The Tragic Death Of Baseball Star Kirby Puckett

Minnesota Twins baseball fans may not have a lot to cheer about lately, but they do long for the late '80s and early '90s when it won two World Series titles. One of the most celebrated players of the time was center fielder Kirby Puckett. Puckett was influential in both of the Twins' World Series wins and is the team's all-time leader in career hits, runs, and total bases. At the time of his retirement, his batting average of .318 was the highest by a right-handed batter since Joe DiMaggio.
Puckett was sadly forced to retire at age 36 due to loss of vision. Nine years after his retirement, Puckett suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke that eventually led to his tragic death.
#KirbyPuckett #Baseball #MLB
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[@slapshot6ful]

I read his book at 12yo and LOVED it. I think i honestly just loved baseball, but the book hit me, and i wrote him a letter. He was already recently retired at the time. He wrote back a handwritten letter, sent autographed cards of himself, Paul Molitor, and several other twins. I spent the next year acquiring every Kirby card ever made. He will ALWAYS be my favorite player. Go Kirby!

[@hermandelgado3813]

Met him once at the stick, he was so nice to my daughter's class act. RIP

[@CringeComedyTV]

I'll never forget that 1991 World Series. The greatest one in history imo. Thank you for the memories K.P.!

[@stevencooke6451]

Jack Morris...Other than that rather strange dome where the ball would get lost in the ceiling, and the garbage bags in the outfield, they were a good team on both sides of the ball. And Atlanta were stacked with talent both on the mound and at the plate.

[@dr.jackkevorkian1119]

That catch against the plexiglass!

[@MrJking065]

As A Atlanta Braves Fan. I have to agree with you. The pitching of Jack Morris And John Smoltz was the best pitching ever witnessed in a World Series. And let's not forget the Kent Hurbeck move, a grizzly veteran who pulled a young kid named Ron Gant off first base. And Ron Gant called out. And JFC why in TF Bobby Coxs left Charlie Leibrant in, only to let Kirby Puckette hit a home run off the cheese. Oh and Skates Lonnie Smith coming around 2 nd and slips and fails to get to 3 rd base.

[@thomaspaquette9991]

@@dr.jackkevorkian1119 the throw after that catch too! It didn’t double off the runner but he unleashed the cannon.

[@bigferd4534]

One hell of a athlete and one of the better clutch hitters I’ve had the privilege to watch play baseball.

[@laudanum669]

I live in Minnesota and had the privilege of watching Kirby play for years. He played the game like no other always laughing and smiling but with the heart of a lion and a Bulldogs determination. I was in Florida for the Twins spring training the day he died. Thanks Kirby.

[@cooper79jeffr]

Kirby was universally admired across the baseball world. The Twins could not have won their championships without him. One correction to the story is that in his last few years he played right field rather than center field.

[@cooper79jeffr]

@@dudeski5333 I love the conspiracy idea. Of course the Twins actually sucked most of their seasons in the Humpty Dome.

[@thomaspaquette9991]

@@dudeski5333 lol. Those air handlers were located all around the ballpark and simply added pressure to keep the roof up. The added pressure actually would act to keep balls from flying further. So an argument could be made that pressure was released during twins at bats but that is just ridiculous.

[@henryhawkins1194]

RIP Kirby, I got to meet him several times at the Twins spring training in Ft Myers, Florida. Always smiling, and always a kind word.

[@awindey]

I want to "like" this comment, but it currently has 34 likes, so I'm leaving it sit with pride 😊

[@13lood13ath]

Kirby was such a special player with a strong love of baseball, his team, and his fans. I was devastated to hear when he retired and when he passed away. He was far too young and such a wonderful human being. To this day he is still my favorite player.

