Kirby Puckett

Kirby Puckett almost made me into a Minnesota Twins fan. At the least, I rooted for his Twins in the World Series in 1987 and 1991 (since my Mets were not in the Series, that wasn't a problem). He was an amazing ballplayer. Clutch, an all out player, enjoyable to watch and always seemed to be a fan favorite. It's really too bad that things turned out the way they did with his career cut short by glaucoma in his right eye that forced an early retirement. Kirby was human and had a difficult retirement and health issues which unfortunately ended over the weekend with a stroke and his death on Monday. He certainly deserved his place in Cooperstown and should be remembered for his play in the field. He was one of those rare players who stayed with the same team his whole career - a rarity these days. RIP Kirby. You were one of the best to put on cleats and swing a bat.