How Did Kirby Puckett Become A Power Hitter?

[Dantes929]

I curse the strike-shortened year of 1994.

 

Kirby was on pace to hit 30 HRs, and knock in 160 RBI. 

He was on a monster tear and in many ways Shane Mack was even better  (AVG. OBP, OPS)    I cursed it because I remembered it as the reason we lost Mack but I see Mack played about 30 games less than Puckett (and Alex Cole?).   Anyone know if Mack was hurt or if he just skipped to Japan because of the rumors of the strike. 

[Parker Hageman]

Anyone know if Mack was hurt or if he just skipped to Japan because of the rumors of the strike.

 

 

According to Terry Ryan, the strike played a significant role in Mack's decision to take the two-year deal with Tokyo Giants.

 

"It's not the offer, the ballclub, the city, or the market that has led to this," said Twins GM Terry Ryan after Mack's signing. "It's the ability to go and play and collect his salary. That's the only thing.

 

"If we weren't at a work stoppage, I think Shane Mack would still be here. If we weren't in a strike, I think we would have gotten that deal done."

 

 

There was little indication of January 1995 that the strike would be over to begin the season so Mack's signing seemed fair in retrospect. 

[Thrylos]

Of course no one is built like Kirby Puckett.

 

There was a Twins' player a few moons afterwards that was build (and hit) just like Kirby did when he was young.  And had the same smile.  But not quite that arm strength:

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eZ4GYE0Hsns/TvfDkDdD1LI/AAAAAAAABpY/mD-QCsJbCZU/s1600/Young+Kirby.jpg

 

 

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/15/8c/1b/158c1b61767608c98529ff506ed01652.jpg

 

 

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IGYbLuIqGU0/TtaXT_G1CRI/AAAAAAAADwY/KryCGl4UqLM/s1600/Ben+Revere.png

[Teflon]

It's hard to fathom Bill James - a man who usually applies logical rigor to his suppositions - making casual steroid aspersions regarding Gaetti and Puckett. What's even more surprising is that James singled out a year that Gaetti followed a 5-HR season with 20 HRs as suspicious when anyone looking at the back of a bubblegum card could see that Gaetti had actually hit 20+ HRs each of his first two seasons before the sudden drop. Gaetti's lack of homeruns in 1984 was actually the aberration - which received ink in the local papers that year. Oh but Gaetti had acne and was balding. Ever take a close look at your hometown Royals, Bill? Doesn't Steve "Bye-Bye" Balboni's complexion or hairline seem a bit suspicious, too?   Or how about the year George Brett amazingly went from 7 homeruns in 645 at-bats to 22 homeruns in 80 fewer at-bats the next?

 

http://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/115/115-362Fr.jpg

 

Also - if this wasn't a steroid rage, what was it?

 

[jimmer]

I'm starting to think Bill James is starting to lose it.  His interviews have become very, um, hard to follow.

[Dantes929]

Mauer's great year saw the ball barely going over the fence in the friendly homerdome.  and then riding the wave of confidence to barely hit the ball over the fence at a few hitter friendly road parks.  The next year saw those same balls hit the deeper wall of Target or get caught at the warning track.   He could have been juicing but I am skeptical.

[JB_Iowa]

Mauer's great year saw the ball barely going over the fence in the friendly homerdome.  and then riding the wave of confidence to barely hit the ball over the fence at a few hitter friendly road parks.  The next year saw those same balls hit the deeper wall of Target or get caught at the warning track.   He could have been juicing but I am skeptical.

I always wondered if he benefited from the residual effect of whatever they gave him legally to reduce the inflammation of his sacroiliac joint. Steroids are often used to treat inflammation and we've since found out that PEDs can be used in certain circumstances with permission of some czar or committee in the commissioner's office.

 

So it just seems to me that may have been the case. But you are right about the short home runs so it could just be coincidence.

[Benchwarmerjim]

What happened in 1989? He still got his hits (lead the league with 215), still got his doubles (career high 45) and even hit a few triples but is HR production went from 24 in 1988 to only 9. It took a few years for his HR totals to get back up into the 20s.

