Kirby Puckett died Monday, a day after the Hall of Fame outfielder had a stroke at his Arizona home, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was 44.
Puckett died at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Kimberly Lodge said. He had been in intensive care since having surgery at another hospital following his stroke Sunday morning.
Puckett carried the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991 before his career was cut short by glaucoma. His family, friends and former teammates gathered at the hospital throughout Monday.
The hospital said Puckett was given last rites and died in the afternoon.
"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am terribly saddened by the sudden passing of Kirby Puckett," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "He was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the term.
"He played his entire career with the Twins and was an icon in Minnesota. But he was revered throughout the country and will be remembered wherever the game is played. Kirby was taken from us much too soon -- and too quickly," he said.
RealGM Wiretap
More stories:
- Sam Kennedy: Red Sox Season 'Embarrassing,' But Craig Breslow Safe
- Phillies Acquire Derek Hill From White Sox For Two Prospects
- Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman Says Yankees GM Owes Him Apology
- Tarik Skubal Returning To Tigers' Rotation Saturday
- MLB Salary Cap Proposal Borrows NHL, NBA, NFL Models With Key Updates
- Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Uncertainty Freezes NBA Activity Ahead Of Draft
- Blazers, Rockets, Hawks Among Teams With Potential Jaylen Brown Trade Interest
- Rich Paul Says 10-12 Teams Have Interest In LeBron James
- Pelicans 'Want A Lot' For Trey Murphy III With Pacers, Pistons Among Interested Teams
- Kyrie Irving Not Available For Trades; Mavs Open To Dealing Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford
- WC26: Folarin Balogun, USMNT Open World Cup With 4-1 Rout Of Paraguay
- Christian Pulisic Downplays Calf Injury After Halftime Exit
- Bernardo Silva Closing In On Real Madrid Move With Barca Dropping Out
- WC26: Canada Rally For Historic World Cup Point Vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
- WC26: Hwang In-Beom Leads South Korea's Comeback Win Over Czechia
- Canes' Polymarket Stanley Cup Odds Jump To 80 Percent After Game 5 Win
- Coach John Tortorella Says Vegas, Pushed To Brink, Not Done Yet
- Darnell Nurse Gives Oilers Short List Of Trade Options
- Avs GM Says Coach Jared Bednar, Staff Will Return Next Season
- Lightning's Nikita Kucherov Wins Second Hart Trophy As NHL MVP



