I Love This Game!

Kirby Puckett's incredible catch above the center field fence and his eleventh-inning home run in Game Six of the 1991 World Series turned that championship series around - and ignited a nationwide fandom for the smiling center fielder of the Minnesota Twins. His stunning statistics, which include a career batting average ranked third among all active players, five Gold Glove awards, two World Series rings, and a perennial spot on the All-Star team, have all been accomplished by a guy with a chunky, fireplug build who admits he can't even touch his toes. Kirby Puckett's sunny disposition, his huge talent, and his obvious love for the game have won him the respect and affection of fans and ballplayers everywhere, and in this marvelous, personal account, Puckett tells us how he became the player and the person we admire today." "Puckett movingly describes his journey from a childhood spent playing ball on concrete "fields" between apartment buildings on Chicago's tough south side to a spectacular career anchoring a major league franchise. The youngest of nine children, Puckett played ball wherever and whenever he could, but few baseball scouts ventured into the housing project where his family lived." "His break came when he was discovered by a scout who had come to watch his own son play in an Illinois collegiate summer league. After a mere two years in their minor league system, the Twins gambled on a still unseasoned Puckett, calling him up to replace an ailing outfielder. He went four-for-five in his major league debut. The rest is history." "Nine years and two World Series later, Puckett continues to thrill fans with his hardnosed approach to the game, his bold batting style and refusal to play cat-and-mouse with pitchers, and his homer-stealing catches at the center field wall. He gives us an insider's look at some of the exciting moments and great players he's encountered on the field, as well as telling the real story of his cliffhanging negotiations with the Twins after the '92 season, which resulted in a hard-won five-year contract - much to the relief of virtually the entire population of Minnesota!" "He takes us inside the locker room to experience the genuine camaraderie and team unity that keep up the "Twins mystique." Minnesota has a reputation as an always-bustling team propelled by a solid work ethic, and Puckett is a driving force behind that reputation. He introduces Tom Kelly, the highly regarded and lively team manager, and fellow Twin superstars past and present, including Frank Viola, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, and many more." "Unswervingly upbeat, Kirby Puckett will charm readers as naturally as he charges up his teammates on and off the field with his thoroughly engaging tale of life playing the game he loves with the team he loves