[@stevesmithjr.1846]

Amen brother

[@rockyratliff3434]

Back in 1982 Kirby was given a $20,000 sign on bonus and was assigned to the Elizabethton, Tn., Twin Rookie League affiliate. Several of Kirby's fellow teammates came from Latin American countries and were barely equipped enough to have brought rotten hunks of leather with them which they used for gloves since their early childhoods. Their shoes were in even worse shape and they couldn't afford to purchase adequate footwear. Because he was the only player signed to any sort of bonus money, Kirby took it upon himself to buy both shoes and gloves for several of these needy teammates without any prior notice or fanfare. He was a class act.

[@hermanmontalvo4509]

Adjusted for inflation, today (2020) that bonus is worth $54,675.32. Still, not a lot of dough so it truly says a lot about the man. What you do unto the least of my brothers, that you do to Me.

[@RuffRyder_43]

We Twins fans miss him terribly. Thanks for all the great memories Kirby! RIP

[@eugenegreen2285]

At least you still got chuck knoblauch

[@petetimchal1908]

Puckett was a monster in post season, Baseball will miss him. RIP brother God has a new Center fielder.

[@Jman417]

My favorite baseball player. You made being a twins fantastic. I love baseball because of you

[@tdc1012]

I watched his whole career. Such a great hitter. I grew up in Northern California and every time the Twins would come to Oakland, Kirby used to crush my Oakland A’s pitching staff. Always got a huge hit!!!

[@tomodonovan5931]

The kind of player you loved to hate, yet you would be first in line for an autograph. Puckett was an all star in all aspects of life.

[@tdc1012]

@@tomodonovan5931 👍👍

[@mattkuester4199]

I was at the retirement celebration last game for Kirby. It was an awesome day!

[@hitkid2456]

He was one of the players of that time I admired most, along with Nolan Ryan.

[@JN-el7qf]

Nolan Ryan is a George bush Texas crooked mason and is no shape or form in the same league with Kirby Puckett

[@stevesmithjr.1846]

I was born and raised in Maryland. I've been a die hard Twins fan since I was seven. Kirby was my idol. I met him outside memorial stadium he was so nice.

[@youngcobain9400]

He’s the reason my braves didn’t win in ‘91 all around great player

[@kenmcfann8128]

Not a twins fan but Kirby always seemed like a pleasant man, don’t know much about his life out of baseball ⚾️.

[@samherb1]

Not so pleasant it would appear.

[@kenmcfann8128]

@@samherb1 no sounds like he never did well with his personal life, but I don’t have any room to throw stones...have a nice day.

[@samherb1]

@@kenmcfann8128 Agree to disagree I guess. I don't know any nice guys that have multiple women accuse them of assault though....

[@richardlug6139]

@@samherb1 he only had one accuse him of assault and those charges were dropped. Rumors were that the women in question was out to extort money from him.

[@tuckercarlsonsmicropenis1283]

@@kenmcfann8128 Good reply! I tend to like it when humans treat other humans fairly and with respect. It doesn’t happen very much, so it stands out when I see it! Congratulations on being a GROWN-UP! (I am NOT being sarcastic). There aren’t very many of you out there, but you’re there, which is comforting.

[@the5s781]

My favorite player of all time...Definitely one of the greats...

[@WhoShotYa3X]

I grew up watching Kirby play when I was a child. Was definitely a inspiration for me to see him perform.

[@lincbond442]

A sad reminder to have your blood pressure checked regularly. RIP Kirby.

[@nikki9125]

I met him once, at Valleyfair when I was a kid. He autographed a napkin.

[@mr.austinlucksted783]

I had a famous musician sign a dollar bill once.

[@maxfriedenberg6202]

I had Kate upton the supermodel sigh a napkin😂 not kidding

[@nealdaleyjr7625]

Sanitary?

[@nikki9125]

@@nealdaleyjr7625 Seriously? I said a napkin, not a pad. Gross, why would you think that. No female, kid or adult, would do that, & celebrity would autograph anything like that? Valleyfair is an amusement park in MN, so I’m not walking around with any paper, but like any amusement park, lots of places to get food, meaning lots of napkins.

