@@jacobalvord3480 Uh huh. Sure. Where is Jeter on the all-time hits list again? Rank Player (yrs, age) Hits PA Bats 1. Pete Rose (24) 4256 15890 B 2. Ty Cobb+ (24) 4189 13103 L 3. Henry Aaron+ (23) 3771 13941 R 4. Stan Musial+ (22) 3630 12721 L 5. Tris Speaker+ (22) 3514 12020 L 6. Derek Jeter+ (20) 3465 12602 R 7. Cap Anson+ (27) 3435 11331 R 8. Honus Wagner+ (21) 3420 11766 R Oh, right. More hits than Honus Wagner, Ted Williams, etc. Was anything wrong with Williams' eyesight? Bye.
My favorite baseball player of all time. My parents found my KP collection of hundreds of his cards. Still have them. Really the only one to bring a championship, twice, to Minnesota pro games. An absolute legend.
I’d like to argue your comment so here goes………………Okay, I got nothing. By the end of each season, however, I was so tired of seeing Puckett’s exploits on SportsCenter, nightly. He seemed to outdo himself frequently. Don’t judge me, I’m a Phillies fan and we try to hate everyone, and sometimes we even hate our own.
@brokl26 and I appreciate your existence. There's nothing wrong with being mad or upset, but it must get exhausting being like that all the time. It's much nicer being nice. You were cordial and nonconfrontational, and I thoroughly enjoyed our little convo.
This video brought a tear to my eyes Kirby doesn’t get no where near enough respect This dude was one of my hero’s all through my childhood He was amazing .
16:33 You should have let this moment breathe a bit. As a die-hard Minnesota sports fan, born and raised, this is likely the biggest moment in Minnesota sports history. Minneapolis Miracle be damned, this is a moment that turns great players into absolute legends for not only the team and franchise, but for all the regional fans for all time.
You might be right, but I believe you’re being a little short in your comment. What I mean is that Kirby was one of those players the Nation loved and revered. Puckett meant the world to baseball. Not just your region. Kids from around the country would name Puckett as their favorite player while still hating the Twins. Puckett made Twins’ fans out of casual baseball fans. It was his youthful exuberance. Me, I’m 56 years old and a lifelong Phillies fan. So it’s always been my honor to hate Puckett, for no reason other than his baseball brilliance. What Puckett did was bring the Twins to national TV audiences. The Twins were not going to be much of a draw before Puckett. And since I hated Puckett, as all good Phillies fans did ( until they beat the Braves in the WS ), I watched him every chance I could hoping he would do something so amazing I could hate him even more. And he never disappointed. What an immense talent for twelve seasons. The baseball world needed Kirby Puckett. A player that was amazing and completely loved his job.
Kirby was amazing. I played touch football with him when I was like 14, He was the nicest guy in the world! I hung out with him and Tony Olivia. They were both so cool. RIP Kirby!
I was at the game where Kirby got his 2,000th hit. It was also the last time my beloved Grandpa, a passionate baseball fan, saw a Live baseball game before he passed away. It is one of those memories that I wlll cherish for the rest of my life!
my #34 Puckett is still the only MLB jersey I own. I was a toddler when he was winning the World Series here in Minny, and he's the reason I played center field throughout school.
I was 10 in 1987, went to 3 of the 4 World Series games. Truly my childhood hero. Favorite player of all time. Cried like a baby when he both retired and died. R.I.P. Puckett
I was 12 when he came up in 1984. Saw his 1st at bat, and last at bat in 1995 when he got hit in the face. Everything inbetween was magic. My favorite all time athlete.
Pulled his card in an old wax pack and went to do my research. What a guy. Its been a fun project going through these packs and looking up dudes from before my time - a topps led history lesson if you will.
My parents lived next to Kirby for 2 years when he lived in Brooklyn Park. One of my most prized possesions is a duffle bag that Kirby left them when he moved. It is from when he played A ball. Cass A Visalia Oaks. His name is stitched on the front and is red, whtie and blue. I get the chills everytime I "And we'll see ya tomorrow nght"!!!!!!
It would have been worth mentioning that Puck didn't just lead the league in RBIs in 1994 - he had 112 in 108 games when the players went on strike in August 1994. He was on pace for well over 150 RBIs.
Kirby was definitely a one of a kind. He was my hero when I was kid after he hit that game winning homer in the 91’ World Series. I was 11 years old but it had a impact on me for sure.
One of the best players day in and day out! Offensively, defensively and great in the clubhouse!! My favorite baseball player of all time!! He loved Minnesota and most of all he loved the fans!! Absolutely privileged to grow up in Minnesota and watch him play and bring 🏆🏆 to Twins fans!! RIP Kirby!! Your joy for the game and memories you made, have and will live on forever!!
My dad was a Minneapolis police officer, and on game day he got to escort Kirby Puckett to the stadium. A good memory of my dad was how excited he got telling me the conversation he had with Kirby.
Kirby was especially gifted at hitting pitches well out of the strike zone. When asked how he learned to do that so well, he said that when he and his buddies would play ball in their South Chicago neighborhood as kids, they didn't have a backstop, so the ball would need to be recovered if they sat on balls, eating up playing time and pissing everyone else off in the process, so you had to swing at everything.
