Oh my God.

Please be okay Kirby. :(

I was there for game 6, but to me, the quintessential Kirby moment wasn't on a baseball field - it was in David Letterman's studio. Kirby appeared in front of a studio audience full of Minnesotans, who poured out their love. Letterman was visibly struck, maybe slighly stunned, by the reaction to Kirby. It was like a tidal wave.

I don't mind telling you that I considered Puckett to be one of the more inspirational athletes in sports. I was proud, damn proud, that he represented Minnesota and the Twins. There are people, not just athletes, but people, that you root for because you want the world to make sense. You want the world to reward those people for their passion, their ability, their morality or their values. These are people you want to believe in because you believe in what they embody.

For me, Kirby was one of these people. Why? Let me count the ways. There was the joy he displayed while playing a game that beats players down. There was his kindness to teammates and strangers. There was his rise from poverty. There was his acknowledgement that he was one of the luckiest men on the face of the earth. And finally there was his recognition that he was a role model to kids, and needed to act like one.

The revelations a couple of years ago soiled a lot of that for a lot of us. But it also remineded us that heros are human, and gave us a new reason to root for him. Today is reminding me that heros are mortal too, and maybe we need to take the inspiration while we can.

I'm hoping, selfishly, that the inspiration lives on. My prayers are with you Kirby.

Kirby Puckett is one of two reasons I watch baseball.

You are in my thoughts and prayers, Kirby. Please be okay.

Dear Mr. Geek,

That was exquisitly well said.

Sincerely,
Batgirl

I missed the Puckett era - I went to my first game at the Dome on Easter Sunday 1996, and Kirby was active, but on the DL and sadly never to return.

However, I'll never forget sitting in my Mom's car (the one with the better stereo) on top of a hill in the Virginia suburbs of DC in 1991 hearing Jack Buck tell me, among other things, that he'd see me and everyone else listening tomorrow night.

Be well, Kirby.

Heartfelt wishes out to Kirby and his family & friends. He'll forever be one of my fav Twins players.

Best wishes Kirby. Your strength and your "never give up" attitude pulled us all through many tough games. Now its time to use those same qualities to heal.

Glaucoma stole you from the field way too soon...I can't bear the thought of losing you completely.

We love you Kirby...Get well soon!

I saw Kirby at the MPLS-St Paul airport on my way to New York last year. I was wearing my Twins jersey and my Twins hat, as I was going to the Twins game in Yankee Stadium that night. the security guy on my way to the gates told me that Kirby has just passed through, and sure enough, there he was just in front of me. he was very nice as I asked him to sign my hat, joking with me that he didn't want the attention.

I hope he makes it through surgery okay. he's my #1 Twins boyfriend of all time.

I had a chinchilla named Kirby after him. :( Get well Kirby!

Kirby is the greatest Twin there ever was, and the man he was then is everything we want our team, and the game of baseball, to be. Get well soon, Puck!

:(

It was always a joy watching Kirby play on TV and especially in person. Whether it was by a smoith play in center or his poise at the plate, #34 always showed why he was destined for Cooperstown. Plus, I will never forget how I went nuts as a 13 year-old watching Kirby hit his Game 6 homer in '91 and pumping his fist. I knew then and there the Twins were going to win that World Series.

Best wishes to a full and speedy recovery Kirby!

I too was at that memorable game 6 in'91 and I can still hear the collective chant of "Kirby...Kirby...Kirby" in my mind. Let's all start the chant again to pull him through. Kirby! Kirby! Kirby!

Kirby singlehandedly is the reason why I'm a Twins fan today.

I stayed up late in grade school watching the 87 series.

I stood up and screamed the entire Game 6 of the 91' series. And cried as he rounded the bases in the 10th inning.

get well Sparkplug.

He is one of the 2 reasons I started to watch baseball.

My heart goes out to the man. Please get well.

Kirby was my first hero. I expect he was the first hero of most Minnesotan kids. I named my pet hermit crab after him, not because he had anything in common with a hermit crab but just because I loved him and wanted to name *something* after him. I loved hearing him talk. He had that Kirby cadence to his voice. YOU all know what I mean. I loved hearing Bob Casey yell his name -- "KIRBEEEEEEEE PUCKETT!" I loved the way he stomped the ground right before swinging. I loved watching him soar up the back wall to snag flies. I loved his smile. I loved watching him round the bases in Game 6, pumping his fist and yelling "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" with every step. YOU all know what I mean.

When he got hit with that pitch, I was horrified. When he left the game for good, I was heartbroken. When he got into the Hall of Fame, I was overjoyed. When those allegations came out a few years ago, I was heartbroken again, because some kid part of me still remained and still believed that he was greater than a mere human. He isn't, of course, never was; once I grew used to that idea, I found to my surprise that Puck was still my hero. Not for the mistakes he may or may not have made, of course. (I doubt anyone will ever know the truth of all that.) And not for being a superman, any more. But for the reasons TwinsGeek said: for the love he had for his team, for his strength of will, for his humility and his confidence, and most of all, for the joy with which he played and lived.

