Kirby Puckett suffers from a stroke at home

[Mattingly]

Get well soon, Kirby! :)

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/logo_min_79x76.jpg PRESS RELEASE

Twins release statement on Kirby Puckett (http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060305&content_id=1335280&vkey=pr_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min)

Ft. Myers, Fla -- Former Twins great Kirby Puckett suffered a stroke this morning at his home in Scottsdale, AZ. He was transported to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital and later airlifted to Scottsdale Osborne Hospital where he is undergoing Neo Surgery.

The Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball ask fans to keep Kirby and his family in their thoughts and prayers.

[GiambiJuice]

This is the happiest news I've heard all week. :clapping :clapping

[Mattingly]

This is the happiest news I've heard all week. :clapping :clapping
Where did all the player hating come from? What if someone wished ill of you?

Look, I can understand people not liking him, but why wish harm upon him?

[Elvis]

That's shocking news. Is it normal to do brain surgery right after a stroke? :( :confused:

[Atlanta Braves Freak]

This is the happiest news I've heard all week. :clapping :clapping

You are a very sick person. How could you call a stroke "happy news"? You need serious help.

[E.Banks#14]

Huh... my cousin might be doing the surgery. He's a brain surgeon and he lives in Scottsdale, but I'm not sure what hospital he works at. No matter, I hope Kirby recovers well.

[Chisox73]

That's shocking news. Is it normal to do brain surgery right after a stroke? :( :confused:

I guess it depends on the severity of the situation.

My thoughts and prayers are with Kirby Puckett,his family and all Twins fans.

[DoubleX]

Sad, especially since he's so young to have a stroke. I wonder if it is at all related to the eye condition that force his early retirement? Was that glaucoma, or something else?

[Go Bravos!!!#1]

He is indeed suffering from Glaucoma.

[Mattingly]

Huh... my cousin might be doing the surgery. He's a brain surgeon and he lives in Scottsdale, but I'm not sure what hospital he works at. No matter, I hope Kirby recovers well.
Does your cousin work at the hospital in this link?

Hall of Famer Puckett suffers stroke (http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060305&content_id=1335290&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min)
* * *

Puckett, 44, was transported to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital and then airlifted to Scottsdale Osborne Hospital where he is undergoing Neo Surgery.

[Zito75]

The prognosis should be good for Kirby. There is actually a new procedure that is being used (I had an uncle that recently went through this) to treat stroke victims. The surgeons make a small hole in the cranium, and insert a microscopic "drill bit" into the vessel that is blocked. They then simply work the device similar to a roto-rooter deal. Assuming there is no brain damage, he should be home in a few days. It sucks to hear about Kirby, but if there is one good thing, this procedure is getting more routine.

[Mattingly]

This is the happiest news I've heard all week. :clapping :clapping
I'm still waiting for a reply as to why it's the "happiest" news you've heard all week. Good thing it's only Sunday.

[GiambiJuice]

I'm still waiting for a reply as to why it's the "happiest" news you've heard all week. Good thing it's only Sunday.

I'm sure the drunk girl whom he took advantage of will concur with me...
I have no sympathy for this man, and I hope he gets what he deserves.

[Mattingly]

I'm sure the drunk girl whom he took advantage of will concur with me...
I have no sympathy for this man, and I hope he gets what he deserves.
Unless he's in jail for all that, you may wish to take that elsewhere. All I can tell you is that this forum isn't really a place to bash players. Don't like him, his style of play, his off-the-field antics, fine. Albert Belle and Barry Bonds have their critics also.

I'm not expecting you to sing his praises, but sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all if you have nothing good to say. That's my only advice.

-Matt

[Pine Tar]

I'm sure the drunk girl whom he took advantage of will concur with me...
I have no sympathy for this man, and I hope he gets what he deserves.
I guess we should all get what we deserve. I wonder if you are the person to determine that though. I wonder what you would deserve if we knew everything that you have done.

As for Puckett, as I understand it, his weight has spiralled out of control since he stopped playing and he (this part is unconfirmed) may have an alchohol problem. As for his weight, one radio report I heard talking about this said that they thought his weight last year was somewhere around 350 pounds...a significant risk factor for having a stroke. I also heard that the situation is in fact verry serious. My thoughts are with him and his children. I hope if he pulls through, he is able to turn his life around. Sometimes, something terrible has to happen before you get the help you need.

[brewcrew82]

Here's to a speedy recovery. Get well soon Kirby, my thoughts will be with you.

[DoubleX]

I'm sure the drunk girl whom he took advantage of will concur with me...
I have no sympathy for this man, and I hope he gets what he deserves.

Ugh, I'm glad you're not in charge of deciding who should get capital punishment.

[Mike D.]

Hope things work out for Puckett. He was putting up big seasons right around the time I was really getting into baseball (87-91), and I always liked him for his big smiles, big bat, and excellent defense.

As I got older, and my childhood dreams of being a major league ballplayer started to fade, I began to appreciate and root even more for Puckett, who was probably the closest player to my body type as an adult (he was about 5'8", 210 during his playing days, I'm about 5'7" 200-205 at age 29).

