Kirby Puckett

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Lore & Background

Puckett was known for having hit a dramatic game-winning home run in Game Six of the 1991 World Series. Puckett led the American League in batting with a .339 average in 1989 and led the league with 112 runs batted in in 1994. Overall, he won six Silver Slugger Awards and six Gold Gloves during his playing career and was named to the AL All-Star Team 10 times. He finished his career with a .318 batting average, 207 home runs, and 1085 runs batted in. After being forced to retire in 1996 at age 36 due to loss of vision in one eye from a central retinal vein occlusion, Puckett was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 in his first year of eligibility. Puckett was known 'for his sunny personality and his passion for baseball' and was 'perhaps the most popular athlete in Minnesota history'. However, his reputation was adversely affected by various off-the-field incidents that became public following his retirement. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 2006 at the age of 45.

In Their Own Story

The humidity hangs heavy inside the Metrodome on an October evening in 1991. Kirby stands at the plate, eyes locked on the pitcher's mound. The crowd roars as the Twins trail three games to two against Atlanta. He doesn't blink. With a sharp crack that echoes through the dome, he sends the ball soaring toward the left-field wall. It clears the fence. In that moment, history is made, not just for the series, but for the city itself. Earlier in the game, he robbed Ron Gant of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch against the Plexiglass wall. That night remains the high point of his career, immortalized by images of him raising his arms in triumph.

Reader's Guide

Kirby Puckett was born March 14, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois. The youngest of William and Catherine Puckett's nine children, Kirby was born 22 years after his oldest sibling, Charles. Puckett's father worked two full-time jobs at a department store and the post office, leaving Catherine to raise the children. Raised in a three-bedroom apartment in the Robert Taylor Homes Chicago housing project, Puckett taught himself to play baseball by practicing hitting and throwing against a wall. An All-American baseball player at Calumet High School, Puckett received little attention from baseball scouts, and he took a job installing carpeting in new cars for the Ford Motor Company. After being laid off by Ford, Puckett attended an open tryout hosted by the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB), where he received a college baseball scholarship from Bradley University. During the 1981 season, Puckett led the Bradley Braves with eight home runs, 21 stolen bases, and a .660 slugging percentage, while his .378 batting average was second on the team. His grades suffered following the sudden death of his father, however, and he transferred to Triton College after one year. During the 1982 season at Triton, Puckett batted .472 with 16 home runs and 78 runs batted in (RBI), and he was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year. As teams tried to save money during the 1981 MLB strike, only one scout watched Puckett at Bradley: Jim Rantz of the Minnesota Twins, who recommended that the team take him third overall in the January 1982 MLB draft. Puckett turned down the Twins' initial $6,000 contract, signing with them for $20,000 after the JUCO World Series. After signing with Minnesota, Puckett was assigned to the Rookie-level Elizabethton Twins, where he batted .382 with three home runs and 35 RBI in 65 games, winning the Appalachian League batting title in the process. In 1983, Puckett was promoted to the Single-A Visalia Oaks in the California League, where he hit .318 with nine home runs, 97 RBI, and 48 stolen bases over 138 games. After being promoted to the AAA Toledo Mud Hens to start the 1984 season, Puckett was brought up to the majors for good 21 games into the season. Puckett's major league debut came on May 8, 1984, against the California Angels, a game in which he went 4-for-5 with one run. That year, Puckett hit .296 and was

Did You Know?

• Puckett recorded his 1,000th hit in April 1989, becoming the fourth player in MLB history to do so in his first five seasons.
• Puckett was the first baseball player to earn at least $3 million per year of salary, signing a 3-year, $9 million contract after the 1989 season.
• Puckett's game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series is widely remembered as the high point of his career.

Rise from Humble Beginnings

Kirby Puckett's journey began on March 14, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois, as the youngest of nine children born to William and Catherine Puckett. Raised in a three-bedroom apartment in the Robert Taylor Homes housing project, he taught himself baseball by hitting and throwing against a wall. His father worked two full-time jobs at a department store and the post office until his sudden death, which caused Kirby's grades to suffer. After high school, where he was an All-American but received little scout attention, Puckett installed carpeting for Ford Motor Company. Following a layoff, he attended a Kansas City Royals tryout that led to a scholarship at Bradley University. There, he batted .378 with eight home runs and 21 stolen bases in 1981 before transferring to Triton College after his father's death. In 1982 at Triton, he hit .472 with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs, earning National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year honors.

Dominance in the Majors

Drafted third overall by the Minnesota Twins in January 1982 after only one scout watched him due to an MLB strike, Puckett initially turned down a $6,000 contract before signing for $20,000. He started with the Rookie-level Elizabethton Twins, batting .382 and winning the Appalachian League batting title. After promotions through Single-A Visalia and AAA Toledo, he reached the majors on May 8, 1984. Throughout his career, he routinely finished in the top 10 of the American League for games played, at-bats, singles, doubles, total bases, putouts, assists, and fielding percentage. He won six Gold Gloves and six Silver Slugger Awards. In 1989, he led the league with a .339 batting average, and in 1994, he led with 112 RBIs despite playing only 108 games due to a strike.

Championship Glory and Iconic Moments

Puckett was central to two World Series titles for the Twins. In 1987, the team won their second series since moving to Minnesota; Puckett batted .357 in the seven-game upset over St. Louis despite hitting only .208 in the ALCS against Detroit. His peak performance came on August 30, 1987, when he went 6-for-6 with two home runs against Milwaukee. In 1991, the Twins defeated Toronto in the ALCS, where Puckett batted .429 with two homers and five RBIs to win MVP honors. The World Series against Atlanta is ranked by ESPN as one of the best ever, featuring three extra-inning games. Game Six saw Puckett hit the walk-off home run that forced a Game 7, which Minnesota won 1–0.

Legacy and Personal Struggles

After being diagnosed with a central retinal vein occlusion in March 1996, Puckett lost vision in his right eye and retired at age 36. Three surgeries failed to restore sight. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility. Known for his sunny personality and passion for baseball, he is considered perhaps the most popular athlete in Minnesota history. However, his reputation suffered after retirement due to public off-the-field incidents. Puckett died on March 6, 2006, at age 45 from a cerebral hemorrhage.