Puckett's Pond
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Minnesota Twins: The 40 Best Players In Team History (No. 1-5)

By Jackson Bruce

Apr 11, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins hall of fame player Rod Carew (center) holds out a ceremonial first pitch brought to him by former teammate Tony Oliva that he threw to first baseman Joe Mauer (7) before the game between the Twins and the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins hall of fame player Rod Carew (center) holds out a ceremonial first pitch brought to him by former teammate Tony Oliva that he threw to first baseman Joe Mauer (7) before the game between the Twins and the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 12, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) wears an armband honoring Flip Saunders, Malik Sealy, and Kirby Puckett in the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Target Center. The Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-116. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) wears an armband honoring Flip Saunders, Malik Sealy, and Kirby Puckett in the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Target Center. The Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-116. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 3: Kirby Puckett (50.9 WAR)

Kirby Puckett may be the most beloved player to put on a Minnesota Twins uniform. If not for a sudden end to his career do to glaucoma, he may have been the number one player on this list. Puckett could do it all. He could hit for both power and average, he could field with the best of them, and he could show a little speed.

During his well-decorated career, Puckett was a 10-time All-Star, won six Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers, and brought home two World Series titles to Minnesota. All of that in just twelve seasons.

Puckett put up some great conventional stats during his career. He had a .318 career average, with 2,304 hits and 1,085 runs batted in. While those are impressive, his value numbers are even more eye-popping. He had six seasons of four or more wins above replacement over his career.

His best season, according to WAR, was 1988 when he put up a career-best 7.7 WAR. That year, he hit .356 with 24 home runs and 121 runs batted in. It was an impressive year that saw him finish third in the MVP voting. His next best season in the WAR category was in 1992 when he tallied 7.1.

Forever Memorialized

Puckett’s career is forever commemorated in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as he was inducted in the Class of 2001. His induction was on the first ballot. He was also inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. Puckett passed away in 2006 from a massive stroke, but is immortalized outside of Target Field with a bronze statue that was unveiled in 2010.

He was incredibly important to the Twin Cities area, and has been memorialized in a number of ways. Sports stars in Minnesota have shown their respects towards Puckett, including Minnesota Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett who wore Puckett’s nickname along with other Minnesota stars who had passed away on an arm band during an NBA game in 2015.

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