It’s been 17 years since the Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Minnesota Twins legend Kirby Puckett passed away at the age of 45. Puckett was among the best to ever suit up in a Twins uniform, and with a HOF career came some memorable moments.
Pucket spent 12 years in the MLB, all of which he played in Minnesota, amassing a top-five spot in the franchise’s all-time hits, at-bats, doubles, runs, RBIs, and total bases.
But among his most memorable moments in a Twins uniform came during game six of the 1991 World Series.
While the all-time great gave us one of the best home runs ever in the same game, he also stole one from the Atlanta Braves franchise in the same game when he went up to rob Ron Gant of what could have been a game-changing home run in the third inning.
“Oh! What a catch,” the great John Gordon called during the game.
The catch in the Metrodome was called the defensive play of the series, and would have been the best play of the game for Puckett, had he not outdone himself just eight innings later.
With the score tied after the ninth inning, the Twins took the Braves into extra innings.
In the bottom of the eleventh, with a 2-1 count, Puckett took his fourth pitch from Braves left-hander Charlie Leibrandt and sent it deep into Twins history as the greatest home run the franchise has ever seen.
“Pucket swings and hits a blast. Deep left center, way back, way back, it’s gone. The Twins go to the seventh game,” Gordon called after the homerun. “Touch them all, Kirby Puckett!”
The play went down as one of the best ever in Minnesota and Twins history, as it inevitably led to the last time Minnesotans were world champions in any of the four major U.S. men’s sports.
Puckett was and is an icon among Minnesota sports figures, achieving a status most athletes can only dream of, and still, 17 years after his passing, the impact he had on the Twins, the state, and fans of sports remains evident.
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