Kirby Puckett

[UpAndUnder43]

I did not have a thread titled Kirby Puckett on the day after Signing Day on my Gopherhole bingo card.

And unlike the OP you didn’t reach blackout

 

[beatles]

Without going into much detail I will say the following. In the early ‘90’s I was in a role for three years where I interacted with Kirby on an almost daily basis as I did with every member of the team. I can say unequivocally that Kirby was literally the kindest and most genuine person of them all and it wasn’t close. Not a single member of the team took as much time as he did to get to know me and take an actual interest in me. Years later we saw each other at a funeral and he made a point to find me and ask how I was and to simply reach out to him if I ever needed anything. I’ll never forget that.

 

[nitramnaed]

Turn the clock back to the mid to late 80's.

I loved it when ESPN's Chris Berman would do MLB highlights at night and ad lib and improvise with his own brand of narrative. One of the best was when Kirby was at bat and hit one to the wall. Berman said "Puckett hits a line drive in to the Union Gap" (a reference to Gary Puckett and the Union Gap band).

Sorry, if you don't find that funny or can't relate, but I'm an old guy and I'm feeling nostalgic.

Gary Puckett born in Hibbing!

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Bert “Be Home” Blyleven
Mike “Enough” Aldrete

I was always partial to Jim "Frito" Leyritz or Jim "Two Silhouettes On" Deshaies.

 

[PMWinSTP]

 

[#2Gopher]

Without going into much detail I will say the following. In the early ‘90’s I was in a role for three years where I interacted with Kirby on an almost daily basis as I did with every member of the team. I can say unequivocally that Kirby was literally the kindest and most genuine person of them all and it wasn’t close. Not a single member of the team took as much time as he did to get to know me and take an actual interest in me. Years later we saw each other at a funeral and he made a point to find me and ask how I was and to simply reach out to him if I ever needed anything. I’ll never forget that.

I don't doubt that he was a great guy. What he really needed was a good friend to give him some tough love to straighten out his life a bit. Unfortunately he wasn't the only Twins player/manager to get out of line and to cheat and hurt their wives.