I was reading a lot of comments before I read yours and you hit the nail on the head. That is what he did that made him unique and pissed off alot of pitchers.
Puckett was so fun to watch. I used to watch the Yankee games whenever the Twins came to town. I lived in the NJ burbs and was a Met fan, but I remember that '87 Twins team and that series. I was in fourth grade and I remember coming home on the bus and a buddy of mine had a little am radio we'd listen to the day games to.
Lifelong Twins fan here, great vid! A few things… 1.) Kirby finished runner-up in the MVP in ‘92 to Eckersley, which you didn’t mention but should’ve as that’s the highest he ever finished 2.) Kirby won the Roberto Clemente Award for his work on and off the field in ‘96 3.) Kirby also helped mentor a young Torii Hunter for the Twins and Torii always felt he was taking the CF mantle from Puckett, I always thought that was cool 4.) As awesome as Kirby was (and he was REALLY awesome), most Twins fans put Killebrew (and even Carew) above Kirby in their all-time rankings 5.) The Twins have somehow won 15 batting titles since they moved to MN in 1961 (Oliva 3 times, Carew 7 times, Puckett, Mauer 3 times and Arraez last year), probably didn’t need to be mentioned in the video but that’s crazy to think about
Thanks for the feedback! It helps to hear from a lifelong fan of the team of these players I do videos on. To be honest, I originally included the Eckersley-Puckett MVP race, and I just didn't feel it incorporated the way I wanted it to, so I cut it out entirely. Sometimes I wonder if anyone really cares about the MVP race besides myself haha. Plus, the vid was already getting long winded and I was going to be approaching 30 minutes if I didn't cut out two sections like I did!
Another tragedy of Puckett retiring when he did: That ‘96 Twins squad was a quietly good offensive team that would’ve been awesome with his bat in the lineup. They scored 877 runs (a club record until the Bomba Squad broke it in 2019) and featured a PEAK Chuck Knoblauch (.341 average, 45 steals, 62 extra base hits and a .965 OPS), a vintage Paul Molitor (.341 average, 225 hits and 113 RBIs), an excellent Marty Cordova (.309 average, 63 extra base hits and 111 RBIs, and multiple other hitters with an OPS over .800 (Rich Becker, Scott Stahoviak, Ron Coomer and Roberto Kelly). They probably weren’t making the playoffs either way because their pitching staff sucked and that was a loaded year in general for offense, but they would’ve been fun to watch.
A beautiful talented soul gone far too young. Rip kirby & all the others. Being 5'8" i cant help but admire athletes like him, the Dynamite kid, and others
Would of liked to see more analysis and comparison of Kirby’s first 12 years vs the 12 years of other players. Especially as Kirby’s years got cut short.
Well... not *always* unfortunately. He really lost his way after his retirement. I love Kirby, but the stuff he did after he retired is pretty inexcusable
@@matthewbless3335 Was gonna comment this. Doesn't make his on field play any less impressive but the post-retirement behavior was inexcusable and horrifying.
A special time in Minnesota sports watching Kirby Puckett play. One of those players where you just stopped and watched the television to see what he did. Those prime years are near the top of any players. Would love to see you do Ted Williams.
As a kid he was my favorite player. I'm a huge red sox fan and I remember when he was rumored to be signing with them but it turned out he had no intention on leaving Minnesota, he was just using them as leverage against the Twins. I still rooted for him .
Funny because I was living in MN as a kid and was living in fear he'd leave the Twins for the Sox :) In the end, it all worked out and I'm glad he ended up being with one team his whole career. Makes his legacy stand out that much more. But man, that had me sweating as a young guy :)
Kirby was my grandma and my favorite player. When I was a kid, she lived in an apartment close to our house so my cousins and I would bike over to her place and watch the Twins with her during the summer. It was great! We got to eat Apple strudel with ice cream and watch the Twins with her almost everyday! One of my favorite memories as a kid.
Another thing that wasn’t mentioned is how much the other players around the league respected and loved him. His pool tournament for charity drew some of the biggest names in baseball like Cal Ripken, Joe Carter, who all said they wouldn’t miss Kirby’s event.
Thank you! Funny you should mention Guaraldi because the song came from Epidemic Sound and the guy who made the tune was clearly going for a Guaraldi sounding tune 😂 reminded me of Peanuts so I had to include it
I was 12 when he came up in 84. 15 and 19 when the Twins won their rings....im more of a football guy, but Kirby Puckett is my favorite player of all time. Yes even over Jordan or Gretzky.
Another Gem of a video. I remember watching Kirby and the first thing that came to my mind was this guy looks like an NFL fullback or linebacker. He had enormous thighs. He was built like a small keg of dynamite 🧨. BTW I am not here to comment on his personal life. Let's save that, no need to troll about this issue. I will leave it at that.
@@stevehardman4686- really? Comparing a professional Baseball player to a genocidal professional political leader of a nation? Yeah the "he was a fantastic person" line didn't need to be in there but the video title indicated it was about his baseball career and I think that's the reason most people click on it, as was the case for myself... He must've done something that really affected you for you to think that a comparison to Hitler is really warranted or that it's actually even equivocal...
