Puckett dies after massive stroke

Minneapolis Star-Tribune ^ | March 6, 2006 | Joe Christensen

[daler]

PHOENIX — Twins Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett died tonight.

Puckett suffered a massive stroke Sunday morning at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., and underwent surgery. He had been transferred to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

Family members assembled at the hospital Monday to make the decision on life support. The people with knowledge of Puckett’s condition said he was expected to be removed from the life support sometime Monday.

[nitejohnboy]

What a shame. So young.

[BluesDuke]

Relief pitchers: Don Mossi (Jim Bouton has immortalised him thus: he looks like a cab coming down the street with the doors open).

Jorge Posada has those cab door open ears.

Looks like Jorge Posada is a mere Honda compared to Mossi's Checker... ;)

[JRios1968]

RIP, Kirby

[IslandJeff]

From a Mariner fan, you'll hit third in my version of heaven, #34.

May God be with his family.

[nonliberal]

They guy was a bowling ball with legs. He was my hero growing up in north Iowa. He played with such passion. You could tell he absolutely loved the game.

I remember after the 87 season he was a free agent and turned down huge salaries to stay in Minnesota. He was the best.

I quit watching baseball after he retired.

[JRios1968]

darespeakit is gone

Seems like I missed a good FlameZot...

[dancusa]

Earl, I was nine years old in 1967 also and was a Red Sox Fan in 1967. I remember that last game of the season

The pitching matchups favored the Twins: Red Sox ace Jim Lonborg was 0-6 against Minnesota lifetime and 0-3 in 1967 while rival right-hander Dean Chance had a 4-0 mark against the '67 Red Sox.In the home sixth inning, Yaz tied the game with a two-run single and Harrelson singled home the lead run. Two wild pitches and an error scored two more, leading to a 5-3 win and delirium in Fenway.

Rich Rollins popped out to Rico Petrocelli for the last out and in the words of Ned Martin "Pandamonium on the Field!"

I'll will never forget that.

[grey_whiskers]

P.S. The real Baltimore pitching star of Game One, 1966 World Series: Moe Drabowsky, with that eleven-strikeout relief performance after he spelled Dave McNally...

Yeah, I know. (sighs).

(Brightening up again):

Course, Dave McNally hit a grand slam in the 1970 Series. That'll spook the opposing pitcher!

Cheers!

[dancusa]

LOL!

You should see Jorge's 5 year old son. He's got his dad's suicide doors.

[Valin]

Have no fear. There a large number of jerks in the world, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to give them some reality therapy.

[My Favorite Headache]

Both similar players in build...great hitters...both hall of famers.

[BluesDuke]

Some other pitchers who have dropped a World Series bomb, in no particular order....

Lew Burdette---Bad enough: He was trying to pick up where he left off in the 1957 World Series, when he beat the Yankees three times to carry the Milwaukee Braves to the ring. Worse: In the middle of a seven-run Milwaukee first in Game Two, 1958 Series, Burdette accounted for three with a mammoth blast off Yankee relief pitcher Duke Maas.

Bob Gibson---The St. Louis Cardinals had chased 31-game winner Denny McLain when Gibson, leading off the fourth against Joe Sparma, drove one over the fence. 1968 Series.

Mudcat Grant---Two out, two on, bottom of the sixth, Howie Reed in relief of Claude Osteen for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bob Allison on second, Frank Quilici (intentional pass) on first. Twins' starter Grant ripped one over the left field fence and practically did the Twist coming down the line across the plate. It created the 5-1 score by which the Twins won Game Six, 1965 Series, setting up Sandy Koufax's out-of-gas Game Seven shutout...

[jazzo]

RIP Kirby, he was a great ballplayer.

[Finalapproach29er]

Our columnist up here called him "The Magnificient Cube".

One of a kind man.
A life force.

[Finalapproach29er]

The was the offer from Boston.

[Doogle]

an observation:

...isn't it funny how stories or comments that start out with "I read, or I heard......"
are always deminshed by one that starts out with " I remember....."

may he rest in peace

[GreatOne]

Kirby Puckett was my childhood/teenage idol, and he is definitely worthy of all of the praise given to him by everyone tonight. That being said, he was a serial womanizer long before the beaning occurred. With regard to his other behavior, I am not aware of any that occurred prior to his beaning, but even if nothing had happened previously, I would attribute his behavior to depression from the fact that his career suddenly ended and his lost eyesight.

R.I.P. Kirby

[Spruce]

"Kirby Puckett's going to be all right. Don't worry about me. I'll show up, and I'll have a smile on my face. The only thing I won't have is this uniform on. But you guys can have the memories of what I did when I did have it on."

[Conservative til I die]

I don't think I have ever encountered a Freeper so lacking in class. Congratulations. You are the bottom of the barrel.

Just think, if Puckett was known as a liberal or opposed the War in Iraq, Freepers would be wishing him to rot in hell and clicking their heels in joy, if past behavior is any indicator.

[Conservative til I die]

If you think that I am impressed by how much money he made, I am not. He was an athlete, nothing more. Was he more special than a cop, doctor, ditch digger or street sweeper because he could hit a baseball? Hardly.

Eh? AFAIK, no one here has said anything about worshipping him because he made a lot of money, or because he could play ball.

However, as a ball player and national figure, he holds some significance to many people. Or should we announce the obituaries of every human that's died so we can be fair?