Baseball star Kirby Puckett played 9 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Puckett began his collegiate baseball career at Bradley University but transferred to Triton College (IL) after one season. At Triton, he found great success and was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 1982 MLB Draft. After signing, Puckett went to the rookie league and played for the Elizabethton Twins in the Appalachian League. While there, Puckett hit .382 with 3 home runs, 35 RBI, and 43 steals in 65 games. Puckett was promoted to the Single-A Visalia Oaks in the California League where he hit .318 with 9 home runs, 97 RBI, and 48 stolen bases in 138 games. Moving up to the AAA Toledo Mud Hens, Puckett would only play in 21 games before entering the major leagues.

Puckett made his MLB debut on May 8, 1984, against the California Angels going 4-for-5 with one run. After his first season, Puckett hit .296 and was fourth in the American League in singles. In 1985, he hit .288 and finished fourth in the MLB in hits, third in triples, second in plate appearances, and first in at-bats. Going into the 1986 season, Puckett became known for more than just singles with a .328 batting average and was elected to his first MLB All-Star Game. That was also the first year he was recognized for his defensive skills and earned his first Gold Glove award. Puckett went on to have great success in the league and won two World Series titles along the way while also solidifying his name within the world of baseball. Throughout his career with the Twins, Puckett accumulated a .318 batting average, 2,304 hits, 207 home runs, 1,085 RBIs, and 1,071 runs scored. 

After retiring in 1996, Puckett had his number 34 jersey retired and a statue at the plaza of Target Field in Minneapolis was made in his honor, in 2010. Puckett is a 10x All-Star, 2x World Series champion, ALCS MVP, 6x Gold Glove recipient, 6x Silver Slugger recipient, Roberto Clemente Award recipient, American League batting champion, American League RBI leader, and an inductee in the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility for the esteemed honor.