Kirby was always a man of joy. That's why I loved him as a kid; that's why I love him still. I'm praying the stroke was minor and he recovers fully. Because I, for one, am not ready to lose him. He's still my hero.

I agree with what some have already said and that is what made Kirby so special was the joy that he had for playing game.

There have been a handful of players over the years that no matter what team they play for you can't help but root for them and just be glad that you are getting to see them play.

In the 80s there were three guys that were on that level to me, Tony Gwynn, Ozzie Smith, and Kirby. I still have a Kirby Puckett glove that I use to this day when playing softball. Guys like him make the game fun and special.

Get well soon Kirby.

I was phoning a friend in Minnesota during the game in Fort Myers today (my usual - it's a gorgeous day here - call) when she informed me of Kirby. I was stunned. It is a measure of his renown that all I had to say to those around me was that Kirby had a stroke and no one had to ask Kirby who? Suddenly everyone was calling home for more news. And although some may have disparaged his recent actions, all were mourning together and keeping fingers crossed.

As I passed Terry Ryan in the stands today before the game, he was on the phone and I heard him say something to the effect: We will support your family in any way we can. I thought there must have been a death. Luckily not a death but still something very serious.

Your smile and enthusiasm and joy for your games and comrades won me over long ago, Kirby! Take care and God Bless!

I was checking out the message boards on MLB.com and decided to post in a get well Kirby thread. To my shock, someone was talking about Kirby assaulting women in public restrooms. That came from a Cubs fan of all people. Then others chipped in.

How sick are people? Kirby was exonerated of those charges yet that's all some people can talk about as Kirby lies in the hosiptial.

If you care to shut these people up, here's the thread:

http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=ml-mlb&msg=56016.1&maxT=4

Aw, man. First Paul, and now Kirby has a stroke. The 2000s just suck. In fact, since August 5, 2001, it's been pretty much downhill, but on that bright, sweltering day, I was lucky enough to be at the back of the crowd at Cooperstown, where Kirby said this:

"It may be cloudy in my right eye, but the sun is shining very brightly in my left eye. And just think how the sun has shined. Right up to the door of this great Hall, the shrine for the greatest game in the world and the greatest players in the world, baseball.

"We call it the national game because of its great and unique history. And it doesn't matter where you came from. From the projects like me, in Chicago, or the gated communities of Beverly Hills. And because it doesn't matter what race, creed or national origin you are: black, white, Hispanic, Japanese, or whatever. It just matters how you play the game. And I played it with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my might."

Yeah.

My whole family's pulling for Kirby right now. Here's to him getting better soon.

I also had a pet, my favorite cat, named Kirby in honor of Mr. Puckett. Like many others here, he was my childhood hero and his love for the game was what first inspired me to love baseball. I met him once and will never forget how kind he was to anyone who pestered him for an autograph; although other players had just passed us by without stopping. He'll always have a special place in my heart.

My prayers are with you Kirby. . .

I hope it was a minor stroke. The news hasn't offered details yet as to the severity. Get well soon, big guy. And until I hear more, I'll just picture you running the bases, those little legs looking like they go all the way around like a cartoon character's.

Rosen on 'CCO just aired a heartfelt quote: "Puck, more than ever, hear our cheers now."

Reading all these comments just now helps me realize the impact that Kirby has had on me: I, too, was at that Game 6, as a very lucky 13-year old boy. I, too, remember the feeling of hope Kirby brought each time he came to the plate in the late innings with a chance to drive in the tying or winning run. I, too, was bursting with pride to see Letterman flabbergasted by the love shed upon our hometown hero by the Late Show audience from Minnesota. And I, too, remember the cloud that hung over my head when I hear the news that he would never play again. For months, perhaps years even, I held out the faintest of hope that he would somehow stage a miraculous comeback.

I never knew baseball without Kirby Puckett. I first began to truly follow and understand the game during the 1987 season, the season my dad bought be a Twins' team set of Topps baseball cards (with the fake wood look). Kirby wasn't a god, he wasn't a hero to me. He was just Kirby - he was baseball. Sure, I loved Gladden and Hrbek and all the others, but Kirby, of course, was different. Only now do I realize that I almost certainly wouldn't be such a crazy baseball fan and Twins nut if Kirby Puckett hadn't been Kirby Puckett.

So thanks, Kirby, and please, hang on. You deserve a few more trips to the ballpark.

