Meet Kirby Puckett

KIRBY PUCKETT

"Puck"

Positions: Center Fielder

Full Name: Kirby Puckett

Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Born: March 14, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, USA

Died: March 06, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Organizations: Minnesota Twins (12)

KIRBY PUCKETT'S WALL OF GLORY

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2001, by BBWAA with 82.1%
• All Star: 10 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
• ALCS MVP: 1 (1991)
• AS MVP: 1 (1993)
• Gold Gloves: 6 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992)
• Silver Sluggers: 6 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994)
• World Series Rings: 2 (1987, 1991)

BATTING

• AVG Leader: 1 (1989)
• AB Leader: 2 (1985, 1988)
• Hits Leader: 4 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1992)
• RBI Leader: 1 (1994)

FIELDING

• Def. Games as CF: 4 (1985, 1986, 1988, 1989)
• PO as CF: 3 (1985, 1988, 1989)
• Assists as CF: 3 (1984, 1985,1989) 
• Double Plays Turned as CF: 4 (1984, 1985, 1988, 1991)
• Assists as RF: 2 (1994, 1995)
• Def. Games as OF: 3 (1985, 1986, 1988)
• PO as OF: 3 (1985, 1988, 1989)
• Assists as OF: 2 (1984, 1994) 

FACTS:

• He is the Twins' all-time leader in hits (2304), runs (1071) and total bases (3453). 
• At the time of his retirement, just Joe DiMaggio had a higher batting AVG among right-handed batters since 1951 (.325 vs .318).
• Year after year, Puckett routinely  was among AL Top 10 in categories such as G, AB, Hits, Singles, 2B, Total Bases, PO, Assists and Fielding% among CF.
• In 9 seasons Kirby Puckett received MVP votes, reaching the runner-up position in 1992 (.329 AVG, 19 HR, 110 RBI and 17 SB).
• Puckett was instrumental in the Twins' World Series titles (1987 and 1991). The Game 6 of the 1991 World Series against the Atlanta Braves has been widely remembered as Puck's high point of his career, with his 11th inning, game-winning HR off Charlie Leibrandt, to force the Series' Game 7. 
• Being a elite player the rest of his career, he got his jaw broken by a Dennis Martinez fastball in 1995 in his final career AB. During the 1996 Spring Training Kirby Puckett was diagnosed with glaucoma. He retired on July 12, 1996, at the age of 36. 
• He was voted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2001, along fellow OF Dave Winfield. 

STATS:

• 5x +200 Hits (Career Hight: 234 in 1988)
• 9x +10 HR (Career Hight: 31 in 1986)
• 11x +70 RBI (Career Hight: 121 in 1988)
• 7x +10 SB (Career Hight: 21 in 1985)
• 9x +30 2B (Career Hight: 45 in 1989)
• 8x +.300 AVG (Career Hight: .356 in 1988)
• Puckett finished his career with .318 AVG, 207 HR, 1085 RBI and 134 SB.

GALLERY:

 

BEST FIVE SEASONS:

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