September 25, 2006

In Kirby's Image

With the Minnesota Twins on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, Patrick Reusse chimes in with a magnificent column on how this year's Twins are in so many ways informed by the legacy of the late Kirby Puckett.

"Run to first. Kirby Puckett, a Hall of Famer, did so on every ground ball.

Catch the ball, make the right throw. Kirby Puckett tried to do that on every play.

Be a teammate. Kirby Puckett was the all-timer.

The message was simple: If it was good enough for Kirby Puckett, it's good enough for you.

That was passed on to new Twins by Kelly through championships and during those long post-1992 seasons, when the goal was for a bad team not to add to its embarrassment with poor effort. It has been passed along by Gardenhire for five seasons with upgraded expectations.

This was a team that for two months seemed on a retreat to the losing of the previous decade, but it was turned around with a remade infield, and with a now-injured pitching phenom, and with a daily commitment to run, to catch, to throw and to be a teammate.

In this Year of 34, most every Twin wearing the number on his sleeve has done his utmost to deserve it."

Yes, the Twins' hot streak really did begin with a seven-game winning streak that brought their record to 34-34.

Posted by Stephen Silver at September 25, 2006 02:57 PM
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