[Parker Hageman]

What happened in 1989? He still got his hits (lead the league with 215), still got his doubles (career high 45) and even hit a few triples but is HR production went from 24 in 1988 to only 9. It took a few years for his HR totals to get back up into the 20s.

 

 

Great question. This was something I wanted to add a paragraph about but could not find any articles attempting to answer that question. It is possible that this was addressed at some point during that year by either the Star Tribune or Pioneer Press however I don't have access to those archives. I would assume that someone would have mentioned it to him after his totals dropped so dramatically. 

 

Only thing I can find cited is that Puckett told reporters at the All-Star Game that he was failing to find a "groove":

 

A $2 million man in 1989, Puckett hasn't stopped working. He rarely misses early-afternoon hitting sessions despite the fact they are designed for those less talented. Although he has batted .330 or better since early May, Puckett insists he's struggling to find "a groove."

 

 

Still, he won his first and only batting title that year so he was clearly hitting the ball hard -- it just wasn't leaving the park. 

[KGB]

What happened in 1989? He still got his hits (lead the league with 215), still got his doubles (career high 45) and even hit a few triples but is HR production went from 24 in 1988 to only 9. It took a few years for his HR totals to get back up into the 20s.

 

I think for great hitter like Puckett and Mauer, the HR production has a lot to do with the approach at the plate.  If they focus on hitting more HR's they have the ability.  I remember when Calvin Griffin said he didn't pay Carew because he only hit a couple HR's each year, then he went out and it career high's over the next 3 years.

 

Mauer was hitting less than 10 HR's and was put in the HR hitting contest.  I great hitter with some strength can hit HR's, they just need to put more focus on it,

[Otto von Ballpark]

He was on a monster tear and in many ways Shane Mack was even better (AVG. OBP, OPS) I cursed it because I remembered it as the reason we lost Mack but I see Mack played about 30 games less than Puckett (and Alex Cole?). Anyone know if Mack was hurt or if he just skipped to Japan because of the rumors of the strike.

Mack was hurt to begin 1994, not at the end. Although he did seem to break down within a few years anyway.

[Pius Jefferson]

I'm starting to think Bill James is starting to lose it.  His interviews have become very, um, hard to follow.

 

I don't think he's ever been great during interviews. Just not a natural in front of the camera.

[Devereaux]

First pitch homer: https://youtu.be/nApRqTtfAE0

[dxpavelka]

 

 

Frankly, I wrote this post on facts. We know these things happened. I acknowledged that there were people who believed that Puckett may have taken steroids but there is not one iota of proof -- not one dealer, a person with knowledge or a smoking needle if you will. Any attempts to connect him to steroids is just unfounded speculation. Could it be true? Sure. Obviously with what happened in baseball the past decade I would not be one bit surprised to find out everyone was on steroids at some point.

 

If you would like to speculate further based on rumors or hearsay, I recommend you provide your analysis in the blogs section. 

Head in the sand is how folks like Donald Drumpf win elections.

[Boom Boom]

I could have at least looped a single off that Charlie Liebrandt pitch.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Head in the sand is how folks like Donald Drumpf win elections.

Yes, because "head in the sand" is synonymous with "I refuse to wildly speculate without a lick of evidence to back up the statement".

[dxpavelka]

 

Yes, because "head in the sand" is synonymous with "I refuse to wildly speculate without a lick of evidence to back up the statement".

The 1950s called and want you to come home.

[Squirrel]

Okay ... stick to topic of don't post. Leave the personal jabs out of it.

[spinowner]

 

Of course no one is built like Kirby Puckett.

There was one other very noteworthy player. Google images of Hack Wilson. (Listed at 5'6", 190 lbs.)

[Dantes929]

 

There was one other very noteworthy player. Google images of Hack Wilson. (Listed at 5'6", 190 lbs.)

Wow, how is this thread still alive?      I love your binary quote.