by Mookie The Twins Freak
***I Wrote this back in 2001, and just stumbled upon it again. One of many reasons why Kirby Puckett was so beloved by Twins fans and the baseball world. This baseball story is just one of the thousands of fan interactions with the Puck.***
It was toward the end of 1986 and I was sitting in an almost empty dome in the first row right by the Twins bullpen in Section 134 of the Metrodome. The Twins were just finishing up with their pre-game batting practice and I was in earshot of the players as they strolled around the left field area, stretching and doing wind sprints.
Most of the players had already worked their way back to the Twins 3rd base dugout, but as I looked straight ahead, I saw the "Puck" walking slowly toward me and I just could not resist.
"Hey PUCK!" I barked out to him, waving non-chalantly to him as he walked by.
"Hey! Hey! Whats UP my man?" he replied much to my astonishment as he changed direction and was suddenly walking right up to me as if I was an old friend. I was shocked by the fact that after all these years of waving and yelling salutations to Major League players from the stands, that one had actually come up to talk to me. Kirby was smiling and reached up to me as he came to end of the field nearest the stands.
"Where are you from with that hat on?" he asked in reference to my red hat which I was wearing at the dome that day.
"Oh this hat, this is my VFW team from back in Watertown South Dakota," I responded nervosuly taking the hat off to confirm that it was indeed my red hat, and not some other one"
"Well, do you want me to sign it,?" Kirby suggested as he reached towards me expecting that it was an autograph for which I had beckoned him. In fact, that thought had not crossed my mind and I was caught completely off guard by this young Twin's willingness to come over to just say "hi."
"Ah, sure... ah ya...here!" I handed him my hat, absent of having anything else for him to sign. Being a poor college student on a restricted budget it was all I could do to afford the Twins ticket and Metro Transit roundtrip bus ticket from my St. Paul campus. I did not have the money to buy a game day scorecard, yearbook, media guide or new Twins hat.
Puck looked over my sweaty hat for for a split second and then nailed me with the ultimate stumper question.
"Ah, man, you got a PEN or sharpie or something?" I was even more embarrased to admit to this potential MVP candidate, who was on the verge of finishing the season with over a .320 average and 30 plus homers, that I indeed did not have a writing utensil.
"No, I ah... actually don't have anything that writes." For some reason, I turned flush red with inadaquecy. It felt like I was taking a test that I did not study for, and I just wanted to take my "C-" grade and run. I could just feel the lost opportunity fading away. I was sure in my mind that Puck would just walk away and leave me with no proof of this brief and completely unexpected act of rare gratuity from a Major League Baseball MVPcandidate.
"Hey, that's okay man, just wait it out a few seconds here and this area down here (he pointed to the first row) will be full of kids who want autographs. We'll just steal one of their pens okay?" Puck then laughed at his own joke, roaring with that boisterous giggle that all Twins fans would grow to love over the next decade. I laughed with him and he then proceeded to strike up a conversation as if we were old friends from Chicago"So how did our VFW in Watertown do this year,?" he asked as if genuinely cared. I literally could not believe what I was hearing. Kirby Puckett was going out of his way to make sure that not only would I get an autograph, but he was was polite enough to care about me and the team I had coached all summer! I don't even remember what I told him about the VFW team, but with just those few words and interaction, this man had won a fan for life. In my book, from this point in 1986, Mr. Kirby Puckett could do no wrong in his baseball career.
Within seconds just as Puck predicted, several kids were all over the area and they did indeed have pens. Kirby jokinly taunted me as he inked his signature onto that ratted out VFW hat,
"See, I told you they would have a pen for you, and it's even a good one...a sharpie!," he laughed in that now trademarked bubbly Hall of Fame laugh. He handed me the hat and I felt like that kid in the Coca Cola Mean Joe Green Jersey commercial. All I could say was thanks and Puck just nodded as he was now surrounded by several kids.
As I walked away with my new autograph, I could see #34 smiling and laughing and teasing the kids as signed what looked like thousands of autographs. I could hear high pitched screams of delight as kids would chirp out his name and beg for his attention. I watched Kirby walk down the the left field fence toward the Twins clubhouse, all the while he was laughing that laugh, and schmoozing with his adoring fans. He made them all feel good, if only for that brief moment.
Kirby signed for every single person he saw, and it all started because I waved at him and said, "Hey Puck!" I realize of course that it really wasn't because me that started that autograph session that day, it could have been anybody. I saw Kirby repeat that rutual almsot everytime I went to a Twins game and each time it made me realize how truly special this ballplayer was.
Kirby IS baseball in Minnesota. His accolades on the field, and induction to Cooperstown are all just confirmation of what we Twins fans have experienced all along. Kirby had many VFW hat days with many Twins fans over the years and each time, Puck added a more important stat to his resume. That stat is probably more significant then any other that will reside at Cooperstown. It's called "Fans Won Over" and includes the adoration and undying loyalty of fans who are respected by a player.
It is "PUCK" who goes into Coopertsown with the highest FWO stat because that is who is, was and always will be; a Hall of Famer with baseball talent, and a Human being with a heart of gold.
God Bless the Puck!
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