Kirby Puckett
| Birthdate | 3/14/1960 |
| Death Date | 3/6/2006 |
| Debut Year | 1984 |
| Year of Induction | 2001 |
| Teams | Twins |
| Positions | Center Field, Designated Hitter, Right Field |
Kirby Puckett played all twelve of his big league seasons in Minnesota and retired as the Twins’ All Time leader in hits, runs, doubles, and total bases.
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Kirby Puckett helped the Minnesota Twins win World Series titles in 1987 and 1991
Kirby Puckett helped the Minnesota Twins win World Series titles in 1987 and 1991
Kirby Puckett was a fan favorite in Minnesota. He managed 165 hits and a .296 average in his first big league season in 1984. The Chicago native finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting.
The following season Puckett tallied 199 hits and received support in MVP voting. In 1986 he began a run of 10 straight All Star seasons. The centerfielder earned six Gold Gloves and six Silver slugger Awards.
Puckett helped lead the Twins to World Series championships in 1987 and 1991. The 1989 batting champ finished with a .318 lifetime batting average and a 124 OPS+. In 2001 he received baseball’s highest honor when he was voted into the Hall of Fame.
Puckett’s fame and success propelled autograph hounds to seek his autograph. When fans wrote to Puckett in care of the Twins, they received this team-issued postcard of the Minnesota slugger adorned with Puckett’s autograph along with a pre-printed thank-you note.
One can only imagine the volume of mail a player as popular as Puckett must have received. Rather than obliging each individual request, Puckett signed a number of these cards which were returned to the autograph seeker until the supply ran out.
From 1986-1992 Puckett hit .329 and averaged 207 hits, 20 homers, 97 RBI per season
From 1986-1992 Puckett hit .329 and averaged 207 hits, 20 homers, 97 RBI per season
Kirby Puckett was among the game’s best hitters from 1986-1992. An all star all seven of those years, he earned five Silver Sluggers. For good measure, the center fielder also earned six Gold Gloves during that time.
Shown here is the 1987 Fleer baseball card titled, “A.L. Pitcher’s Nightmare”. When this picture was taken at the 1986 All Star game, Kirby Puckett, Jose Canseco and Jim Rice were three of the most feared sluggers in the American League.
It was a season of firsts for Puckett who had never before played in an the All Star game, won a Silver Slugger or Gold Glove Award but accomplished all three in ’86.
All three outfielders penned their signatures on this card.
Kirby Puckett was one of six in the inaugural Twins Hall of Fame class in 2000
Kirby Puckett was one of six in the inaugural Twins Hall of Fame class in 2000
The Minnesota Twins created their team Hall of Fame in 2000. Their first induction class included All Star Kent Hrbek, owner Calvin Griffith, and Cooperstown men, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, and Kirby Puckett.
The 5’8″ Puckett electrified Twins fans from 1984 through 1995. An All Star for Minnesota in each of his final 10 seasons, Pucket earned six Gold Gloves and Six Silver Sluggers. He was a key player in both the 1987 and 1991 championship seasons.
The Twins retired his #34 in 1997. Three years later his induction in the inaugural class of the team’s Hall of Fame capped it all off.
Shown here is a letter from another Twins Hall of Famer who had his number retired. Fellow 2000 inductee Killebrew writes to Jack Lang, the secretary-treasurer of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) from 1966-1988. The role entrusted Lang with counting Hall of Fame votes and notifying those who made it.
The correspondence is dated January 16, 1984, just one week after Killebrew received the good news.
He writes in part, “What a thrill to hear these words from you last week…It is the greatest thrill of my life and we look forward to being with you and the rest of my friends along with Don Drysdale and Luis Aparicio on August 12.”
The slugger signs his name at the bottom of the letter.
In 2001 Puckett and three others received their plaques in Cooperstown
In 2001 Puckett and three others received their plaques in Cooperstown
The charismatic 5’8″ centerfielder, Kirby Puckett captivated Minnesota fans for a dozen years. The 1989 batting champ sparkled, averaging more than 200 hits in the nine-year period from 1985-1993.
Puckett’s most memorable moment came in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series. With his team down 3-game-to-2, Puckett’s walk-off home run prompted Jack Buck to exclaim, “And we’ll see you tomorrow night!”
Puckett’s fine career culminated on August 5, 2001 when he took the microphone at the Hall of Fame on his induction day. Minnesota fans flocked to Cooperstown and listened intently.
One of the other inductees that day shared Puckett’s World Series home run dramatics. Bill Mazeroski hit his in 1960, baseball’s only Game 7 World Series walk-off. Shown here is a 1961 Topps baseball card signed by Maz commemorating the event.
Mazeroski signed the card, adding the inscription, “HOF ’01 We Win!”
In addition to Puckett and May Dave Winfield, Hilton Smith also received their plaques.
