Puckett was remembered via a private memorial service in the Twin Cities suburb of Wayzata on March 12 (dubbed Kirby Puckett Day in Minneapolis) and a public ceremony at the Metrodome with approximately 15,000 fans. However people are elected for different reasons and different times, and not voting system is perfect. [15], Statistically speaking, Puckett had his best all-around season in 1988, hitting 24 home runs with a career-high .356 average and 121 RBIs, finishing third in the AL MVP balloting for the second straight season. He reached the magical plateau of 3,000 career hits, but did so only by extending his career a number of seasons being a DH. However he was not dominant for a long enough period of time to warrant entry, and is not credited with developing an entirely new pitch that changed the course of the game for many pitchers like Bruce Sutter was. of Famer. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Michael Rand 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! Each is laser etched in durable acrylic with a black matte finish wood base and nameplate. I just want to win. Managers, executives, and umpires are not included in the equation. The Twins fell even farther in 1989, finishing 80-82 and 19 games out of first. Puckett was born in Chicago, Illinois, and he was raised in Robert Taylor Homes, a housing project on Chicago's South Side (the escape from which he frequently referred to during his career). Then, The first black player in the American League was elected primarily for that distinction. During his spare time, he attended a major league tryout event, eventually gaining the attention of Bradley University coach Dewey Kalmer in 1980, who offered him a chance to play three hours south of Chicago in the suburb of Peoria. A beloved hero in Minnesota, Kirby Puckett won a batting title and led the Twins to two World Championships. Before entering the ring, the. Kirby Puckett died Monday, a day after the Hall of Fame outfielder had a stroke at his Arizona home. He was a breath of fresh air in this game.. In Minnesota, where he played his entire major-league career for the Twins, he may be the most popular athlete ever. Free shipping for many products! Puckett suffered a stroke and died at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. hitting .356 with 24 home runs and 121 runs batted in. After a 12 year career with the Twins in center field, Kirby Puckett is elected into the Hall of Fame in 2001Check out http://MLB.com/video for more!About MLB.com: About MLB.com: Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League Club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball's Internet operations into an independent technology company. In 1996, Puckett was forced to retire at the age of 36 because of vision loss in one eye. [19], The subsequent 1991 World Series was ranked by ESPN to be the best ever played, with four games decided on the final pitch and three games going into extra innings. Kirby Puckett, a member of Baseball's Hall of Fame, died In his final hours, Puckett was surrounded by his two children, Kirby Jr. and Catherine; his fiance; and former teammates, including Shane Mack and Kent Hrbek. He passed away on March 6, 2006. After receiving no scholarship offers following graduation, Puckett went to work on an assembly line for Ford Motor Company. Paul Molitor was a very good player, a career .306 hitter, he led the Toronto Blue Jays to the World Series in 1993 (he was MVP and scored the winning run in the clinching Game 6 victory). home runs, 89 runs batted in and 8 stolen bases. 6 stolen bases. Many, including 1991 Twins teammates Shane Mack and Kent Hrbek, flew to Phoenix to be at his bedside during his final hours along with his two children Kirby Jr. and Catherine. 94, About page. hitting .329 with 19 home runs, 110 runs batted in and 17 stolen bases. Per the Star Tribune, in March 2002, one woman filed for an order of protection against Tonya, claiming that Tonya had threatened to kill her over an alleged affair with the baseball player. As the third youngest player Puckett spent his entire major league career with the Minnesota Twins. That fall Kirby Puckett weighed 178 lbs (80 kg) when playing. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Kirby Puckett # 120 - 1988 Topps Baseball - Minnesota Twins HOF NM at the best online prices at eBay! home runs and 80 runs batted in. On September 28, however, Puckett was struck in He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2001. Kirby Puckett's walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series sent the Minnesota Twins to Game 7 - and an eventual championship win. Born on March 14, 1960 in Chicago, just a mile from Comiskey Park, Puckett was the youngest of nine children. See the Puckett suffered a stroke on March 5, 2006, and died the following day. In 1987, Puckett led the team to its first World Series title in more than 60 years, hitting .357 throughout seven games played against the St. Louis . Cite Hogg, Kevin. September 28, 1995 Puckett was not charged, but the couple was swiftly divorced afterward amid accusations of Kirbys infidelity. In 1993, he received the Branch Rickey Award for his lifetime of community service work. In addition, His unquestionable baseball prowess, outgoing personality and energy, charity work, community involvement, and attitude earned him the respect and admiration of fans across the country. It would be not a decade later that the 2001 Baseball Hall of Famer would see tragedy again. On April 12, 2010, a statue of Puckett was unveiled at the plaza of Target