[@mikeplasse]

Me too, prove me wrong

[@jdubmash]

Dang one of my All Time favorites, had to click on the link because he was a special player!! RIP Kirby

[@joeschermann7729]

Big hole in this story: he was hit in the face by a pitch prior to his diagnosis of glaucoma. That pitch precipitated his retirement.

[@chaschas3199]

Exactly. I'll never forgive Dennis Martinez for hitting him in the face. That may be the single worst moment in Twins history.

[@bentighe4811]

Puckett was hit in the face in the fall of 1995, and the onset of glaucoma was in the spring of 1996, almost six months later. Puckett's doctor said that the glaucoma was caused by high blood pressure, not by an impact to the head. Dennis Martinez's accidental beanball had nothing to do with the end of Kirby Puckett's career.

[@chaschas3199]

@@bentighe4811 How do you know that the pitch from Martinez was an accident? There is NO way that you could possibly know that.

[@bentighe4811]

Martinez and Puckett were friends, and Martinez was horrified that he had beaned Puckett. I was around then, and I remember it well.

[@chaschas3199]

@@bentighe4811 I was around then too, and I was horrified when it happened. I can't tell you how Martinez felt about it. I only know how I felt about it. In my mind he ended Pucketts career.

[@pashon4percushon]

I'm a Red Sox fan, loved watching Kirby intimidate the Red Sox and was sad to hear the day they announced his Glaucoma and brings chills to me to this day. That was my wake up call in life cause you never know no matter how successful.

[@stevensouza9988]

loved Kirby and Kent Hrbek as Minnesota Twins I went nuts when them and the Minnesota Twins won it all in 1987 and 1991

[@swflfishing2902]

Had the privilege of watching him in spring training for years. Legend!!!

[@scottsater]

My daughter got to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to he and Tonya at a Twinsfest Outstate Team Tour when my daughter was three. I was there in 1991 when the Twins won Game #7 against the Braves. Kirby was indeed troubled in some personal ways. But such a baseball legend. That spark has NEVER been replicated since, even with the incredible athleticism of so many since the 90's. His "big game" shtick was the stuff of legends (Game #6 in '91 for example). He. Was. Amazing.

[@Morganational]

That's awful, poor guy. That's way too young.

[@jameswhite2198]

I have many of his baseball cards I always remember seeing them out of the hundreds I had just a little before my time

[@davidvaughn184]

One of my all time favorite players. One of the best hitters of our generation.

[@snakeplissken2018]

They say the candle that burns twice as bright only burns half as long

[@GreekDino]

Boom

[@vyavee]

awesome player and nice person..i played against him when he was at triton..i played for oakton college..pure hitter

[@towvalee2297]

I was there when he got inducted in the hall of fame,I worked security that weekend.met him and few others even bush senior.hell me and a few other guards had to hold the benches him and others stood on when they took the group picture.

[@goodnewsminnesota]

Thanks for doing this from a long time fan of "#34 ...center fielder....Krrrrrrrrby Pucket!!!!" and a Minnesotan! :)

[@Dulcimerist]

There is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO smoking in the Metrodome!

[@abrahammorrison6374]

Puckett was part of the Kirby and Hrbie Show that won the 1987 and 1991 World Series.

[@AJ_savage16]

One of classiest baseball players ever he willed the Twins to two world series titles R.I.P Mr Puckett

[@bmoe7927]

My favorite baseball player. Always will be

[@davidgee5073]

The guy was an all star does is a legend of America's past time, any baseball fan loves Kirby

[@cozm0859]

I remember going to my first baseball game and my dad giving me a ball and said to go down there by the dugout and see who’s singing autographs and try to get one. I got down there and it was Kirby Puckett! He signed my baseball and I said “wow thanks Kirby!” He replied “no problem big man”. I’ll never forget it!

