-017710-1), published by HarperCollins in 1993; and
• A book of baseball games and drills, Kirby Puckett's Baseball Games (ISBN 0-7611-0155-1), published by Workman Publishing Company in 1996

External links

• Baseball Hall of Fame – Member biography
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• The Sporting News: Baseball's 100 Greatest Players (#86)
• Official Major League Baseball tribute site
• Yesterday's News - Puckett's first day in the majors
• Sports Illustrated: "The other Kirby" - March 2003 article on Puckett's personal problems
• SABR BioProject: Kirby Puckett
• Obituary in the Star Tribune

Links to related articles Awards and achievements Preceded by Don Mattingly Roberto Alomar American League Player of the Month April 1986 May & June 1992 Succeeded by Wade Boggs Edgar Martínez Preceded by Wade Boggs American League Batting Champion 1989 Succeeded by George Brett Preceded by Dave Stewart American League Championship Series MVP 1991 Succeeded by Roberto Alomar Preceded by Ken Griffey, Jr. Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 1993 Succeeded by Fred McGriff Preceded by Dave Winfield Branch Rickey Award 1993 Succeeded by Ozzie Smith Preceded by Albert Belle American League RBI Champion 1994 Succeeded by Albert Belle & Mo Vaughn v • d • e Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award 1962: Wills | 1962: Wagner | 1963: Mays | 1964: Callison | 1965: Marichal | 1966: B. Robinson | 1967: Pérez | 1968: Mays | 1969: McCovey | 1970: Yastrzemski | 1971: F. Robinson | 1972: Morgan | 1973: Bonds | 1974: Garvey | 1975: Madlock & Matlack | 1976: Foster | 1977: Sutton | 1978: Garvey | 1979: Parker | 1980: Griffey, Sr. | 1981: Carter | 1982: Concepción | 1983: Lynn | 1984: Carter | 1985: Hoyt | 1986: Clemens | 1987: Raines | 1988: Steinbach | 1989: Jackson | 1990: Franco | 1991: Ripken Jr. | 1992: Griffey, Jr. | 1993: Puckett | 1994: McGriff | 1995: Conine | 1996: Piazza | 1997: Alomar, Jr. | 1998: Alomar | 1999: Martinez | 2000: Jeter | 2001: Ripken, Jr. | 2003: Anderson | 2004: Soriano | 2005: Tejada | 2006: Young | 2007: Ichiro | 2008: Drew | 2009: Crawford v • d • e American League Championship Series MVP Award 1980: White | 1981: Nettles | 1982: Lynn | 1983: Boddicker | 1984: Gibson | 1985: Brett | 1986: Barrett | 1987: Gaetti | 1988: Eckersley | 1989: Henderson | 1990: Stewart | 1991: Puckett | 1992: Alomar | 1993: Stewart | 1994: Series Not Played | 1995: Hershiser | 1996: Williams | 1997: Grissom | 1998: Wells | 1999: Hernández | 2000: Justice | 2001: Pettitte | 2002: Kennedy | 2003: Rivera | 2004: Ortiz | 2005: Konerko | 2006: Polanco | 2007: Beckett | 2008: Garza | 2009: Sabathia v • d • e Roberto Clemente Award 1971: Mays | 1972: Robinson | 1973: Kaline | 1974: Stargell | 1975: Brock | 1976: Rose | 1977: Carew | 1978: Luzinski | 1979: Thornton | 1980: Niekro | 1981: Garvey | 1982: Singleton | 1983: Cooper | 1984: Guidry | 1985: Baylor | 1986: Maddox | 1987: Sutcliffe | 1988: Murphy | 1989: Carter | 1990: Stewart | 1991: Reynolds | 1992: Ripken Jr. | 1993: Larkin | 1994: Winfield | 1995: Smith | 1996: Puckett | 1997: Davis | 1998: Sosa | 1999: Gwynn | 2000: Leiter | 2001: Schilling | 2002: Thome | 2003: Moyer | 2004: Martinez | 2005: Smoltz | 2006: Delgado | 2007: Biggio | 2008: Pujols | 2009: Jeter v • d • e Branch Rickey Award 1992: Winfield | 1993: Puckett | 1994: Smith | 1995: Gwynn | 1996: Butler | 1997: Biggio | 1998: Molitor | 1999: Leiter | 2000: Stottlemyre | 2001: Schilling | 2002: Valentine | 2003: Hemond | 2004: Moyer | 2005: Gonzalez | 2006: Lasorda | 2007: Smoltz | 2008: Hoffman | 2009: Hunter v • d • e Minnesota Twins Formerly the Washington Nationals and the Washington Senators · Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Twin Cities) The Franchise Franchise history · Seasons · Records · Players · Managers · Broadcasters · Draft history Ballparks American League Park · National Park · Griffith Stadium · Metropolitan Stadium · Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome · Target Field (future) Spring Training: Plant Field • Tinker Field · Hammond Stadium Culture Homer Hanky · Little Big League · Major League: Back to the Minors · Continental League · "The Piranhas" Important Figures Walter Johnson · Clyde Milan · Bucky Harris · Joe Judge · Sam Rice · Goose Goslin · Joe Cronin · Heinie Manush · Mickey Vernon · Eddie Yost · Roy Sievers · Harmon Killebrew · Camilo Pascual · Jim Kaat · Tony Oliva · Gary Gaetti · Rod Carew · Bert Blyleven · Kent Hrbek · Rick Aguilera · Kirby Puckett · Brad Radke · Torii Hunter · Johan Santana · Frank Viola · Jack Morris · Corey Koskie · Justin Morneau · Carl Pohlad · Tom Kelly · Joe Mauer · Ron Gardenhire Retired Numbers 3 · 6 · 14 · 29 · 34 · 42 Championships 1924 · 1987 · 1991 Pennants American League: 1924 · 1925 · 1933 · 1965 · 1987 · 1991 Other titles Western: 1969 · 1970 · 1987 · 1991 · Central: 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2006 · 2009 · Wild Card: none   Seasons (110) 1900s 1900 · 1901 · 1902 · 1903 · 1904 · 1905 · 1906 · 1907 · 1908 · 1909 1910s 1910 · 1911 · 1912 · 1913 · 1914 · 1915 · 1916 · 1917 · 1918 · 1919 1920s 1920 · 1921 · 1922 · 1923 · 1924 · 1925 · 1926 · 1927 · 1928 · 1929 1930s 1930 · 1931 · 1932 · 1933 · 1934 · 1935 · 1936 · 1937 · 1938 · 1939 1940s 1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 1950s 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 1960s 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 1970s 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 1980s 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 1990s 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 2000s 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 2010s 2010 v • d • e Minnesota Twins 1987 World Series Champions 4 Steve Lombardozzi | 5 Roy Smalley | 7 Greg Gagne | 8 Gary Gaetti | 9 Gene Larkin | 14 Kent Hrbek | 15 Tim Laudner | 16 Frank Viola (World Series MVP) | 17 Les Straker | 18 Don Baylor | 21 George Frazier | 22 Keith Atherton | 24 Tom Brunansky | 25 Randy Bush | 26 Al Newman | 27 Mark Davidson | 28 Bert Blyleven | 31 Dan Schatzeder | 32 Dan Gladden | 33 Sal Butera | 34 Kirby Puckett | 36 Joe Niekro | 40 Juan Berenguer | 41 Jeff Reardon Manager 10 Tom Kelly Coach 6 Tony Oliva | 42 Dick Such | 43 Rick Stelmaszek | 44 Rick Renick | 45 Wayne Terwilliger Regular season • American League Championship Series v • d • e Minnesota Twins 1991 World Series Champions 0 Junior Ortiz | 1 Jarvis Brown | 7 Greg Gagne | 9 Gene Larkin | 11 Chuck Knoblauch | 12 Brian Harper | 13 Mike Pagliarulo | 14 Kent Hrbek | 18 Paul Sorrento | 19 Scott Erickson | 24 Shane Mack | 25 Randy Bush | 26 Al Newman | 30 Terry Leach | 31 Scott Leius | 32 Dan Gladden | 34 Kirby Puckett | 36 Kevin Tapani | 38 Rick Aguilera | 39 David West | 40 Steve Bedrosian | 44 Chili Davis | 47 Jack Morris (World Series MVP) | 51 Carl Willis | 53 Mark Guthrie Manager 10 Tom Kelly Coach 6 Tony Oliva | 35 Ron Gardenhire | 42 Dick Such | 43 Rick Stelmaszek | 45 Wayne Terwilliger | 46 Terry Crowley Regular season • American League Championship Series v • d • e Minnesota Twins retired numbers #3 Harmon Killebrew • #6 Tony Oliva • #14 Kent Hrbek • #29 Rod Carew • #34 Kirby Puckett v • d • e Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2001 BBWAA Vote Kirby Puckett (82.14%) • Dave Winfield (84.47%) Veterans Committee Bill Mazeroski • Hilton Smith J. G. Taylor Spink Award Ross Newhan Ford C. Frick Award Felo Ramírez v • d • e Outfielders in the National Baseball Hall of Fame Aaron • Ashburn • Averill • Bell • Brock • Brown • Burkett • Carey • Charleston • Clarke • Clemente • Cobb • Combs • Crawford • Cuyler • Delahanty • DiMaggio • Doby • Duffy • Flick • Goslin • Gwynn • Hafey • Hamilton • Heilmann • Henderson • Hill • Hooper • Irvin • Jackson • Kaline • Keeler • Kelley • Kelly • Kiner • Klein • Mantle • Manush • Mays • McCarthy • Medwick • Musial • O'Rourke • Ott • Puckett • J. Rice • S. Rice • Robinson • Roush • Ruth • Simmons • Slaughter • Snider • Speaker • Stargell • Stearnes • Thompson • Torriente • L. Waner • P. Waner • Wheat • B. Williams • T. Williams • Wilson • Winfield • Yastrzemski • Youngs v • d • e American League Outfielder Silver Slugger Award 1980: Oglivie, Oliver, Wilson | 1981: Evans, Henderson, Winfield | 1982: Jackson, Wilson, Winfield | 1983: Moseby, Rice, Winfield | 1984: Armas, Rice, Winfield | 1985: Bell, Henderson, Winfield | 1986: Barfield, Bell, Puckett | 1987: Bell, Evans, Puckett | 1988: Canseco, Greenwell, Puckett | 1989: Puckett, Sierra, Yount | 1990: Burks, Canseco, Henderson | 1991: Canseco, Carter, Griffey, Jr. | 1992: Carter, González, Puckett | 1993: Belle, González, Griffey, Jr. | 1994: Belle, Griffey, Jr., Puckett | 1995: Belle, Ramirez, Salmon | 1996: Belle, González, Griffey, Jr. | 1997: Griffey, Jr., González, Justice | 1998: Belle, González, Griffey, Jr. | 1999: Green, Griffey, Jr., Ramirez | 2000: Erstad, Ordóñez, Ramirez | 2001: González, Ramirez, Suzuki | 2002: Anderson, Ordóñez, Williams | 2003: Anderson, Ramirez, Wells | 2004: Guerrero, Ramirez, Sheffield | 2005: Guerrero, Ramirez, Sheffield | 2006: Dye, Guerrero, Ramirez | 2007: Guerrero, Ordóñez, Suzuki | 2008: Hamilton, Quentin, Sizemore | 2009: Bay, Hunter, Suzuki v • d • e American League Outfielder Gold Glove Award 1958: Kaline, Piersall, Siebern | 1959: Jensen, Kaline, Miñoso | 1960: Landis, Maris, Miñoso | 1961: Kaline, Landis, Piersall | 1962: Kaline, Landis, Mantle | 1963: Kaline, Landis, Yastrzemski | 1964: Davalillo, Kaline, Landis | 1965: Kaline, Tresh, Yastrzemski | 1966: Agee, Kaline, Oliva | 1967: Blair, Kaline, Yastrzemski | 1968: Smith, Stanley, Yastrzemski | 1969: Blair, Stanley, Yastrzemski | 1970: Berry, Blair, Stanley | 1971: Blair, Otis, Yastrzemski | 1972: Berry, Blair, Murcer | 1973: Blair, Otis, Stanley | 1974: Blair, Otis, Rudi | 1975: Blair, Lynn, Rudi | 1976: Evans, Manning, Rudi | 1977: Beníquez, Cowens, Yastrzemski | 1978: Evans, Lynn, Miller | 1979: Evans, Lezcano, Lynn | 1980: Lynn, Murphy, Wilson | 1981: Evans, Henderson, Murphy | 1982: Evans, Murphy, Winfield | 1983: Evans, Murphy, Winfield | 1984: Evans, Murphy, Winfield | 1985: Evans/Murphy, Pettis, Winfield | 1986: Barfield, Pettis, Puckett | 1987: Barfield, Puckett, Winfield | 1988: Pettis, Puckett, White | 1989: Pettis, Puckett, White | 1990: Burks, Griffey, Pettis | 1991: Griffey, Puckett, White | 1992: Griffey, Puckett, White | 1993: Griffey, Lofton, White | 1994: Griffey, Lofton, White | 1995: Griffey, Lofton, White | 1996: Buhner, Griffey, Lofton | 1997: Edmonds, Griffey, Williams | 1998: Edmonds, Griffey, Williams | 1999: Green, Griffey, Williams | 2000: Dye, Erstad, Williams | 2001: Cameron, Hunter, Ichiro | 2002: Erstad, Hunter, Ichiro | 2003: Cameron, Hunter, Ichiro | 2004: Hunter, Ichiro, Wells | 2005: Hunter, Ichiro, Wells | 2006: Hunter, Ichiro, Wells | 2007: Hunter, Ichiro, Sizemore | 2008: Hunter, Ichiro, Sizemore | 2009: Hunter, Ichiro, Jones v • d • e Major League Baseball on CBS Related programs Major League Baseball Game of the Week · Major League Baseball on CBS Radio · College World Series on CBS Related articles Ratings for CBS telecasts · World Series television ratings · Television contracts · 1965 New York Yankees season Commentators All-Star Game · ALCS · NLCS · World Series Key figures Buddy Blattner · Jack Buck · Jerry Coleman · Dizzy Dean · Frankie Frisch · Jim Gray · Greg Gumbel · Jim Kaat · George Kell · Andrea Joyce · Tim McCarver · Sean McDonough · Pat O'Brien · Pee Wee Reese · Dick Stockton · Lesley Visser · Jack Whitaker Lore "Nasty Boys" · "And we'll see you tomorrow night!" · "The Slide" · Joe Carter's home run League Championship Series 1990 (ALCS/NLCS) · 1991 (ALCS/NLCS) · 1992 (ALCS/NLCS) · 1993 (ALCS/NLCS) All-Star Games 1949 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 World Series 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993

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