Kirby Puckett, Baseball Hall-of-Famer Passes Away From Stroke at Age 45
Published March 07, 2006
I was shocked to find this story at the Major League Baseball Site this morning.
I watched Kirby Puckett play in both the 1987 and 1991 World Series battles, the two times that the former unmourned Washington Senators fought their way to the top of baseball's foodchain. In both series, and in all the years that he played for the Minnesota Twins that I remember, Kirby Puckett was special.
I remember going to the funeral of Zoilo Versalles, a former Twin who fell on hard times and drugs. He used to come by all the time to the Burger King where his late wife managed. All the managers of the Burger King franchise where she worked were there. Tony Oliva came and he spoke. I don't know if Puckett had come to the funeral - Versalles was before his era.
But in his era, Kirby Puckett was special. His personality went beyond the hokey hype of the Twins and Major League Baseball to reach even hard-nosed people like me. I felt bad when a baseball hit him in the eye and ended his career. I know that being forced to end his career so suddenly as a player hurt him. But he continued it in the Twins home office, where he continued to bring inspiration to players.
Quality shines like a diamond in the coal. The light of a diamond went out yesterday.
The writer was born in Brooklyn and lived in Minnesota for a number of years. There he managed restaurants and wrote stories. He moved with his family to Israel where they now reside. He is published by Jewish Indy, as well as by Desicritics.org.
- Kirby Puckett, Baseball Hall-of-Famer Passes Away From Stroke at Age 45
- Published: March 07, 2006
- Type: News
- Section: Sports
- Filed Under: Culture: Society, Sports: Baseball
- Writer: Ruvy
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The death from a stroke caught my eyes also. Puckett was younger than I am. I have a friend who suffered a stroke not long ago, and it is damaging his ability to work. Then there is Ariel Sharon, who was effectively felled by a stroke, and then I remember my own mother, z"l, who suffered a massive stroke before succumbing to a heart attack a week later.
Sigh...
Last night his former teammate, Denny Hocking, said on ESPN that without Kirby Puckett, without his smile, enthusiasm and fan-building talents, that there is no MLB franchise in Minnesota today.
Matt, this is 100% on the money.
When I lived in Minnesota, the Twins were forever in trouble, primarily for not winning games. It isn't like we didn't want them to win. We did! But they could never get higher than the middle of the standings.
The owner was always hustling the various counties and the state government for a new stadium - but this team did not win the games to bring the fans in.
Somebody like Puckett was worth gold to the Twins because he had respect as a player and as a tragic figure who contributed to the community where he lived.
As it stands, the Twins organization is hustling to sell seats and season tickets. I expect that Puckett's death will be used to try and sell more season tickets.
Always worshipping the almighty dollar. Sigh...
The Twins don't have a personality close to that of Puckett. But they do have exciting players: Torii Hunter, Johan Santana, and maybe in a couple years they can get behind Minnesota's own Joe Mauer. If they're smart they'll market the players they have now, with your occasional Puckett and Winfield bobblehead day.
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of their first World Series championship. Expect much ado on that.
Matt,
The Twins have had the annoying habit of selling off every player they could. Pohlad is not as bad as Cal Griffith (Griffin?) was - we were all glad to see the back of that fool.
But Minnesota is a small market team at best. It's just one of the disappointing facts of life of living in the Twin Cities.
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Go in peace, Kirby. You did good while you were here.
Kirby was always one of my favorite baseball players. Him and Alan Trammell and Kirk Gibson and Tony Gwynn and Ozzie Smith, and a few others.
He will be missed.
RIP...
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My boyfriend is devestated by Puckett's death. In a way, I am too. But for different reasons.
This "dead from a stroke" thing hits a little too close to home for me. After three weeks of watching my 38-yr old friend in a post-stroke coma and his eventual recovery, I know all too well how quickly things can turn. Each moment after a stroke is spent wondering if "the patient" will recover. Each ringing phone is eyed suspiciously; you always wonder if it's the hospital or family calling to give you the worst news possible.
Puckett wasn't all that much older than my friend. Sure, he was definitely more famous, but that doesn't change the fact that this could happen to anyone at any time.