I mainly felt confident when Puckett was up to bat. He was a joy to watch at the plate. I remember he said something like: "Just put some junk out there and I'll be able to hit it" and he often did. He had such a knack for seeing that "junk" and hitting it so well.

Kirby get well. My thoughts are with you.

Sincerely, kal

"Climb on our backs, Kirby" brought tears to my eyes, Batgirl. Kirby was the purest of baseball players - all talent and heart and fun. Oh, that our wishes, love and gratitude for him would heal him and lift him from his bed!

Kirby Puckett is without a doubt the reason "I love this game." I, too, have a pet and also a nephew named after Kirby, a testament to the impact he had on my childhood, as well as my brother's. I wore #34 in every sport I played throughout middle and high schools. I remember meeting Mr. Puckett in 92 after the World Series victory at the age of 7 and being so excited I couldn't even speak. Kirby was of course, as magnificent in real life as I had hoped he would be, and I'll never forget the silly joke he told me to calm my nerves enough to ask him for his autograph.

Kirby was truly the last great hero of the MLB. Hard as I try, I cannot think of a player since his day who was so talented and yet played with so much grace, dignity, respect for the game, humility, and good-naturedness as Kirby. It was never about the money, or the fame, but he truly did just love the game. Baseball has not been the same without him.

My prayers are with you, Kirby, and I hope we'll see you tomorrow night.

I always remember listening to Twins games on the radio as a child. I'd turn up the radio every time I heard Bob Casey announcing Kirby in the background, because I knew if anyone could do something big, it was Kirby.

You were my boyfriend before I knew what a boyfriend was, Kirby. Feel better soon.

I cannot watch that swing to centerfield or hear Jack Buck in game 6 without getting goosebumps and tears in my eyes (I'm 35).

They showed the Game 6 footage on WGN this morning. I cried. Be well, Kirby.

Anyone heard anything new? Last I heard, he was in critical condition following surgery.

I've talked in the past about Twinness, that intangible quality that distinguishes true Twins from those who merely wear the uniform. Kirby didn't just exude Twinness. For me, at least (I'm only 24), he invented it.

I'm deeply, deeply saddened, but I can't say I'm shocked by this, since every time I've seen him since retirement, it seemed like he'd gotten bigger, and I was scared something might happen to him. Here's a prayer that he recovers from this and uses it as an incentive to get back into good health. I'd love to see him as a Twins coach, but more than that, I don't want to lose Kirby. I just still love him so much.

Kirby has said he was the luckiest man on the Earth, but he was not luckier than his teammates, Minnesota Twins fans, or the people who got to see him play.

Kirby and I are almost the exact same age - two months different. I have many Kirby stories. When I went to the heart of Africa in the Peace Corps in '84, Kirby had just come up and was already making his mark. My buddy sent me with a rambling taped message, ending: "Not sure if you heard, but Kirby Puckett hit a home run in the ninth inning of the World Series, so the Twins are world champs now."

Three years later I moved to the Bay Area and Kirby made our fantasy happen. From the '87 Series through the '91 Series I lived in A's territory. I mostly watched the Twins in the center field bleachers at the Coliseum. We tried to call for Kirby - he always played by the wall - but he never turned around.

That was a great rivalry between the Twins and the A's. The A's were scarier, but Kirby, Hrbie and cohorts were cooler, and righteous. I remember a late season game in '91 when Kirby threw Rickey Henderson out on his ass at home plate. Later the same game Henderson reached second on a close throw from Puckett and you could see him braying like the donkey he is.

Kirby made baseball more fun. He was always timely with a quote or a hit. The Twins didn't mind milking his legacy during the dark days of the late '90s. His life story is inspiring. Puckett was a devoted Minnesotan until he was run out for his transgressions. I was heartbroken that I had to stop celebrating the best Twin ever.

Thanks for everything, Kirby. I hope we can all give you back a little bit of the incredible luck you brought to us.

We were such big Twins and Kirby fans growing up that my little brother, who was 2 years old in 1987, learned how to say Kirby's name during that World Series. Granted, he pronounced it 'Peebee Cuppett', but cool nonetheless. Get well, Peebee.

I dont have much to add--everybody before me has said such great stuff. My wife and son who are not Twins fans both knew who it was when I said Kirby--no last names needed...a great guy who always gave it 100%.

So I join with others and say get well Kirby

Add my voice to those cheering "Kirby, Kirby, Kirby"...

Fight like hell for your family, friends and fans.
We will always love you!!

Get well soon big guy.

Here's one Yankees fan who sends his thoughts and prayers to all of Twins Nation and to Kirby himself. Here's hoping that he pulls through this and comes back stronger than ever.