@stevehardman4686 because with Kirby, there are two very distinct Eras to his life. During his playing time, the ego was in check and he was, by all accounts, a model citizen (even won the Branch Rickey Award in 1993 and the Roberto Clemente Award in 1996, both awards for community service). After his retirement (which was forced by his illness) he became simultaneously depressed and full of himself, which is largely what resulted in his legal troubles and the weight you cite. Afaik, there was no evidence of steroid use I can remember. What he did after his career was horrible, no doubt, but by all accounts, that wasn't the Kirby that was playing for the Twins. To sum it up, essentially, he was a fantastic person during his playing career who, by circumstances both inside and outside of his control, did things that were absolutely unbecoming of the person that he was prior. To write Kirby off as an awful person altogether is myopic. He made some awful decisions at the end of his life that were simply not indicative of the kind of person that he was.
@@matthewbless3335 Puckett’s behavior became worse after his retirement, but even during his playing days, he was not a model citizen (though nothing really came to light during that period), especially in his personal life. He put his name on various charities, but even those closest to him say he didn’t really care that much personally. His then-wife did pretty much all the hard work of organizing and running it. He had numerous affairs as well, although it should be said he wasn’t charged with anything illegal. I’m sure you’ve read Frank DeFord’s article on Puckett. It’s a a sad overview, an incredible fall from grace.
@UTNatlChamps yep, the DeFord article was what I was referencing! It's been a few years since I read over it last, so if he mentioned some of that other stuff, I don't remember it. I think it's definitely fair to call it a "mixed bag," but I do think it's fair to say that he wasn't what he eventually became either.
This was a fascinating video, I grew up in the early 2000s, my mom was a Twins fan and my dad was a Brewers fan. I never got to see Puckett play, but my mom would tell me stories about guys like Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek. Dad would tell me stories of Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. I remember being in first grade when he passed and they had a memorial service on FSN North and that was the most devastated I had seen my mom
You would've loved Kirby. He was truly incredible to watch and you might never see a player who seemed to have more fun day to day. He was just always smiling on the field and (at the time) beloved by the fans and community during his playing days.
Well done, I loved Kirby growing up and still remember watching those playoff runs as a little boy. Hope he found his peace R.I.P. to the legendary Kirby Puckett
Honestly, his young death at age 46 was probably the biggest possible blessing he could have gotten. The evil he did (or was alleged to have done) seems to rest in the grave, and the records of his amazing baseball career are his lasting legacy. If he'd lived another decade, two, or three, he could have been remembered in the way that Curt Schilling seems to be determined to be remembered: A once-great player who tarnished everything he ever accomplished on the field with is life after the game.
I was 13 when Twins won their first World Series. Growing up and living in Minnesota. He’s the only player where if he was up I HAD to listen/watch his at bat. You just WANTED him to have a great game. Not that you don’t want that of all your teams players, there was something special about him. He was my grandmas favorite player.
I am a White Sox fan but I remember Puckett well. He was a favorite of mine, and i gotta tell you- the 1987 World Series is among my very favourite moments. That whole series was a LOT of fun, from the Thunderdome to St. Louis's play at Busch Stadium. I didn't expect Minnesota to win, because i didn't think they would win on the road and I thought the Cardinals were good enough to pull off at least one win at the Dome. Was i ever wrong. Thanks for the memories!
I have a ton of baseball cards from 1989 szn (produced 1990), and I have like 4 cards of him, I remember always being curious why no one talked about him after looking at his stats on the back. I’m shocked somebody made a video about him. Good video man.
It's pretty remarkable that he was such a successful high school athlete, yet didn't receive a college offer more promising than factory work. I was a kid when he retired, and I remember it being related to his eye. I certainly didn't appreciate what an incredible player he was.
I’ll never forget the time he bought me a candy bar at the Walmart in st croix falls wi when my aunt said no. What a great player and even better person.
I absolutely love this video! Grew up watching Kirby Puckett , as a Jays fan he was a pain in the ass for us! Lol... Would love to see a Joe Carter video. Been binge watching all your videos, they are very good.
One of the best center fielders that really don't recognition he deserves great video 😊 and at a time when you had a up and coming ken Griffey Jr Kenny lofton, Devon White, Bernie Williams, Jim Edmonds. Just to name a few. at a height in stature of being a small center fielder but he played like he was six two. Even though he was only five eight, he was definitely one of my heroes. Too bad his career was cut short. Hall of Famer!! If possible, could you do a video of Cecil fielder or Dave Winfield. He was definitely a tall man for his time where now in the present time of baseball you see guys that are at least 6' 6 or 6'7 or taller where that was a rare occasion for a man like Winfield.
Very sad story, once the game he loved was taken from so abruptly. I've never seen another player who seemed to exude so much joy, and have so much FUN playing baseball. He did not take well to retirement, but it really is a tragic story, given that few of us will ever know what a loss like that would feel like. Very sorry for what his family went though, but he is probably the only player that I actually cried for when he died, and I'm not even a Twins fan. Hard to brush all that under the rug, but I can't help it. I loved this guy.
I was born in the Twin Cities area in the mid 80's. My dad took me to many Twins games and Kirby was the first player I ever knew about. He was certainly the most beloved athlete from any sport in Minnesota during the 90's. Minnesota still has no other major sports titles in it's history other than those two World Series that Kirby lead.
