Kirby Puckett - RIP



There's a saying that states, "Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past." Kirby Puckett was considered to be a baseball saint until a set of allegations wiped out all that was good about him in many people's minds. Now he also has no future because at age 45 he's dead after a massive stroke.

I hadn't thought about Kirby Puckett in a long time and chances are he would have continued in the obscurity of my consciousness. Now that he's dead I don't know what to think about him. I'm mostly sad for his children. But I'm also confused about what else to think.

Kirby was the favorite player of many Minnesotans my age - and with good reason. There was one small window of time where it looked like Kirby might sign with the Red Sox as a free agent. If that happened - I'm sure my outlook on Kirby would be very different (unless he pulled a Mike Torrez in the Red Sox uniform).

I won't rehash the allegations against Puckett but I will say that one thing always rung hollow. His ex-wife said that she was the only reason that Kirby had such a squeaky clean image as a player. That she ran a constant PR campaign in his behalf. Anyone who saw Puckett play in his prime knew that Puckett's play and enthusiasm spoke for itself.

I will say that part of me is glad that he died after the massive stroke. In a way that was easier for the family. Chances are Puckett, if he survived, would have become a burden on his family and the mental and financial drain that would have caused would have shortly been more than Puckett could bear.

First Jeff Reardon and now Kirby Puckett. Am I the only one wondering if there is another shoe to drop to make the 80's Twins trifecta complete?

Catholics are taught to learn from the lives of saints. If Puckett was a baseball saint then I guess the lessons we could learn would be to live your life with enthusiasm, never mistreat a woman and keep yourself in shape. It should be noted that Puckett's final act was one of generosity as his organs were donated so that Kirby in a way could continue to do good after he was gone. That is definitely another example we can learn from.

EDIT: Big Stupid Tommy remembers Kirby Puckett