RIP Kirby Puckett

[crawjo]

Though he had his flaws, he deserves his own thread. RIP.

[jesus marion joseph]

Say it ain't so.

[Monte Smith]

Very sudden and sad. 44 years of age. RIP.

[bostontricky]

Kirby Puckett broke in with the Twins after my freshman year in college, which makes him a post-childhood hero. The enthusiasm he brought to the game was infectious, so I can (almost) forgive the Twins fans and those infernal hankies back in 1987.

Suddenly I feel very old indeed. RIP, Puck.

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

He only played something like 10 or 11 years, but was voted into the H of F
on the first ballot. His career and now his life ended abruptly and tragically.

[Brian Olewnick]

Man. How sad.

[Scott Dolan]

Oh my...........

A sad passing.

[MRS]

What flaws?

[crawjo]

Trying to choke his wife with a telephone cord...calling her on the phone and threatening her...I don't want to dig up this man's faults right now, but he had some serious issues with domestic violence. In the end, though, his wife was at his bedside when he died. Like I said, rest in peace.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Face of the Bass

Trying to choke his wife with a telephone cord...calling her on the phone and threatening her...I don't want to dig up this man's faults right now, but he had some serious issues with domestic violence. In the end, though, his wife was at his bedside when he died. Like I said, rest in peace.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas...11/si_puckett/

I don't feel all that sad. Puckett was lionized as more than a superstar but a great person away from the field. Such are the perils of hero worship. He was no hero, just somebody who excelled at work but was not a very good person away from it.

I'm reading the obits to see how honest they are.

[Gentle Giant]

Very sad. I guess he'd ballooned up to 300 pounds. But strokes are suvivable; I wonder what went wrong.

RIP

[MRS]

Ouch. . .that blows. I only knew about the alleged groping, a pity that that has popped up in most obituaries. Very close friend of Jack Buck, a winner and a Hall of Famer, hats off to you Kirby.

[Chris D]

He came up out of the grisly Robert Taylor Homes on South State Street. He only got to play organized kids' ball after his mom moved elsewhere on the South Side when he was 10 or 11. For a little while, he (and Hrbek, Brunansky, Gaetti et al) made the Metrodome one hopping place.

He and Lance Johnson played in the same outfield for Triton Community College.

[clinthopson]

Kirby was one of the most exciting players I ever saw.

I saw him many times at the Big A and on the tube. There was always that specail electricity when he took the field or batted.

The last two players I recall who had the same effect were Willie Mays and Reggie Jackson.

I have chosen to ignore the allegations about his personal life and prefer to remember him as a great baseball player.

[Steve Reynolds]

forever overrated - a fine player - but not what the media sold us

I feel for his family, but it sounds like he had some issues/problems for which he never explained or made amends for.

too bad - maybe he made them with his loved ones - one would hope that knowing that his wife was at his side would make us hope that he had made peace with his past.

now - someone explain to me how he is in the HOF when Dwight Evans and Keith Hernandez are not

and I picked two guys who were even better in the field than he was - both of whom were team guys and for a time, the best at their positions in the game.

[Noj]

Originally Posted by Face of the Bass

Easily one of the most memorable home runs of my lifetime. RIP Kirby.

[hornplayer]

Originally Posted by clinthopson

Kirby was one of the most exciting players I ever saw.

I saw him many times at the Big A and on the tube. There was always that specail electricity when he took the field or batted.

The last two players I recall who had the same effect were Willie Mays and Reggie Jackson.

I have chosen to ignore the allegations about his personal life and prefer to remember him as a great baseball player.

Ditto.

Gone way too soon.

[MRS]

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

now - someone explain to me how he is in the HOF when Dwight Evans and Keith Hernandez are not

and I picked two guys who were even better in the field than he was - both of whom were team guys and for a time, the best at their positions in the game.

--how in fuck do you compare the defensive skills of Hernandez v. Puckett?

--Puckett (six gold gloves) not so obviously second fiddle to Evans in OF

--Puckett was much the better hitter than Evans

--Puckett has two rings to Evans' zero

I otherwise agree about Keith, but that involces a lot of personal slant.

[clinthopson]

Some guys think there aren't any great players outside of NY and Boston

[Brian Olewnick]

Puckett lifetime (12 seasons) OBP .360, SP .477 RC/27 outs 6.34

Evans lifetime (20 seasons) OBP .370, SP .470 RC/27 outs 6.09

Pretty close. I imagine if you shave off Evans' last couple of seasons he'd come out ahead but, of course, he did play those seasons.

[crawjo]

Wait, I missed something. Did Dwight Evans die too?

[Steve Reynolds]

I loved the statement - "much better hitter than Evans"

knew it was coming

knew it wasn't even close to the truth

Evans played in a less offensive era as well

but we wouldn't want to break the myth of Kirby Puckett - the all-time great player, man and clubhouse guy

and Evans did play 20 seasons - the fact that the Sox didn't win a World Series while he was there has nothing to do with his ability as a player.

Puckett Vs. Evans actually isn't even close when it comes to legacy. Dwight Evans had a longer career and was one of great defensive right fielders of the last 40 years.

Puckett's greatness is mostly a media creation - due to his build, his name and the fact that the Twins won 2 Series and he hit a big home run and made a big catch.

still luvya, Schaumann

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

Keith Hernandez

LOL, maybe HOF of the Cali Drug cartel.

He was funny in The Spitting Episode on Seinfeld.

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Face of the Bass

Wait, I missed something. Did Dwight Evans die too?

You didn't hear? In a car crash with Kenny Rogers (alleged singer, not pitcher).

[Chris D]

Take your Dewey love somewhere else.

[MRS]

I love you too, Steve. Hernandez was a true quarterback on the field and an incredibly talented defensive 1B. HOF arguments are infintite I guess.

[Al in NYC]

Too bad about Kirby... a fine player gone waaaay too soon.

For what it's worth, and whatever his other problems, part of my brief media career coincided with the 1987 baseball season, and Kirby certainly seemed like a funny, engaging, intelligent, and friendly man then, and like Clint says there was an electricity whenever he came to the plate.

It's also too bad that Red Sox fans (or should I say a Red Sox fan) have to show their usual whiny selves on this thread. Does your whole world revolve around Fenway? Did 86 years without a championship somehow completely erode your sense of propriety?

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

Puckett lifetime (12 seasons) OBP .360, SP .477 RC/27 outs 6.34

Evans lifetime (20 seasons) OBP .370, SP .470 RC/27 outs 6.09

Pretty close. I imagine if you shave off Evans' last couple of seasons he'd come out ahead but, of course, he did play those seasons.

That's no knock on Evans. He was a good player through year 18 of his 20 years. Longevity counts. Puckett's one edge on Evans is that he played CF. Why do sportswriters think he's much better? It's because they overrate batting average.

Off the field, Puckett had a big chip on his shoulder, both as an active player and after he retired.

I'm a big Keith Hernandez fan but his last good season was at age 33 and his .436 lifetime Slugging Average wasn't very good for a first baseman. He's a marginal HOF'er at best.

[MRS]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

I'm a big Keith Hernandez fan but his last good season was at age 33 and his .436 lifetime Slugging Average wasn't very good for a first baseman. He's a marginal HOF'er at best.

I don't disagree with this. It seems most candidates the last twenty odd years (obviously there are still the undeniables) have been and will be marginal at best. It seems to get lost in time just how good a first baseman Keith was. Oh well.

[jesus marion joseph]

Lee Smith-former Red Sox closer.

I liked Kirby. He did the game justice on the field.

Not too many throwing arms like Dewey Evans, though. He ould throw you out at third base from the Pesky Pole.