20 Facts About Kirby Puckett

Kirby Puckett was an American professional baseball player.

Kirby Puckett played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career as a center fielder for the Minnesota Twins.

Kirby Puckett was the fourth baseball player during the 20th century to record 1,000 hits in his first five full calendar years in Major League Baseball, and was the second to record 2,000 hits during his first ten full calendar years.

Kirby Puckett was born in Chicago, Illinois, and he was raised in Robert Taylor Homes, a housing project on Chicago's South Side.

In 1983, Kirby Puckett was promoted to the Single-A Visalia Oaks in the California League, where he hit.

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In 1986, Kirby Puckett began to emerge as more than just a singles hitter.

Kirby Puckett was recognized for his defensive skills, earning his first Gold Glove Award.

Once there, Kirby Puckett helped lead the Twins to the 1987 World Series, the Twins' second series appearance since relocating to Minnesota and fifth in franchise history.

Statistically speaking, Kirby Puckett had his best all-around season in 1988, hitting 24 home runs with a career-high.

Kirby Puckett gave the Twins an early lead by driving in Chuck Knoblauch with a triple in the first inning.

Kirby Puckett then made a leaping catch in front of the Plexiglass wall in left field to rob Ron Gant of an extra-base hit in the third.

The images of Kirby Puckett rounding the bases, arms raised in triumph, are frequently included in video highlights of his career.

In 1994, Kirby Puckett was switched to right field and won his first league RBI title by driving in 112 runs in only 108 games, a pace that projects to 168 RBIs over a full season.

Kirby Puckett was diagnosed with glaucoma, and was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his professional career.

When it was apparent that he would never be able to play again, Kirby Puckett announced his retirement on July 12,1996, at the age of 36.

Later that same month, another woman asked for protection from Kirby Puckett himself, claiming in court documents that he had shoved her in his Bloomington condominium during the course of an 18-year relationship.

The article documented Kirby Puckett's alleged indiscretions and contrasted his private image with the much-revered public image he had previously maintained.

The article added Tonya Kirby Puckett had called police on December 21,2001, to report that Kirby Puckett had threatened to kill her.

Kirby Puckett underwent emergency surgery that day to relieve pressure on his brain; however, the surgery failed, and his former teammates and coaches were notified the following morning that the end was near.

The statue represents Kirby Puckett pumping his fist while running the bases, as he did after his winning home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.