Goodbye, Kirby

Sad news to pass along. A day after suffering a stroke, Baseball Hall of Famer, and career Minnesota Twin Kirby Puckett has passed away at the age of 44.

During his career, Kirby was always a fan favorite, and was considered one of the all-around good guys in the game. He was one of the most successful players of his era (stats here), and led his team to 2 World Series titles. His career was sadly cut short when he developed glaucoma after getting hit in the face by a pitch in 1996.

That was 10 years ago. 15 years ago, he was one of the defining players in what many consider the best World Series ever played. In Game 6, he hit the walk-off home run to tie the series up (pictured below). I still remember the home run, and Jack Buck saying "we'll see you tomorrow night!" as Kirby pumped his fists and rounded the bases.