[@MR-wc9lh]

Kirby is well known for his great hitting accomplishments and stellar defensive outfield play. He won six Gold Gloves, he received AL MVP votes in nine seasons, was on the AL All-Star game ten seasons, hit 207 regular season home runs, and stole 134 bases - he did all of this in 12 seasons before his career his career was cut short due to injury. He was a great team leader who always kept his teammates in good moods and ready to do their best. He loved the game of baseball so much that it was difficult for his to adjust to not playing the game he had played all of his life. He didn't know what to do after retiring, he ate too much food and his health declined; he was a normal human being and he didn't know how to live without baseball.

[@mikeofmanymikes2630]

Greatest player of all time and my personal favorite.

[@RH-pq7lc]

I've been a Baseball Fan since I was 5 years old. I'm 65 today. I've seen a lot of Baseball players in that time. Kirby was Gold Kirby played the game the way it was meant to be played. He played hard. In addition, He looked like he really enjoyed himself out there.

[@ChrisNelson-kq3hc]

He was really a nice guy I got to know him on a personal level when I worked on his cabin in nw Wisconsin he had a very caring giving heart

[@robertcarlson9084]

MY COUSIN AND HIS FAMILY WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED HIM WHEN HE HAD THAT CAR ACCIDENT KIRBY IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS SO MANY GOOD MEMORIES WATCHING HIM PLAY I WAS THERE AT THE DOME IN 87 WHEN TWINS BEAT DETROIT AND CAME HOME TO A PACKED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TO WELCOME THEM HOME PLACE WAS SO LOUD IT WAS LIKE A DOG WHISTLE JUST HIGH PITCH SOUND OF PEOPLE SCREAMING WE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET INSIDE THE DOME OTHERS CAME AND GOT TURNED AWAY HAD WATCH IT IN THE CONCOURSE OR COULDN'T GET IN AT ALL HAD WATCH FROM OUTSIDE GOOD TIMES ILL NEVER FORGET FOR SURE

[@rodolfoayalajr.8589]

Rip greatness Amen. Thank you for great memories. Amen 🙏🏻 ⚾️⚾️🇵🇷🇺🇸🙏🏻.

[@raydevi]

I met him once as a kid, after an Indians vs Twins game, I still have the baseball he signed for me.

[@esands36]

Kirby Puckett is my third favourite Twins player. The first two are Joe Mauer and Harmon "The Killer" Killebrew.

[@normbatchelor7403]

No Rod Carew?

[@esands36]

@@normbatchelor7403 He's fourth

[@airguy5024]

A's fan here. i remember the first time i saw him play. i new nothing about him didn't even see him. But when they announced the starting line up and i heard the name KIRBY PUCKETT I said " great name, This guy is going to be a star." i was right.

[@fitness..moveyoullgetit5832]

Such a Minnesota sports Legend..definitely at the top of the list. Fond memories of watching him at the metrodome walking up to the plate to Herb Carneal's introduction, "Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibyyy PUCKett."

[@Dulcimerist]

That was Bob Casey on the Metrodome public announcement system. Herb Carneal did the play-by-play radio broadcasts on WCCO.

[@fitness..moveyoullgetit5832]

@@Dulcimeristah, thanks for the correction. Funny how memory can mix things up.

[@michaelstevens5588]

My all time favorite player.

[@markcassel3392]

Sad story of a great player.

[@joeomalley2835]

I remember as kid watching Kirby Puckett play as a minor leaguer when he played for one of the Twins' minor league teams when they came to town. I think he nailed this long homerun that night and went like 4 for 4 with 4 RBIs. I saw him play many other times and thought he would be a special player when he got to the big leagues. Time proved that correct. I always admired his skills and work ethic as a baseball player, and I felt his death was pretty shocking to say the least.

[@nickmoutdoorfun3263]

I always wanted to see him play but living in Colorado as a kid never got that luxury

[@jeffzerban5667]

That’s where I live

[@travzimmerman1340]

@@jeffzerban5667 Agree to disagree

[@jeffzerban5667]

I mean I live in Colorado

[@JStorm13]

Had a chance to get his autograph at twinsfest at the dome one year. Decided to pass and see everything else there. Still kick myself for passing that opportunity.

