Willis remembers Puckett well
03/07/2006LAKELAND, Fla. -- The smile, the dedication and the uncompromising hustle Kirby Puckett displayed on the field had a way of making him seem invincible to his teammates and fans.
So when Carl Willis, the Indians pitching coach and former teammate of Puckett's, heard the news about the former Twins legend's untimely passing at the age of 45 on Monday, he was understandably shocked.
"He's going to be missed," Willis said. "When you play this game, you feel indestructible. To see someone that played with that energy and what he accomplished -- not only for himself, but his teammates -- to lose him at 45 years old makes you appreciate every day and makes you appreciate putting this uniform on."
Willis, who played with the Twins from 1991-95, remembers Puckett as a man who always appreciated what he did for a living.
Certainly, Willis remembers the same Puckett highlights we do, most notably his 11th-inning home run that forced the historic Game 7 of the 1991 World Series between the Twins and Braves.
But Willis remembers the smaller moments, as well.
"We had a game that same year [1991], where it was the eighth inning, we were down by two with two outs, and he came up and hit a bouncer to third that most guys would run out to first base and it would be the third out," Willis recalled with a smile. "He didn't do things that way.
"The third baseman thought it would be a routine throw across the diamond, but [Puckett] beat it out by a half a step. The next guy came up and hit a home run to tie the game, and we went on to win it in extra innings. His hustle gave us an opportunity to win that game."
Puckett furthered that opportunity by making his teammates, young and old, feel comfortable.
Yes, Puckett was an icon in Minnesota, and a favorite of any fan who appreciates the values of hustle and a good attitude. But Willis said the pudgy little outfielder never let his status show in his personality.
"He never took anything for granted on the field," Willis said. "His greatest trait was when guys got called up during the season or even in Spring Training, he made everyone feel they belonged in the clubhouse. Of course, he was the face of the ballclub. But he didn't want to be treated that way. He wanted the guys to relax and have fun, like he did."
Puckett's personal indiscretions in his post-baseball life are well documented. But Willis remembers a 2001 reunion of the '91 team in which Puckett again displayed his giving nature.
"I felt a little guilty leaving the Triple-A Buffalo club [where Willis was the pitching coach at the time] for three days, so I was hoping to take something back for the guys," Willis said. "[Puckett] signed 28 balls to give to all those players in Buffalo and the staff. He was always happy, and he made everyone around him happy."
All the more reason why Puckett's death was a sad day for baseball.
"He was bigger and stronger than life," Willis said. "So it was definitely a shock."
Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/
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