Because his size was similar to mine, his bat models all worked out pretty good for me, and I had several over the years, although they've all gone to big bat bag in the sky now.

I know some less than good news has come out about Puckett over the last few years, but I hope if he is having trouble with his weight, alcohol, and behavior, he makes a full recover and turns his life around.

[Mattingly]

Mike, I just wanted to let you know that was a very nice post. Well-written and had a clear message. :)

[rockin500]

the man has made many mistakes since he retired prematurely. But he's human. But you just dont say its the best news youve heard all week. you just dont. A Person To say that is to show how shallow a person is.

You could see this coming a mile away for kirby. A family history of deaths from heart disease, he has high blood pressure, is 225 lbs overweight (he was said to be over 400 lbs recently) and in that age where that combination starts becoming lethal very quickly. (44 isnt too young for it when you are in that kinda shape).

no matter what i may think of him as a person (and its not very high) i still hope for a recovery and that he gets his life back in order, starting with his mental health (he's been said to be very depressed) and then move on to his physical health.

[Mike D.]

Mike, I just wanted to let you know that was a very nice post. Well-written and had a clear message. :)

Thanks...I'm new here, but certainly not to the world of online baseball forums...just trying to make a positive contribution to what appears to be a real nice baseball site! :D

I'll spare ya the "baseball cliche" media quotes from Bull Durham, though. ;)

[Mike D.]

the man has made many mistakes since he retired prematurely.

I won't say anything bad he did should be excused, but it's understandable...top athletes these days are coddled from the day they show their above average talent...sports become the most important thing in their lives...often to the detrement of education and other personal development.

In a case like Puckett's, where that's suddenly all taken away, it isn't surprising that the athlete would be ill equipped to deal with the situation.

[rockin500]

I won't say anything bad he did should be excused, but it's understandable...top athletes these days are coddled from the day they show their above average talent...sports become the most important thing in their lives...often to the detrement of education and other personal development.

In a case like Puckett's, where that's suddenly all taken away, it isn't surprising that the athlete would be ill equipped to deal with the situation.
its not surprising. disappointing perhaps, but in the end, i forgive him for anything hes done as he hasnt done anything irreversably wrong. He's did bad things, but we have all done things that we shouldnt have done. Just because he did some bad things doesnt make me want to see this happen and totally condemn him.

and considering where he came from, sports is probably the best thing that ever happened to kirby. he's from Chicago's worst projects, remember.

Overall, he was a very good player who is so very tragically human.

[mojorisin71]

Kirby Puckett was one of the first players I remember seeing growing up, and it was a sad thing to see him retire prematurely. I personally don't care about his transgressions, as we're all human and I don't like judging people unless the damage is irreversible. I hope to see him recover, and from what I've read on this thread, he should make it out okay.

[ElCaminoSS]

This is the happiest news I've heard all week. :clapping :clapping
Wow, ummm.....I'm gonna agree with these guys and say you should probably get some help.....like a 48 hour examination period and maybe some rage-aholics anonymous meetings

[Mattingly]

Thanks...I'm new here, but certainly not to the world of online baseball forums...just trying to make a positive contribution to what appears to be a real nice baseball site! :D

I'll spare ya the "baseball cliche" media quotes from Bull Durham, though. ;)
It may seem like a "useless post" to some to say that, but I really think that a good post from someone new to me should be pointed out.

Make yourself known around the Red Sox forum and give some love to the boys on the team and the boys & girls on the forum. :D

As to cliches, from you, I'll accept them. :p

In the end, while Kirby's not perfect, and even though I haven't followed his various transgressions, if the Twins can officially ask fans to hope for the best for him, I think that's good enough for me. :)

[trosmok]

This is the happiest news I've heard all week.

Unbelievable; that is something I might expect from the sick folks of the Westboro baptist church, but not here at the Fever.:confused:

Here's wishing K.P. a timely recovery and hope it serves as a bit of a reminder to all of us how precious life, particularly human life truly is. Even yours, G-Juice.

[ElCaminoSS]

I may be the only one that thinks this but, G-Juice, just leave and dont come back. Theres no room for psychos here

[Captain Cold Nose]

I may be the only one that thinks this but, G-Juice, just leave and dont come back. Theres no room for psychos here
Easy now. While it is understood how disagreeable his comment was, let's not turn this into a war of words between members. Not on this site.

[GiambiJuice]

Maybe my comment was a bit harsh, and I apologize if I offended anyone here.

I'm just sick and tired of athletes getting a free pass (especially when it comes to sexual abuse) A good friend of mine was raped when she was 16 so it's a very emotional topic with me.

My personal opinion is that the world will be better off without him. I guarantee if John Rocker or someone of his ilk were going through the same thing and I made the same comment, I wouldn't receive nearly the same amount of backlash for saying it. This is because nowadays racism is considered to be a worse crime than rape... I will never understand it.

[Mike D.]

Wasn't Puckett acquitted of the sexual assault charges? Not suggesting that this doesn't mean he did what he's accused of, but I think to assume guilt is a bit of a stretch, too.