[@100forks]

My son's favorite baseball player. He was only 2 yrs old at the time and when saying his name it came out Gerby Bucket.

[@kh7955]

Favorite player of the 90s

[@hursell]

Rip 🪦 🥀

[@Billycruz718]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 he one of the best center fielder ever and won a World Series 💪🏽💯⚾️

[@jamescravens8197]

A great player and even a better man

[@cornellwaters9089]

⚾ Thank You!

[@GreekDino]

I ran into him at a Hospital in Baltimore when he Injured his eye.Talked and spoke a little. Cool dude. RIP

[@scapegoatedstudiosllc]

No you didnt

[@AnnusMirabilus]

The 1991 World Series was probably the best final postseason series in sports I've ever seen. Some of Jordan's Finals series are close, though. The 1998 Super Bowl was incredible as well. Nothing about the 2020 postseason had any weight to it. It didn't even seem real.

[@seanm3226]

2020 season in all sports is just franchise owners scraping what they can from the bottom of the barrel.

[@willy565]

How could you not have loved Kirby?

[@Chromegrillz]

RIP Kirby Puckett, he was Twins gem.

[@jeffreyallen9626]

Rip🙏❤

[@geoffelder2236]

As a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan, I'm still pissed at Kirby for Game 6 alone! But he was a hell of player and played the game right, I was saddened when he had to retire, I think he had a few good years ahead of him. I have always liked his 1984 Fleer Update card, somehow you could see the talent just in the way he poses for the photo, very confident in his abilities.

[@eduardopena9326]

Geoff...that was a hell of a series, one of the classics. I remember the TV announcer Joe Buck saying they were going to have to rip the winner's trophy in half, split it between the teams. Hard to believe it's almost been 30 years.

[@geoffelder2236]

@@eduardopena9326 The cool thing about that series was that they both finished last in their respective divisions the season before! Jesus, it has been about 30 years, but I can still see Larkin singling Pena's pitch to score Gladden in the bottom of the 10th! It truly was a great series where both teams left everything on the field. Cheers to you, Eduardo!

[@myride7216]

Say what you want about Puck, good and bad. After a conversation with a friend who...knew Puck...the guy should be remembered for what we as fans know him for. The personal stuff, if anything revealed that heroes or at the very least celebrities are human too.

[@deNNyTheWiseMAN1]

1991 World Series is still the greatest ever in my book.

[@jeffmunger]

Thank you Kirby! Thank you "lone Twins scout". Thank you God. RIP KIRBY.

[@BB-vq6cb]

That's sad man . RIP Kirby

[@briandm33]

The special talent that Kirby hand above every baseball player was his keen eyesight. He was able to see the ball soo very well that it gave him such a great advantage over other players in the big leagues. Remember how George Brett was hitting 3.90 and seeing the ball soo well to hit nearly 4.00 that season??? He had eye surgery in the off season before then to see the ball better. Kirby was unigue and had such a great advantage playing the game of Baseball. In my opinion I don't think your going to find a more liked player in his time. Ask Wade Boggs how well Kirby Puckett was well liked and you'll get your answer. I love Kirby greatly and everyone else from the state of Minnesota was greatly crazy about him too. He was a great man and a great baseball player.

[@kennethchambers9949]

That pre swing always reminded me of a gun being cocked.

[@Dulcimerist]

I also liked his front foot lifting before a good swing.

[@mikeofmanymikes2630]

Greatest baseball player of all time!

[@billycausgrove9657]

Drugs are bad

[@TheHoagie13]

WooHoo!!! Twins!!! I wasn't born here, but I grew up here in *SouthEastern St. Paul (Cottage Grove; home of Sven Sundgaard and "Stiffler" Seann William Scott \m/ )*

[@girnucci]

I'm from the Grove. I didn't know Sven was from there? What year did he graduate?

[@Dulcimerist]

I lived a year up in Oakdale when I was little. St. Paul is nice!

