Minnesota Twins History: Kirby Puckett Passes Away

Kirby Puckett was a Minnesota Twins legend whose career came to a sudden end. His life ended the same way, as he passed away on this day in 2006, just one day after suffering a stroke.

When Kirby Puckett came up for the Minnesota Twins, he did not look like an emerging star. He did not hit a single home run in his rookie year despite having 583 plate appearances. Puckett followed that up with only four homers in 744 plate appearances in 1985, and hit 13 triples. If anything, he appeared to be the type of player that could be a decent top of the order option for the Twins going forward.

Then, in 1986, Everything changed. Puckett hit a career high 31 homers while posting a .328/.366/.537 batting line. He made the All Star Game, won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards, and finished sixth in the MVP vote. That began a streak of ten consecutive seasons as an All Star, as he established himself as the biggest star on the Twins. Puckett finished in the top ten of the MVP voting seven times, and won six Gold Glove awards and Silver Sluggers. He was one of the best players of his time.

As suddenly as Puckett became a star, everything ended. He started the 1996 season on the disabled list, and was forced to retire due to glaucoma that left him blind in one eye. Then, on this day in 2006, less than a decade after his unexpected retirement, Puckett passed away a day after suffering a severe stroke. he was just 45 years old.

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The final years of Puckett’s life were filled with controversy. His former wife allegedly threatened to kill a woman who claimed to have had an affair with the star. Another woman, who claimed to have had an 18 year relationship with Puckett, said he pushed her in her condo. Then, he was accused of groping a woman in a bathroom, and was charged with false imprisonment, criminal sexual conduct, and assault. Although he was cleared of all charges, it was certainly a different image than the outgoing and charitable player he had been.

Even after those personal issues, there was still concern for Puckett. Never a svelte person, his weight reportedly ballooned to over 300 pounds. That excess weight likely contributed to his stroke, which felled him on March 5. Emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain failed, and he passed away shortly after being removed from life support.

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Kirby Puckett was a beloved player, but his public persona and private life were polar opposites. Nonetheless, the Minnesota Twins lost an icon on this day in 2006.