The White Sox field was right across the highway from the projects Kirby is from. They’ve been torn down and the neighborhood by the Sox park is actually nice now, but in the early 90s and late 80s, that neighborhood was a beast.
I met Kirby when I was too young to appreciate his greatness, but got the privilege of sharing a lane bowling with him! Super nice guy, but 6yo me was upset I didn’t get placed on lane 6 with KG 😂
A Twin his whole career. A rare if not completely gone trait these days. Also he got all his accolades without special "help" like Bonds, McGuire, and Conseco amongst others.
Exceptionally well-done video essay, and on my favorite player. Your approach to this is incredible with the videos, photos, and insight that not all know. Cheers to you!
Love your channel! So many channels like this for nfl and nba but not much in the way of baseball! So many amazing baseball stories out there. You'll never run out of unique personalities!
Had to sub & say thanks for helping out Fuzzy so he keeps doing the recaps... Helped get me back into baseball after leaving it behind 20yrs ago. Kirby Puckett was my Dads favorite player while mine was Jose Canseco.... Not same good character guys so needless to say JC helped sway me from my love for the game. Luckily with age comes some reflection & wisening up. Happy to be enjoying baseball & all the great history again. Thanks for the great video! Brings back lots of memories, i can still see myself watching those early 90s WS as a kid 😂
Hey thank you I appreciate that! I love editing Fuzzy's videos he really impresses me with how efficient he is. Been watching the recaps forever so it's awesome to be apart of the process!
THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO. Teams over looked him because of us height or lack of it. But boy were they wrong. Kirby was a hitting machine. Could hit the ball HARD from ANYWHERE ON THE PLATE. He did it all. Greatest Twin ever. What a player. Miss ya Kirby.
What I remember most was his ability to hit pitches out side the strike zone. I remember one play where in order to hit the ball his bat actually hit the ground throwing up dirt, got a single out of it, insane!
Bruh, this man did nothing but ball tf out in his career. 2,000 hits in just over a decade???? RIP Kirby, you were a man amongst lads
5 200 hit seasons is tied with Tony Gwynn. His final season he batted .314. It's not like he was on the decline either.
@@brohanfromrohan5771 Derek Jeter has 8 200 hit seasons, including one at age 38.
@@brohanfromrohan5771 Ichiro and Pete Rose both had 10 200 hit seasons in their careers.
@@jonahfalcon1970 Kirby > Jeter any day. Plus, DJ didn't lose his eyesight in the middle of his prime.
@@jacobalvord3480 Uh huh. Sure.
Where is Jeter on the all-time hits list again?
Rank Player (yrs, age) Hits PA Bats
1. Pete Rose (24) 4256 15890 B
2. Ty Cobb+ (24) 4189 13103 L
3. Henry Aaron+ (23) 3771 13941 R
4. Stan Musial+ (22) 3630 12721 L
5. Tris Speaker+ (22) 3514 12020 L
6. Derek Jeter+ (20) 3465 12602 R
7. Cap Anson+ (27) 3435 11331 R
8. Honus Wagner+ (21) 3420 11766 R
Oh, right. More hits than Honus Wagner, Ted Williams, etc.
Was anything wrong with Williams' eyesight?
Bye.
My favorite baseball player of all time. My parents found my KP collection of hundreds of his cards. Still have them. Really the only one to bring a championship, twice, to Minnesota pro games. An absolute legend.
I only have two things to say in response to this, "We'll see you tomorrow night," and "Touch them all!"
I’d like to argue your comment so here goes………………Okay, I got nothing.
By the end of each season, however, I was so tired of seeing Puckett’s exploits on SportsCenter, nightly. He seemed to outdo himself frequently.
Don’t judge me, I’m a Phillies fan and we try to hate everyone, and sometimes we even hate our own.
@brokl26 I'm about to be 40 so I was too young, but I'm not judging. You seem to be a sensible human being, and I respect that.
@@ellisdtrails420 I’ve never been referred to as sensible. I appreciate you.
@brokl26 and I appreciate your existence. There's nothing wrong with being mad or upset, but it must get exhausting being like that all the time. It's much nicer being nice.
You were cordial and nonconfrontational, and I thoroughly enjoyed our little convo.
This video brought a tear to my eyes
Kirby doesn’t get no where near enough respect
This dude was one of my hero’s all through my childhood
He was amazing .
From Minnesota, I was 6 when the Twins won their first title. I wore #34 all through high school. NOW BATTING FOR THE TWINS…KIIIIRBY PUUCKETTTT!
I remember going to Twins games and that always stuck with me. He was the man!
16:33 You should have let this moment breathe a bit. As a die-hard Minnesota sports fan, born and raised, this is likely the biggest moment in Minnesota sports history. Minneapolis Miracle be damned, this is a moment that turns great players into absolute legends for not only the team and franchise, but for all the regional fans for all time.
You might be right, but I believe you’re being a little short in your comment.
What I mean is that Kirby was one of those players the Nation loved and revered. Puckett meant the world to baseball. Not just your region. Kids from around the country would name Puckett as their favorite player while still hating the Twins. Puckett made Twins’ fans out of casual baseball fans. It was his youthful exuberance.