I put a lot of my memories of Kirby up on my blog:
http://rhode.chronosilence.org/blog/archives/002345.html

Of course, after I posted that, I remembered about eight more... like watching in horror as he got hit in the jaw during his last career at bat and going to see him on fan appreciation night just after he retired and feeling goosebumps as the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation and the David Letterman show where Letterman himself said that he had never seen anyone get that kind of welcome or ovation... and... and... the list goes on.

I'm sorry to say that Kirby's condition is very grave. Sometime today he should cross over to another ballpark. Bob Casey will do the introductions. Thanks for the memories, Kirby.

Thr Jack Buck call of Puckett's home run in 91 is one of the best ever.

Hopefully we will all get to see Kirby tomorrow.

As an Indians fan currently living in Chicago I offer my thoughts and prayers to Kirby, his family and to all of Twins fans in Minnesota and around the world.

To echo many of the sentiments that have already been posted here: Kirby Puckett is the main reason I got interested in baseball in the first place. His infectious smile and unfailingly positive attitude epitomize what baseball should be all about. As for the fact that his epic 1991 game 6 performance will forever bring a smile to my face? That's just gravy.

A blog from the City Pages has a great picture of Kirby as a rookie. As our thoughts remain with Kirby today, maybe we can all get a slight lift in spirits by looking back at where it all began. This one's for you, Puck.
"....Twins rookie Kirby Puckett's 1984 appearance on the cover of City Pages...."
http://blogs.citypages.com/sports/images/kirbycover.jpg

Main source:
http://blogs.citypages.com/sports/2006/03/kirby_puckett_i.asp

Mark Rosen is on KFAN right now talking about Kirby.

Word is he's received last rites and that the test results haven't been encouraging. He said something about lack of brain activity and too much damage . . .

:(

Get well Kirby. From caracas, venezuela receive my prayers. You are great

Frank Viola will be on KFAN to talk about Kirby at/around 5:35pm (Twin Cities time) with Dan Barreiro et al. (Al Newman was gonna be on, but then bowed out. I can understand that).

Hopin' for a miracle. Here's my new desktop pattern...
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/wallpaper/puckett_kirby.jpg

Stay with us Puck.

I didn't really understand how much Kirby means to me until now. I've been a baseball fan all my life, especially for the Twins. But I always had some level of emotional detachment.

But today...

Kirby is not perfect. He's made some huge mistakes. But you know what, so have I. I know I've made colossal mistakes, but I still strive to be a hero to my sons. We can all learn from Kirby's joy, passion, talent and attitude. He is my hero.

One of the saddest things I've experienced was when Kirby felt he needed to get away from Minnesota, both physically and emotionally. It was like he didn't want us to see him at anything less than the great ballplayer he was. We lost a lot because of that ... But that was his choice of course.

We know that Kirby is human. But his human-ness was a great deal of what attracted us as fans in the first place. He had the dimensions (5' 8", 210 lbs) of many of us, and yet he was fast, powerful, and agile. He came from the most humble of beginnings. I remember him once saying that if it weren't for baseball he'd be dead already. I think he was around 27 at the time.

After all he went through, he didn't want us to see him be a normal human with human failings. I don't admire the questionable things he did. I admire the fact that, after all he went through to become a ballplayer, he never forgot the joy of playing a beautiful game.

Get well, Kirby ... So we can show you the joy and love you showed us.

E-9

Thank you Kirby. God bless you.

Kirby Puckett has just left us, God bless him . ..

Rest in peace, where homer hankies may always be flying.

Wow, this just seems like some nightmare or something.

Really, someone pinch me.

Please.

I just clicked on the latest link, and saw much to my dismay that Kirby has passed. My heart is truly heavy as I write this, since Kirby meant everything to me as I wrote yesterday and more. For me, as long as Kirby was a Twin, I thought they would have a chance every year.

I am not really a religous person, but here's hoping Kirby is already suiting up in CF in the great baseball field in the sky...Rest in Peace #34.

Thank you for everything Kirby. We'll never forget all that you've done for us team and our team.

I'm so very sad right now, this is a very sad day for baseball. Al my best to his family and all of the batlings.

Rest in Peace Kirby.

I, too, just clicked on the last link for the most recent news and was greeted by the worst surprise. I have so many childhood memories of Kirby and the Twins....

I am honestly too upset to really write anything but for now I will say this.

Kirby was why I feel in love with baseball. He is who I planned on using as a role model when I teach my son to love the game.

And now he is gone. What a terrible day.

Thank you for all the memories Kirby. I will miss you.

My heart truly goes out to his family, especially his children. Losing a parent is extremely difficult, under any circumstances. When it's sudden an unexpected like this, it's a different kind of difficult.

I was hoping to have something more eloquent to say, but I'm pretty much at a loss. He's my favorite athlete of all time. Always has been. Always will be.

RIP Kirby, we will all miss you.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2357158

vaya con dios kirby.
we miss you. we miss you so much.