BY MARK A. LARSON
What does Kirby Puckett mean to the Minnesota Twins?
A lot. A heckuva lot.
Quite simply. Kirby Puckett is the most popular player to ever don a Twins uniform.
He’s more popular than Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew who belted 573 home runs during his career. He’s more popular than three-time batting champ Tony Oliva, who was a local favorite for more than a decade in the 1960s and ’70s.
Puckett is even more popular than Rod Carew, even though Carew won seven batting titles and is one of only 15 players to garner 3,000 hits. In fact, Puckett is really the first Twins player to achieve national stardom.
Why? It’s probably the right combination of Puckett’s talent, attitude and personality, and the team’s success – two World Championships in the last five years.
Killebrew is a nice guy and there was no better long-ball hitter in the American League in the 1960s, but he was a quiet man who wasn’t known for charisma. Oliva’s friendly personality was a lot like Puckett’s, but his popularity was held back by his difficulties in mastering English (Oliva is from Cuba). And Carew, while one of the best singles hitters ever, could be moody and appear to have an aloof attitude.
Puckett, on the other hand, always seems to have a positive outlook – almost happy-go-lucky – and believes strongly in manager Tom Kelly’s successful “only one game at a time” philosophy. Unlike most other players these days, if Puckett (or any of the other Twins) have big egos, they’ve kept them under wraps for the sake of the team.
Puckett’s devotion to the game is well-known. He will take extra batting practice, always trying to stay on top of his game. This devotion goes all the way back to his childhood on the streets of Chicago. When it would have been easy to fall prey to temptation and become a troublemaker, Puckett just wanted to play ball. His love of the game is immeasurable.
However, an attractive personality is one thing, but you have to have the talent to back it up to be a true star. Kirby, obviously, is not lacking in this department.
Puckett, 31, has been in the league since 1984. He has played seven full seasons (1985-91) and averaged playing 156 games, with 205 hits, 93 runs scored, 36 doubles, 18 homers, 92 RBIs and a .320 average during those years.
The centerfielder has hit .311 in 10 ALCS games and .308 in 14 World Series contests. He has appeared in seven straight All-Star games (1986-92), has a lifetime .989 fielding average to go along with five Gold Glove Awards. His over-the-fence catches have become a staple of the Minnesota defense. He won the American League batting title in 1989, hitting .339.
Since landing a spot on the Twins’ roster in May 1984, the team has finished first or second in the A.L. West four times. In the 13 seasons prior to his arrival, the club never finished higher than third. Now, Puckett will be the first to tell you it was a team effort, and he’ll mean it. And that helps explain his popularity.
Puckett is the only player who can bring people out to the ballpark in Minnesota all by himself. Ask any kid in the upper midwest who his favorite Twin is, and nine times out of 10 the answer will be Kirby Puckett. Ditto for adults. In an era of self-important whining braggadocios, Puckett is a happy exception. It’s difficult to imagine the Twins without him. Things wouldn’t be the same without his fireplug-shaped physique patrolling centerfield.
The Metrodome would sound strange without the P.A. announcer giving the lineup and shouting “Kirbeeeeeeeeeee Puckett.” What a great baseball name. What a great baseball player.
It’s safe to say, without Puckett, Minnesota probably wouldn’t be a contender. The Twins just wouldn’t seem like the Twins without Kirby Puckett.
• • • • • •
See related article on BaseballCardFun.com entitled:
“BASEBALL HOBBY NEWS — Kirby Puckett: Charisma and Talent in One Smiling Package”
Click Link Here
• Originally Published in Oct. 1992 “Baseball Hobby News” •
THIS ARTICLE FROM “BASEBALL HOBBY NEWS” MAGAZINE IS REPRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF BOTH THE EDITOR/PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR. IT HAS BEEN RETYPED, BUT NO CONTENT HAS BEEN CHANGED (EXCEPT FOR VERY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, CORRECTIONS TO TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND CHANGES TO GRAPHICS). COMMENTS OR INFORMATION IN THE ARTICLE MAY BE OUT-OF-DATE.
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