Me, I’m 56 years old and a lifelong Phillies fan. So it’s always been my honor to hate Puckett, for no reason other than his baseball brilliance.
What Puckett did was bring the Twins to national TV audiences. The Twins were not going to be much of a draw before Puckett. And since I hated Puckett, as all good Phillies fans did ( until they beat the Braves in the WS ), I watched him every chance I could hoping he would do something so amazing I could hate him even more. And he never disappointed.
What an immense talent for twelve seasons. The baseball world needed Kirby Puckett. A player that was amazing and completely loved his job.
Kirby was amazing. I played touch football with him when I was like 14, He was the nicest guy in the world! I hung out with him and Tony Olivia. They were both so cool. RIP Kirby!
I was at the game where Kirby got his 2,000th hit. It was also the last time my beloved Grandpa, a passionate baseball fan, saw a Live baseball game before he passed away. It is one of those memories that I wlll cherish for the rest of my life!
Favorite player of my childhood! Him and Kent Hrbeck are a slept on duo
Hrbek has a weird name tho. But is was really good.
As a lifelong Twins fan... Puckett is an absolute legend here in MN... Target field is still filled with #34 jerseys including the one on my back 💯
my #34 Puckett is still the only MLB jersey I own. I was a toddler when he was winning the World Series here in Minny, and he's the reason I played center field throughout school.
I was 10 in 1987, went to 3 of the 4 World Series games. Truly my childhood hero. Favorite player of all time. Cried like a baby when he both retired and died. R.I.P. Puckett
My favorite player of all time. So much fun to watch. Clutch and charisma were his best traits
I was 12 when he came up in 1984. Saw his 1st at bat, and last at bat in 1995 when he got hit in the face. Everything inbetween was magic. My favorite all time athlete.
Pulled his card in an old wax pack and went to do my research. What a guy. Its been a fun project going through these packs and looking up dudes from before my time - a topps led history lesson if you will.
That’s a fun way to learn about players from different eras!
My parents lived next to Kirby for 2 years when he lived in Brooklyn Park. One of my most prized possesions is a duffle bag that Kirby left them when he moved. It is from when he played A ball. Cass A Visalia Oaks. His name is stitched on the front and is red, whtie and blue. I get the chills everytime I "And we'll see ya tomorrow nght"!!!!!!
Blessed are the generous
One of my favorite players god bless him ⚾️
Puckett & Gwynn....bests smiles ever that always make me smile ☺
And Gwynn’s laugh was so infectious and genuine
Kirby Puckett was an infectious force in the American League God Rest his soul
@@SSNESS who cares
It would have been worth mentioning that Puck didn't just lead the league in RBIs in 1994 - he had 112 in 108 games when the players went on strike in August 1994. He was on pace for well over 150 RBIs.
Kirby was definitely a one of a kind. He was my hero when I was kid after he hit that game winning homer in the 91’ World Series. I was 11 years old but it had a impact on me for sure.
i was 17 i cried im a braves fan 🤣
Same with me and I was around the same age. My little league team were the twins that year.
Kirby is my all time favorite player.
Great job in honoring his legacy, thank you for this!
Thank you! Happy to hear that you enjoyed the video 🙌
One of the best players day in and day out! Offensively, defensively and great in the clubhouse!! My favorite baseball player of all time!! He loved Minnesota and most of all he loved the fans!! Absolutely privileged to grow up in Minnesota and watch him play and bring 🏆🏆 to Twins fans!! RIP Kirby!! Your joy for the game and memories you made, have and will live on forever!!
My dad was a Minneapolis police officer, and on game day he got to escort Kirby Puckett to the stadium. A good memory of my dad was how excited he got telling me the conversation he had with Kirby.
That's way cool! What a great memory thank you for sharing
Tears streaming. Fortunate to grow up in Minnesota in Prime Puck time. Great video. Kirby had such a major influence on my life. Great memories.
Thank you! Kirby had a fanatic career deserving of a video, what a story he had
What a name. 9/10 Solid baseball name
Kirby was especially gifted at hitting pitches well out of the strike zone. When asked how he learned to do that so well, he said that when he and his buddies would play ball in their South Chicago neighborhood as kids, they didn't have a backstop, so the ball would need to be recovered if they sat on balls, eating up playing time and pissing everyone else off in the process, so you had to swing at everything.
I was reading a lot of comments before I read yours and you hit the nail on the head. That is what he did that made him unique and pissed off alot of pitchers.
My boy incredible player. Awesome 😎
Puckett was so fun to watch. I used to watch the Yankee games whenever the Twins came to town. I lived in the NJ burbs and was a Met fan, but I remember that '87 Twins team and that series. I was in fourth grade and I remember coming home on the bus and a buddy of mine had a little am radio we'd listen to the day games to.
