I used to be a huge Kirby Puckett fan. Who wasn’t, right? Then details of his “secret life” were revealed in a 2003 SI article. Fan no more.
Still, you never want to see this:
Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett, one of the most beloved players to ever don a Twins uniform, suffered a stroke Sunday morning at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home.
A nursing supervisor at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix told The Associated Press that the former Twins center fielder was in critical condition. She did not provide additional details.
Puckett had surgery to drain blood and relieve pressure resulting from bleeding in the brain, the The Star-Tribune of Minneapolis reported.
Puckett’s friend, former Twin Tony Oliva, said he’s been concerned about Puckett’s weight for many years:
“The last few times I saw him, he kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” Oliva said. “And we worried about him. I saw him about five months ago. He always tries to invite me. He says, ‘Come to Arizona, and we’ll play some golf.'”
What a sad story this guy has turned out to be. Once one of the most popular players in baseball, a guy many praised as a great family man, Puckett’s star certainly has fallen since being diagnosed with glaucoma in 1996 and forced to retire.