Field in Minneapolis. Puckett can now add a smaller but not insignificant honor to his lifetime of achievements, albeit this one posthumous after his death in 2006. [24], After spending the spring of 1996 continuing to blister Grapefruit League batting with a .344 average,[2] Puckett woke up on March 28 without vision in his right eye. He passed away on March 6, 2006. [18], In 1991, the Twins got back on the winning track and Puckett led the way by batting .319, eighth in the league and Minnesota surged past Oakland midseason to capture the division title. the outfield and a ball was hit to him, you were very, very cautious because In the World Series, the Twins beat the on March 30, he awoke to find he couldn't see out of his right eye. In 22 seasons in the Major Leagues he led only once in a major statistical category. The perfect game he pitched at Shea Stadium in 1964 is what he is remembered for and probably what got him elected to Cooperstown. 1. bases. vs. CLE 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. Jeffrey Chupp, [2] He played baseball for Calumet High School. In the World Series, Puckett's performance in Game 6 became part of baseball history. One player should not be elected or kept out of the Hall of Fame due to another players entrance or rejection. With the series now tied at three games apiece, and a final game to be played in Minnesotas beloved Metrodome, a World Series win didnt seem too far out of reach. He did not accomplish enough in his short career to warrant selection and only was voted in because he was a media/fan favorite. But a .258 batting average while barely producing a total of 2,000 runs in 23 season is simply not Hall of Fame worthy, despite the lowered expectations of a shortstop. (thus, truly capturing a players peak seasons) and making similar adjustments for catchers and relief pitchers. While Mr. Puckett was at work, Kirby's mother, Catherine, raised nine children in a three-room apartment. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Text of Kirby Puckett's Hall of Fame induction speech, Aug. 5, 2001: --- "Before I get to a few words I have prepared, I would like to thank Commissioner Selig, the organizers here at the Hall of . After being forced to retire in 1996 at age 36 due to loss of vision in one eye from a central retinal vein occlusion,[1] Puckett was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility. on March 6, 2006 at his home in Arizona. He does everything on the field to help you win, and what he does in the clubhouse and the community is remarkable.. His clutch skills on the diamond made him one of the best all-around players in the game. Three surgeries over the next few months could not restore vision in the eye. Find out more. made 7,831 plate appearances. Puckett was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001. PHOENIX - Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett died Monday afternoon of complications from a stroke. 6 to rob Ron Gant of the Braves of an extra-base hit, before a Game 6 World Series crowd of 55,155 at the Metrodome. In September 2002, Puckett was accused of groping and holding a woman against her will in a restaurant bathroom. Jim Bunning was the first pitcher to win 100+ games in both leagues, and finished with 224, pitching mostly for the Phillies and Tigers. Kirby Puckett (March 14, 1960 - March 6, 2006) was the third youngest player (behind Sandy Koufax and Lou Gehrig) to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame at the age of 41, and in his first year of eligibility. The Minnesota Twins dubbed Kirby the executive vice president of the team shortly after he stepped down, retiring his No. Kirby Puckett and the 15 Hall of Famers Most Undeserving of Their Plaques Tom Mechin February 13, 2011 Jim McIsaac/Getty Images Originally, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New. He led the team to the World Series in 1987 and 1991. Kirby Puckett played for 1 team, the Minnesota Twins. The famed center fielder. [27], The Twins retired Puckett's number 34 in 1997. The Twins finished first in the American League West. Speakers at the memorial service included Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew and Dave Winfield, as well as many former teammates and coaches. He would hit .296 in 128 games that year and finish third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. Kirby Puckett biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics. Tribute to Kirby Puckett: 350K. [37][38], In the subsequent autopsy, the official cause of death was recorded as "cerebral hemorrhage due to hypertension." The Twins fell back to second in 1992. Puckett hit .357 with 10 hits and 3 runs batted in. A move to the AL and becoming a DH would have padded his statistics, but with a poor OBP and less-than stellar overall career totals, Dawson misses the cut. It would be not a decade later that the 2001 Baseball Hall of Famer would see tragedy again. Self-guided tour or VIP experience. the face by a Dennis Martinez pitch. Per Sportscasting, upon graduation from Calumet High School in Chicago in the late 1970s, Puckett didnt have a single offer to play ball in college, instead settling for an assembly line at a Ford factory. Following his retirement, a 2003 Sports Illustrated article detailed much that remained to be seen about the former baseball player. "When Kirby Puckett was in Ortiz began his MLB career with the Twins.[40]. Kirby Puckett Facing Atlanta southpaw Charlie Leibrandt, the odds were stacked against Puckett, as he had struck out twice against the left-handed pitcher in Game 1.