Lifelong Twins fan here, great vid! A few things…
1.) Kirby finished runner-up in the MVP in ‘92 to Eckersley, which you didn’t mention but should’ve as that’s the highest he ever finished
2.) Kirby won the Roberto Clemente Award for his work on and off the field in ‘96
3.) Kirby also helped mentor a young Torii Hunter for the Twins and Torii always felt he was taking the CF mantle from Puckett, I always thought that was cool
4.) As awesome as Kirby was (and he was REALLY awesome), most Twins fans put Killebrew (and even Carew) above Kirby in their all-time rankings
5.) The Twins have somehow won 15 batting titles since they moved to MN in 1961 (Oliva 3 times, Carew 7 times, Puckett, Mauer 3 times and Arraez last year), probably didn’t need to be mentioned in the video but that’s crazy to think about
Thanks for the feedback! It helps to hear from a lifelong fan of the team of these players I do videos on. To be honest, I originally included the Eckersley-Puckett MVP race, and I just didn't feel it incorporated the way I wanted it to, so I cut it out entirely. Sometimes I wonder if anyone really cares about the MVP race besides myself haha. Plus, the vid was already getting long winded and I was going to be approaching 30 minutes if I didn't cut out two sections like I did!
Another tragedy of Puckett retiring when he did: That ‘96 Twins squad was a quietly good offensive team that would’ve been awesome with his bat in the lineup. They scored 877 runs (a club record until the Bomba Squad broke it in 2019) and featured a PEAK Chuck Knoblauch (.341 average, 45 steals, 62 extra base hits and a .965 OPS), a vintage Paul Molitor (.341 average, 225 hits and 113 RBIs), an excellent Marty Cordova (.309 average, 63 extra base hits and 111 RBIs, and multiple other hitters with an OPS over .800 (Rich Becker, Scott Stahoviak, Ron Coomer and Roberto Kelly). They probably weren’t making the playoffs either way because their pitching staff sucked and that was a loaded year in general for offense, but they would’ve been fun to watch.
He was a great man and player, bringing two championships to Minnesota... of all places. He really had a cool name too. Love this video! R.I.P. Kirby.
A beautiful talented soul gone far too young. Rip kirby & all the others. Being 5'8" i cant help but admire athletes like him, the Dynamite kid, and others
Would of liked to see more analysis and comparison of Kirby’s first 12 years vs the 12 years of other players. Especially as Kirby’s years got cut short.
Kirby Puckett always looked like he was having fun.
Always a class act too.
Well... not *always* unfortunately. He really lost his way after his retirement. I love Kirby, but the stuff he did after he retired is pretty inexcusable
@@matthewbless3335 Was gonna comment this. Doesn't make his on field play any less impressive but the post-retirement behavior was inexcusable and horrifying.
Doesn't matter what some gold digger says about a great man. It's completely irrelevant.
@@neilmiranda6739 If it was actually true
the Twins need another Kirby. Unfortunately, they don't make players like him anymore. Good video. I enjoyed it.
You're absolutely right! And thank you I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Mookie Betts reminds me a little of Kirby
Luis arraez? The trade for him will go down as one of the worst in sports history
@@Susbus69 Luis Arraez is nothing like Kirby, much worse defense and less power
@@DanielSong39 Joe was a completely different kind of player from Kirby.
As a kid, i loved seeing Kirby play. Great player, memorable body size/shape, and one of thr best names in the history of the MLB
A special time in Minnesota sports watching Kirby Puckett play. One of those players where you just stopped and watched the television to see what he did. Those prime years are near the top of any players. Would love to see you do Ted Williams.
Legend!! 🎉 and another great video!
My man! 🙌🏼
Great video. Dave Winfield
Padre fan, but always loved Kirby.
Those 2 world series were amazing I remember. As an 11 year old and a 15 year old. Kirby was the man
As a kid he was my favorite player. I'm a huge red sox fan and I remember when he was rumored to be signing with them but it turned out he had no intention on leaving Minnesota, he was just using them as leverage against the Twins. I still rooted for him .
Funny because I was living in MN as a kid and was living in fear he'd leave the Twins for the Sox :) In the end, it all worked out and I'm glad he ended up being with one team his whole career. Makes his legacy stand out that much more. But man, that had me sweating as a young guy :)
Kirby was my grandma and my favorite player. When I was a kid, she lived in an apartment close to our house so my cousins and I would bike over to her place and watch the Twins with her during the summer. It was great! We got to eat Apple strudel with ice cream and watch the Twins with her almost everyday! One of my favorite memories as a kid.
Another thing that wasn’t mentioned is how much the other players around the league respected and loved him. His pool tournament for charity drew some of the biggest names in baseball like Cal Ripken, Joe Carter, who all said they wouldn’t miss Kirby’s event.
Excellent video on a great man. I love the Vince Guaraldi music in the background! Straight up charlie brown😂😂😂
Thank you! Funny you should mention Guaraldi because the song came from Epidemic Sound and the guy who made the tune was clearly going for a Guaraldi sounding tune 😂 reminded me of Peanuts so I had to include it
I was 12 when he came up in 84. 15 and 19 when the Twins won their rings....im more of a football guy, but Kirby Puckett is my favorite player of all time. Yes even over Jordan or Gretzky.
Another Gem of a video. I remember watching Kirby and the first thing that came to my mind was this guy looks like an NFL fullback or linebacker. He had enormous thighs. He was built like a small keg of dynamite 🧨. BTW I am not here to comment on his personal life. Let's save that, no need to troll about this issue. I will leave it at that.
Thanks Joe! Glad you enjoyed the video. He was built different than your average baseball player for sure!
