Editing Kirby Puckett (section)

===Minnesota Twins===
Puckett's major league debut came on May 8, 1984, against the [[California Angels]], a game in which he went 4-for-5 with one run.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.nutcan.com/article/The_Five_Most_Important_Figures_in_Minnesota_Sports_History.php |title = The Five Most Important Figures in Minnesota Sports History |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref> That year, Puckett hit .296 and was fourth in the [[American League]] in singles.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1984-batting-leaders.shtml |title = 1984 American League Batting Leaders |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref> In 1985, Puckett hit .288 and finished fourth in the league in hits, third in triples, second in plate appearances, and first in at bats.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1985-batting-leaders.shtml |title = 1985 American League Batting Leaders |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref> Throughout his career, Puckett would routinely appear in the top 10 in the American League in such offensive statistical categories as games played, [[at bat]]s, singles, doubles, and [[total bases]] and such defensive stats as [[putouts]], [[Assist (baseball)|assists]], and [[fielding percentage]] for league center fielders.<ref name="BR">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/puckeki01.shtml|title=Kirby Puckett|work=Baseball Reference|access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>

In 1986, Puckett began to emerge as more than just a singles hitter. With an average of .328, Puckett was elected to his first [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] and he finished the season seventh in doubles, sixth in home runs, fourth in extra-base hits, third in slugging percentage, and second in runs scored, hits, total bases, and at-bats.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1986-batting-leaders.shtml |title = 1986 American League Batting Leaders |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref> Kirby was also recognized for his defensive skills, earning his first [[Gold Glove Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_al_alt.shtml |title = American League Gold Glove Award Winners |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

====1987–1990 (First World Series title)====
[[File:Kirby Puckett 1993.jpg|thumb|left|Puckett bats against the Baltimore Orioles, 1993]]
In 1987, the Twins reached the postseason for the first time since 1970 despite finishing with a mark of 85–77. Once there, Puckett helped lead the Twins to the [[1987 World Series]],<ref>{{cite web|url = http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1987 |title = 1987 World Series |access-date = September 10, 2009 |work=MLB.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324120713/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1987|archive-date=March 24, 2023 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Twins' second series appearance since relocating to Minnesota and fifth in franchise history. For the season, Puckett batted .332 with 28 home runs and 99 [[Run batted in|RBIs]].<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/history/MIN |title = Minnesota Twins |access-date = September 10, 2009 |work=[[CBS Sports]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165851/http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/history/MIN |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="BR" /> Although he hit only .208 in the Twins' five game [[1987 American League Championship Series|AL Championship Series]] win over the [[Detroit Tigers]], Puckett would produce in the seven-game World Series upset over the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], where he batted .357.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1987_WS.shtml |title = 1987 World Series |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

During the year, Puckett put on his best performance on August 30 in [[Milwaukee]] against the [[1987 Milwaukee Brewers season|Brewers]], when he went 6-for-6 with two home runs, one off [[Juan Nieves]] in the third and the other off closer [[Dan Plesac]] in the ninth.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL198708300.shtml |title = Aug 30, 1987, Twins at Brewers Play by Play and Box Score |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

Statistically speaking, Puckett had his best all-around season in 1988, hitting 24 home runs with a career-high .356 average and 121 RBIs, finishing third in the AL [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|MVP balloting]] for the second straight season. Although the Twins won 91 games, six more than in their championship season, the team finished a distant second in the [[American League West]], 13 games behind the [[1988 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1988.shtml |title = 1988 Minnesota Twins season |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