[Mattingly]

I may be the only one that thinks this but, G-Juice, just leave and dont come back. Theres no room for psychos here
As mentioned, we the Mods here can deal with this.

As to one's psychological state, I can't say this based only upon one post in one thread. Just ease up a bit, as not all posts are signs of an imbalanced persona.

[rockin500]

.

My personal opinion is that the world will be better off without him. I guarantee if John Rocker or someone of his ilk were going through the same thing and I made the same comment, I wouldn't receive nearly the same amount of backlash for saying it. This is because nowadays racism is considered to be a worse crime than rape... I will never understand it.


i certainly dont give Rocker a free pass, but neither do i think it was all that serious of a crime either. that was overkill by the media. (imagine that!) so no i would think you are wrong both ways.

he (puckett) was acquitted of all charges so i have to leave it as it is. Do i think he did something that he shouldnt have? probably so. But not something to the point where i would wish death upon the man. Besides, a jury acquitted him, so what else is there really to say?

[Mattingly]

Maybe my comment was a bit harsh, and I apologize if I offended anyone here.

I'm just sick and tired of athletes getting a free pass (especially when it comes to sexual abuse) A good friend of mine was raped when she was 16 so it's a very emotional topic with me.

My personal opinion is that the world will be better off without him. I guarantee if John Rocker or someone of his ilk were going through the same thing and I made the same comment, I wouldn't receive nearly the same amount of backlash for saying it. This is because nowadays racism is considered to be a worse crime than rape... I will never understand it.
Actually, we live in a country where one's innocence is presumed, not one's guilt. Even though the US criminal court system may not be infallible, he did get a trial by a jury of his peers. Whether he did what he was accused of doing or not isn't for myself (and in my opinion, yourself) to decide. It was for the jury selected for this to decide. Needless to say, he was acquitted.

My strongest and sincerest condolences to your then-young friend's very unfortunate incident and its mental effects that would result from this. However, not every single person, or in this case athlete, is guilty of every single thing they've been accused of.

As to whether John Rocker being struck with the same stroke would receive any different response from others, I can't guarantee. However, I would also say that would be wrong as well. While it would be newsworthy if he were to have a stroke, his 1999 SI interview comments would surely find their way here in a nanosecond.

In Kirby's case, he's been acquitted by a jury of his peers. In Rocker's case, he seems to have been convicted by a jury of public opinion. However, since some people don't like NYC and its varied inhabitants, of which Queens (where he spoke of) is the most varied culturally, I wouldn't necessarily say that opinion would be unanimous. This even if some who plain aren't very crazy about NYC one bit wouldn't necessarily voice their views as openly nor as strongly as John did. They could still have the exact same opinions, however.

[RuthMayBond]

My personal opinion is that the world will be better off without him. I guess you got your wish :ughh

[trosmok]

...This is because nowadays racism is considered to be a worse crime than rape...

By whom?:noidea Pure, unadulterated rubbish, to put it politely.

As one of the most energetic, fun loving, and intense baseball players I've seen in ages, it was double tough to see his career cut short prematurely by medical maladies. What he did off the field and after his retirement doesn't matter a fiddler's fart to me. I'll always remember his infectious laughter during one of the home run derby contests when he was miked for sound; it still makes me double up to hear him whooping it up. He had a solid career, played for one team the whole time, and was a huge part of the Twins two World Series championships. Wishing him peace in the afterlife, and good wishes to his family and friends.

[brewcrew82]

By whom?:noidea Pure, unadulterated rubbish, to put it politely.

As one of the most energetic, fun loving, and intense baseball players I've seen in ages, it was double tough to see his career cut short prematurely by medical maladies. What he did off the field and after his retirement doesn't matter a fiddler's fart to me. I'll always remember his infectious laughter during one of the home run derby contests when he was miked for sound; it still makes me double up to hear him whooping it up. He had a solid career, played for one team the whole time, and was a huge part of the Twins two World Series championships. Wishing him peace in the afterlife, and good wishes to his family and friends.

Cheers to that!

Rest in Peace, Kirby!

[Mattingly]

I'm taking votes on this. Please let us know what you'd like to do:

--Photos of great Kirby moments;

--Description of great Kirby moments.

Decide whether these should be under CE or the Twins forum. Or perhaps we can have two separate threads about both, and one in each forum.

Please share your thoughts.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I'm taking votes on this. Please let us know what you'd like to do:

--Photos of great Kirby moments;

--Description of great Kirby moments.

Decide whether these should be under CE or the Twins forum. Or perhaps we can have two separate threads about both, and one in each forum.

Please share your thoughts.
Puckett was an immensely popular player. A lot of non-Twin fans have commented. CE is a good place for a tribute.

[Mattingly]

Puckett was an immensely popular player. A lot of non-Twin fans have commented. CE is a good place for a tribute.
I'm thinking that the Twins forum should get some of the love also. I'll see how people decide. Perhaps some kind of "Kirby Puckett Appreciation Thread" or something may work.