@@stevehardman4686- really? Comparing a professional Baseball player to a genocidal professional political leader of a nation? Yeah the "he was a fantastic person" line didn't need to be in there but the video title indicated it was about his baseball career and I think that's the reason most people click on it, as was the case for myself... He must've done something that really affected you for you to think that a comparison to Hitler is really warranted or that it's actually even equivocal...
@stevehardman4686 because with Kirby, there are two very distinct Eras to his life. During his playing time, the ego was in check and he was, by all accounts, a model citizen (even won the Branch Rickey Award in 1993 and the Roberto Clemente Award in 1996, both awards for community service). After his retirement (which was forced by his illness) he became simultaneously depressed and full of himself, which is largely what resulted in his legal troubles and the weight you cite. Afaik, there was no evidence of steroid use I can remember. What he did after his career was horrible, no doubt, but by all accounts, that wasn't the Kirby that was playing for the Twins.
To sum it up, essentially, he was a fantastic person during his playing career who, by circumstances both inside and outside of his control, did things that were absolutely unbecoming of the person that he was prior. To write Kirby off as an awful person altogether is myopic. He made some awful decisions at the end of his life that were simply not indicative of the kind of person that he was.
@@matthewbless3335 Puckett’s behavior became worse after his retirement, but even during his playing days, he was not a model citizen (though nothing really came to light during that period), especially in his personal life. He put his name on various charities, but even those closest to him say he didn’t really care that much personally. His then-wife did pretty much all the hard work of organizing and running it. He had numerous affairs as well, although it should be said he wasn’t charged with anything illegal. I’m sure you’ve read Frank DeFord’s article on Puckett. It’s a a sad overview, an incredible fall from grace.
@UTNatlChamps yep, the DeFord article was what I was referencing! It's been a few years since I read over it last, so if he mentioned some of that other stuff, I don't remember it. I think it's definitely fair to call it a "mixed bag," but I do think it's fair to say that he wasn't what he eventually became either.
This was a fascinating video, I grew up in the early 2000s, my mom was a Twins fan and my dad was a Brewers fan. I never got to see Puckett play, but my mom would tell me stories about guys like Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek. Dad would tell me stories of Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. I remember being in first grade when he passed and they had a memorial service on FSN North and that was the most devastated I had seen my mom
You would've loved Kirby. He was truly incredible to watch and you might never see a player who seemed to have more fun day to day. He was just always smiling on the field and (at the time) beloved by the fans and community during his playing days.
Well done, I loved Kirby growing up and still remember watching those playoff runs as a little boy. Hope he found his peace R.I.P. to the legendary Kirby Puckett
excellent work
It's players like Kirby Puckett first of all what an awesome name players like him is what made baseball so awesome in the 80s
He was a great player and a great person as a young man. Too bad things went south after retirement. His early death was a heartbreaker.
Honestly, his young death at age 46 was probably the biggest possible blessing he could have gotten. The evil he did (or was alleged to have done) seems to rest in the grave, and the records of his amazing baseball career are his lasting legacy. If he'd lived another decade, two, or three, he could have been remembered in the way that Curt Schilling seems to be determined to be remembered: A once-great player who tarnished everything he ever accomplished on the field with is life after the game.
Love Kirby Puckett. Miss him. He passed away on his birthday. That wasn't accentuated but great presentation. ❤💛
I was 13 when Twins won their first World Series. Growing up and living in Minnesota. He’s the only player where if he was up I HAD to listen/watch his at bat. You just WANTED him to have a great game. Not that you don’t want that of all your teams players, there was something special about him. He was my grandmas favorite player.
Best pro Minnesota athlete of all time. Period
I am a White Sox fan but I remember Puckett well. He was a favorite of mine, and i gotta tell you- the 1987 World Series is among my very favourite moments. That whole series was a LOT of fun, from the Thunderdome to St. Louis's play at Busch Stadium.
I didn't expect Minnesota to win, because i didn't think they would win on the road and I thought the Cardinals were good enough to pull off at least one win at the Dome. Was i ever wrong.
Thanks for the memories!
I still miss King Kirby.
Kirby could do it all. I had the good fortune of living in Minnesota during his prime and got to see him play live at the Metrodome many times.
Thanks for sharing, I'm a big Kirby Puckett fan. The greatest player in the history of the game.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
In early 90s Minnesota, Kirby was everything.
I have a ton of baseball cards from 1989 szn (produced 1990), and I have like 4 cards of him, I remember always being curious why no one talked about him after looking at his stats on the back. I’m shocked somebody made a video about him. Good video man.
As a Minnesotan all I can say is we miss Kirby, so very much. A legend in every sense of the word. RIP
It's pretty remarkable that he was such a successful high school athlete, yet didn't receive a college offer more promising than factory work. I was a kid when he retired, and I remember it being related to his eye. I certainly didn't appreciate what an incredible player he was.
During the World Series, everybody who didn't know a thing about baseball the other 11 months of the year fell in love with Kirby!
I’ll never forget the time he bought me a candy bar at the Walmart in st croix falls wi when my aunt said no. What a great player and even better person.
His smile was infectious
I absolutely love this video! Grew up watching Kirby Puckett , as a Jays fan he was a pain in the ass for us! Lol... Would love to see a Joe Carter video. Been binge watching all your videos, they are very good.
