Jays full of memories of Puckett
03/07/2006DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Even the smallest corners of the baseball world are mourning the loss of Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett. At Knology Park, the flags were flying at half mast in center field -- the position that Puck mastered despite his short stature.
During Toronto's pregame batting practice on Tuesday, former Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston couldn't help but smile at the thought of Puckett -- even if the Twins star did lead his team to victory in five games over Gaston's Blue Jays in the 1991 American League Championship Series and followed that with a classic World Series triumph over the Atlanta Braves.
"I remember he wore us out. He made some great, great catches on us," said Gaston, recalling that series. "We're going to miss him. His family, we really feel bad for them -- and the game. When he left, everybody was sad. He brought so much to the table for us and the fans. Just watching him play from the other side was great."
Puckett, who was 45, passed away on Monday afternoon at a hospital in Phoenix a day after suffering a stroke at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The Hall of Famer's career was cut short in 1996, when glaucoma crippled his vision. The stroke cut short Puckett's life, which anyone who came into contact with him will say was lived to the fullest.
"He died so young," said George Bell, who played many games against Puckett as an outfielder for the Jays. "He was one of the nicest guys that came into the game in my time playing. It's too bad he ran out of time, but that's the way life is."
Bell is at Toronto's camp serving as a guest coach this spring, and he isn't the only Blue Jays coach who played against Puckett. Toronto hitting coach Mickey Brantley, who was an outfielder for Seattle in the late 1980s, remembers being in awe of Puckett's abilities -- especially given the fact that Puck stood just 5-foot-8.
"He could run. You could see his body was short and stocky, but he could run," Brantley said with a smile. "He could hit for power, he had it all. Good arm. He was a very good outfielder.
"He kind of did all the things," he added. "But to look at him -- to me, he looked a little overweight, a little heavy, and you didn't think you could get all of that out of that guy. But he was a very good athlete."
A good enough athlete to take away some hits that might have been home runs for Bell.
"He robbed me a couple times in that plastic out there," Bell said, referring to the tarps hanging over the walls at the Metrodome. "He was a hard worker. He learned how to play in there, and he brought life to the game in Minnesota."
Puckett, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, played 12 years with Minnesota. He was the club's all-time leader in hits (2,304), doubles (414), total bases (3,453), at-bats (7,244) and runs (1,071). He was also a 10-time All-Star, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner and a five-time Silver Slugger Award recipient.
After hitting .429 with two homers and five RBIs in the five ALCS games against Toronto in '91, Puckett was named the series' Most Valuable Player.
His abilities were more than enough to frustrate any manager.
"I saw him hit a home run off Tom Henke in an extra-inning game," Gaston said. "The ball had to be at least eye-high. It beat us. He tomahawked it right out of the ballpark. So when we used to have meetings and they'd ask me, 'How do you pitch Kirby?', I said, 'You tell me.' "
What Puckett did after getting one of his many hits is one of the things that sticks out the most for Bell.
"I have a lot of good memories about Kirby. When he used to get a base hit, he'd throw his bat and it'd be flying all over the field," Bell said with a laugh. "He was a unique player. We need some more players in this age and time coming in the big leagues that play like Kirby."
The first sentence on Puckett's Hall of Fame plaque describes him as having "an ever-present smile and infectious exuberance." Gaston said that even after Puckett's playing days ended abruptly, the Twins legend still displayed those same qualities.
"I saw him one time. I think he was broadcasting for [the Twins]," Gaston said. "He was still the same ol' Kirby. Off the field, he was the same -- the same guy: Happy with a big smile and living life to the fullest."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
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