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Hall of Fame Outfielder Kirby Puckett Dies at 45
Kirby Puckett died Monday, March 6, a day after the Hall of Fame outfielder had a stroke at his Arizona home. He was 45. Puckett carried the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991.
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The next year, he had 199 hits and finished with a .288 average. He finished below .300 only two more times in the next 10 years.
In one of those years, 1988, he finished with 234 hits and an average of .356. In 1989, he led the league in batting with .339.
His plaque in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., describes him as "a proven team leader with an ever-present smile and infectious exuberance."
As a defensive standout, it says, he roamed center field "with elegance and style" and would as a matter of routine scale the walls of the outfield to catch opponents' drives, often robbing them of home runs.
"This is a sad day for the Minnesota Twins, Major League Baseball and baseball fans everywhere," Twins owner Carl Pohlad said in a statement. "A tremendous teammate, Kirby will always be remembered for his never-ending hustle, infectious personality, trademark smile and commitment to the community. There will never be another 'Puck.' "
As the Twins' general manager in 1989, Andy MacPhail signed Mr. Puckett to a $3 million a year contract, then one of the highest in baseball.
Last night he told the Chicago Tribune that Mr. Puckett was "probably the greatest teammate I've ever been around."
"You always felt better when you were around Kirby," MacPhail told the newspaper. "He would tease anybody -- he would tease me, whoever. He just has that way about him."
"He was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the term," Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig said in a statement. "He was revered throughout the country and will be remembered wherever the game is played."
According to the Tribune, Puckett had recently moved to Scottsdale, Ariz. He had soared from a playing weight of 210 pounds to 300 and was trying to shed the excess.
But, a friend told the newspaper, he "enjoyed life and enjoyed the size he was."