The Beloved Kirby Puckett. What a player
Awesome job on an Awesome player. I wouldn't mind a spot light on a very special and unusual player, Rube Wadell, what a life
I'm a Baltimore boy but I always watching Kirby play back in the day agent Ca l ❤⚾
I would love an ichiro one
Kirby reminded me so much of Tony Gwynn. In some ways I saw Kirby as the player TG could be if he implemented more power into his game.
Getting drafted 3rd overall after establishing his background is wild lol.
One of the best center fielders that really don't recognition he deserves great video 😊 and at a time when you had a up and coming ken Griffey Jr
Kenny lofton, Devon White, Bernie Williams, Jim Edmonds. Just to name a few. at a height in stature of being a small center fielder but he played like he was six two. Even though he was only five eight, he was definitely one of my heroes. Too bad his career was cut short. Hall of Famer!! If possible, could you do a video of Cecil fielder or Dave Winfield. He was definitely a tall man for his time where now in the present time of baseball you see guys that are at least 6' 6 or 6'7 or taller where that was a rare occasion for a man like Winfield.
Very sad story, once the game he loved was taken from so abruptly. I've never seen another player who seemed to exude so much joy, and have so much FUN playing baseball. He did not take well to retirement, but it really is a tragic story, given that few of us will ever know what a loss like that would feel like. Very sorry for what his family went though, but he is probably the only player that I actually cried for when he died, and I'm not even a Twins fan. Hard to brush all that under the rug, but I can't help it. I loved this guy.
Its amazing how some athletes can just turn on greatness right from the start.
I was born in the Twin Cities area in the mid 80's. My dad took me to many Twins games and Kirby was the first player I ever knew about. He was certainly the most beloved athlete from any sport in Minnesota during the 90's. Minnesota still has no other major sports titles in it's history other than those two World Series that Kirby lead.
That music is gold
‘80s music is the bomb diggity!
Might be most underrated player ever due to strike season and health issue that ended career early
The White Sox field was right across the highway from the projects Kirby is from. They’ve been torn down and the neighborhood by the Sox park is actually nice now, but in the early 90s and late 80s, that neighborhood was a beast.
One of my favorite books growing was Kirby Puckett’s Baseball Games on developing baseball skills. I wore the cover off that thing!
My wife and I got to go to game 7 of the '87 World Series as a wedding gift - awesome!
I’d say that’s a pretty spectacular gift!
Kirby was my guy back in the day…!!!
I met Kirby when I was too young to appreciate his greatness, but got the privilege of sharing a lane bowling with him! Super nice guy, but 6yo me was upset I didn’t get placed on lane 6 with KG 😂
I believe Kirby & MrT grew up in the same project building! If not the same, then right next to eachother.
A Twin his whole career. A rare if not completely gone trait these days. Also he got all his accolades without special "help" like Bonds, McGuire, and Conseco amongst others.
Stellar
Peace to Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett was the truth..all time center fielder....
Exceptionally well-done video essay, and on my favorite player. Your approach to this is incredible with the videos, photos, and insight that not all know. Cheers to you!
Thank you! I’m glad I could do KP justice, I’m glad I got around to making this video, he was a crazy good player!
My favorite baseball player. Thank you for this video. Looking forward to more videos from you.
Your favorite player beat women.
Only man with a 0 HR and 30 HR full season in their career. Just a unique, special, random, clutch af baseball player
His power had a glow up that’s for sure!
Thank Tony Oliva for that. He worked with puckett before the 1986 season . He reworked his approach and added the leg kick the rest is history
Him and mattingly have similar numbers, mattingly deserves to be in the hall also
Between Kirby and Vlad Guerrero Sr, by far the best bad ball hitters I've ever seen.
Do Joe Carter, he's so under-rated
World Series walkofff from World Series walkoff lol, both in game 6 and both home runs lol
Less than 20 career war...
Love your channel! So many channels like this for nfl and nba but not much in the way of baseball! So many amazing baseball stories out there. You'll never run out of unique personalities!
Thank you! You are absolutely right: no chance of running out of people to talk about!
Kirby was awesome…. Amazing player and so many great stories about him
He was a joy to watch. A brilliant player!!! RIP Kirby
Had to sub & say thanks for helping out Fuzzy so he keeps doing the recaps... Helped get me back into baseball after leaving it behind 20yrs ago. Kirby Puckett was my Dads favorite player while mine was Jose Canseco.... Not same good character guys so needless to say JC helped sway me from my love for the game. Luckily with age comes some reflection & wisening up. Happy to be enjoying baseball & all the great history again. Thanks for the great video! Brings back lots of memories, i can still see myself watching those early 90s WS as a kid 😂
Hey thank you I appreciate that! I love editing Fuzzy's videos he really impresses me with how efficient he is. Been watching the recaps forever so it's awesome to be apart of the process!
THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO. Teams over looked him because of us height or lack of it. But boy were they wrong. Kirby was a hitting machine. Could hit the ball HARD from ANYWHERE ON THE PLATE. He did it all. Greatest Twin ever. What a player. Miss ya Kirby.
What I remember most was his ability to hit pitches out side the strike zone. I remember one play where in order to hit the ball his bat actually hit the ground throwing up dirt, got a single out of it, insane!
Love ❤ you Kirby. He is Twins baseball.