[@thankyoucomeagain9130]

Kirrrrrrrrrrrby Pucccccccccket...will always be miss in minnesota #34

[@lanacampbell-moore4549]

Rest In Peace

[@AmericanPride1234]

Had no idea he passed. 12-16-20

[@odessawadford3663]

Loved him as a kid

[@MarkKrauklis]

God bless Kirby and his family. I'm just now finding out about this. 🥰REST IN PEACE KIRBY🥰 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@OneBullet4586]

I met kirby at my local grocery store best time of my life.

[@franciscocardiel177]

I saw him before he died he was at st joes hospital in phx, I was in high school and worked part time in the hospital bringing patients their meals, I never talked to him because he went straight to the OR but I was star struck even though I just saw at a glance when he was brought in.

[@cheddarcheese7928]

No man(or woman) is perfect..Maybe the true measure of a person is how much good they do against that bad.

[@timwells5397]

I'm sorry tori hunter nor byron buxton will ever be a legend like kirby puckett that was minnesota twins best ever center fielder of all time rest in peace kirby and thank you for both of those world series titles...

[@xxgamer1628]

Rip

[@Mrboomer135]

2010 - Indefinite is to my generation is what 1980-now is to yours...

[@mikeshoe74]

Fun trivia question you can more than likely stump your friends over.....I believe Kirby Puckett is the only player to ever have a 30 home run season and a 0 home run season with over 500 AB's in that season. I was asked this one bar night and it took me all night and a hundred guesses to come up with the answer.

[@hongkongphooey6380]

A helluva good ballplayer and man.

[@MadderMel]

Very sad indeed !

[@christineparis5607]

I was interested in him growing up in the Ohio Projects. I had a wonderful friend in Los Angeles who had grown up in the same place at the same time. Her mom worked nights at a hospital and she was sent to school run by nuns, who were notoriously racist and mean. She told me a great story of one of the nuns hitting a troublemaker in class, hard. The next the whole class waited, silent for what they knew was going to happen. They looked out the windows and the troublemakers dad was striding up to the school with a gun....he banged in, pointed the gun at the nun and said, " NO one touches my kid but me. You understand me?" She did, and he turned and left. My friend said they were all practically under their desks, kind of hoping he would blow the nun away, because she was so evil, but not really wanting to see a murder at 8 o'clock in the morning.... She was told by the nuns not to bother with college because she would be pregnant and poor by 16, but she proved them WRONG. She went to college, got her degree, moved to LA, was a sound engineer and went to work for Prince at Paisley Park in the 90s.

[@copp214]

So called godly people who are supposed to be so holy, are vile, hateful racist with plenty of lessons to learn. Some never get the poison out of their hearts. Too bad for them.

[@justinestes6400]

I loved watching him play!! If not for injury, I think he could have made a run at Pete.

[@thefreedmind18]

I got a couple of baseball cards of his. Going to pull them out now!

[@equinox916]

Vikings=0 North Stars=0 Lakers=5 Gophers=4 Twins=2 Championships Thanks Kirby! I love Minnesota!

[@natalienack3534]

Rip Kirby 😭😭😭😭😢

[@i_ares_i_8177]

Kirby the goat

[@dr.jackkevorkian1119]

I have his Blue Twins V Neck jersey , just like the 1 in that Sports illustrated cover in this story.

[@stuspring5250]

He is missed......

[@romanc.5074]

I never heard about the issues with those ladies.

[@gadbammit4736]

I did, hated it. Could have all been made up, but there was more than one voice. Idk, I wasn't a Twins fan, Cardinals fan, always respected Puckett even in light of these allegations.

[@chaschas3199]

The greatest Twin to ever play, and my all time favorite player...RIP Kirby.

[@mikeoneil5770]

Google “Harmon Killebrew”

[@oldfart5063]

i always joked every year that he and herbie looked like they lost some weight in spring training . puck could hit any pitch thrown his direction .if the current twins players could learn to swing level like him and moliter they would crush teams with all the power they have in the lineup . homeruns are impressive but if you don't get men on base your not going to go far.

[@LL3Jay]

Straight up beast.