Puckett won the AL batting title in 1989 with a mark of .339, while also finishing fifth in at-bats, second in doubles, first in hits, and second in singles. The Twins, two years removed from the championship season, slumped, going 80–82 and finishing in fifth place, 19 games behind the Athletics. In April 1989, he recorded his 1,000th hit, becoming the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to do so in his first five seasons.<ref name="sabr" /> After the 1989 season, Puckett signed a 3-year, $9 million contract with the Twins, making him the first baseball player to earn at least $3 million per year of salary.<ref name="LAT-89">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-22-sp-401-story.html |title=Puckett Is First to Score $3-Million Salary |work=Los Angeles Times |date=November 22, 1989 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=September 28, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref name="LAT-91" /> He continued to play well in 1990, but had a down season, finishing with a .298 batting average, and the Twins mirrored his performance as the team slipped all the way to last place in the AL West with a record of 74–88.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/1990.shtml |title = 1990 Minnesota Twins season |access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

====1991–1995 (Second World Series title)====
In 1991, the Twins got back on the winning track and Puckett led the way by batting .319, eighth in the league and Minnesota surged past [[1991 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland]] midseason to capture the division title. The Twins then beat the [[1991 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]] in five games in the [[1991 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] as Puckett batted .429 with two home runs and five RBI to win the ALCS MVP.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1991_ALCS.shtml |title = 1991 American League Championship Series|access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

The subsequent [[1991 World Series]] was ranked by [[ESPN]] to be the best ever played, with four games decided on the final pitch and three games going into extra innings. The Twins and their opponent, the [[1991 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]], had each finished last in their respective divisions in the year before winning their league pennant, something that had never happened before.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.espn.com/swf/mlb/anniversary/worldseries100.html |title = World Series 100th Anniversary|access-date = September 10, 2009 |publisher = ESPN }}</ref>

Going into Game 6, the Twins trailed three games to two with each team winning their respective home games. Puckett gave the Twins an early lead by driving in [[Chuck Knoblauch]] with a triple in the first inning. Puckett then made a leaping catch in front of the Plexiglass wall in left field to rob [[Ron Gant]] of an extra-base hit in the third. The game went into [[extra innings]], and in the first at-bat of the bottom of the 11th, Puckett hit a dramatic game-winning home run on a 2–1 count off of [[Charlie Leibrandt]] to send the Series to Game 7.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=2357368 |title=For 11 innings, Puckett's greatness took center stage |access-date=September 10, 2009 |last=Kurkjian |first=Tim |date=March 6, 2006 |work=ESPN }}</ref> This dramatic game has been widely remembered as the high point in Puckett's career. The images of Puckett rounding the bases, arms raised in triumph (often punctuated by [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]] television broadcaster [[Jack Buck]] saying "And we'll see you tomorrow night!") are frequently included in video highlights of his career. The Twins then went on to win Game 7 1–0, with [[Jack Morris]] throwing a 10-inning complete game, and claimed their second World Series crown in five years.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1991_WS.shtml |title = 1991 World Series|access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

Though the Twins didn't make it to the postseason for the rest of Puckett's career, he remained an elite player. In 1994, Puckett was switched to right field and won his first league RBI title by driving in 112 runs in only 108 games, a pace that projects to 168 RBIs over a full season. He also broke the record for Twins career hits on June 26 with three hits in the game against the Kansas City Royals that the Twins won 11–4, giving him 2,088 hits.<ref name="LAT-94">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-27-sp-9068-story.html |date=June 27, 1994 |work=Los Angeles Times |agency=Associated Press |title=American League Roundup : Puckett Passes Carew on the Twins' Hit List |access-date=September 28, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> Previously [[Rod Carew]] held that record with 2,085 hits.<ref name="LAT-94" /> But the 1994 season was cut short by a [[1994-95 Major League Baseball strike|players' strike]], ending his chances for two consecutive RBI titles.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1994-batting-leaders.shtml |title = 1994 American League Batting Leaders|access-date = September 10, 2009 |website = Baseball Reference }}</ref>

Puckett was still performing well in the 1995 season before having his jaw broken in his final career plate appearance by a [[Dennis Martínez]] fastball on September 28.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/puckeki01.php |title=Kirby Puckett |access-date=September 10, 2009 |website=TheBaseballPage.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208023558/http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/puckeki01.php |archive-date=February 8, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>