Kirby Puckett Minnesota Twins Plaques
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Kirby Puckett was a center fielder who played his entire major-league career with the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1995.
Puckett led the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, the only two world championships for the franchise since
their move to Minnesota in 1961.
Puckett's gregarious personality and dynamic style of play endeared him to fellow players and fans alike.
He is the Twins franchise's all-time leader (1961-present) in career hits, runs, doubles and total bases,
and his .318 career batting average was the highest by any right-handed American League batter in the second half
of the 20th century.
Puckett was the fourth baseball player during the 20th century to record 1,000 hits in his first five full calendar
years in Major League Baseball, and one of only two to record 2,000 hits during his first ten full calendar years.
After being forced to retire at age 35 due to loss of vision in one eye from glaucoma,
he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 in his first year of eligibility.
On the morning of March 5, 2006, Kirby Puckett suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.
He died on March 6, 2006.
