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Puckett, Kirby

Kirby Puckett
Born: March 14, 1960, Chicago, Illinois
Died: March 6, 2006, Phoenix, Arizona
Bats: 
Right
Throws: 
Right
Played For: 
Minnesota Twins (1984-1995)
Elected to the Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers: 2001
Biography: 

A fun-loving and gregarious ballplayer, Kirby Puckett totaled 12 solid seasons with the Minnesota Twins. The 1982 first-round draft choice hit for power and average, batting .318 with 207 home runs. A true team leader, Puckett led the Twins to a pair of World Series titles in 1987 and '91. The six-time Gold Glove winner was named to 10 consecutive All-Star teams from 1986-95. Puckett finished among the top 10 in MVP voting seven times, only to have his career end prematurely after the 1995 season due to irreversible retina damage in his right eye.

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Induction Speech

 

Did You Know: 
that when Kirby Puckett retired following the 1995 season, he had attained the highest career batting average (.318) for a right-handed batter since Joe DiMaggio?
I could see how much he loved playing the game of baseball. His enthusiasm rubbed off on all his teammates including me. It was fun being his teammate.
Bert Blyleven