Peterson Saga Brings Back Memories

I was eight years old when Kirby Puckett was called up to the Twins. He pretty quickly became my new favorite baseball player. In all honesty, I’m thinking it was his name, at least at first. He was the speedy new centerfielder who was sure fun to watch.

And within a couple seasons, he became one of baseball's best players. When the Twins won their first World Series in 1987, I was 12 years old. I had spent the summer playing baseball, wearing number 34. In 1991, I was a junior in high school and the Twins won the World Series again. There was The Catch against the plexi-glass. There was his “We’ll see you tomorrow night” moment.

Puckett was full of charisma and clearly enjoyed playing the game of baseball. He was a hit machine. He was a perennial All-Star and one of the great ambassadors of the game. He was someone who was involved in charities, especially those that helped children.

Then came spring of 1995, and his career was suddenly over due to glaucoma. I was 19 years old, in college, and the news was devastating.

Kirby Puckett was my hero. He was the guy who I enjoyed watching through my formative years. I’m guessing the same can be said for many of my generation.

In 2001, my dad and brother and I went to Cooperstown with some friends to watch Puckett (and Dave Winfield) get inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. That is certainly the pinnacle for any ball player’s career.

It wasn’t long after his induction that things went tumbling downhill for Puckett. I’m not going to get into the details here. If you want, you can Google it. I was grown up then, but the news was still painful to read. Where did this come from? How could I have been so wrong?

The situation now if very similar for Adrian Peterson and these fans. There are many kids in Minnesota and around the country who idolize Adrian Peterson. He is one of the best running backs to play the game. He did things that we haven’t seen before on a football field. Although his reputation had taken a few hits, he was generally considered a very good person who did a lot in the community.

As horrible as this Adrian Peterson situation has been (and will continue to be), and as horrible as the Kirby Puckett news was, can we learn anything from them?

Maybe the conversations about the Peterson situation can do some good. Maybe the conversations on talk radio and in the Vikings Journal forums can be productive. It can help define what is wrong and what limits should be. If even a handful of parents alter their thinking on using a switch or other extreme “discipline,” it will help those kids. If it can keep some people around the country from abusing a child, a girlfriend, a wife, the conversation is worthwhile.

I agree with the old Charles Barkley commercial in which he famously said, “I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court.”

In theory, that is correct. Teachers, doctors and parents should be the heroes of kids.

In reality, kids who enjoy sports are going to look up to their favorite athletes. They will emulate the stars. They will try to replicate batting stances or touchdown celebrations or 360-windmill slam dunks (Well, maybe when they get older).

I am now a parent of an eight-year-old. She’s not quite the sports fanatic I was at that age, but she knows a few Twins names and will occasionally watch part of a ballgame with me. What should we tell our kids? At one point, I thought it might be best to tell children not to have athletes as heroes and role models. I don’t really agree with that. I think it’s important to remember that a large majority of athletes are really good people who really do a lot of great work in the community. I've had the opportunity to meet several of the Twins players and minor leaguers and there are so many genuinely good people.

I also think that does put some responsibility on the athletes to realize that kids are watching them. I would like to see a few top athletes take a stand and speak out against domestic violence, against other things and about being good people and role models.

It’s also important as a parent to talk to your children and help them understand that what we see on the field and on TV is just a part of who these people are. The Twins players are more than just athletes. They have families. Some have wives or girlfriends, and some have kids. Like each and every one of us, they will make mistakes. We aren't perfect.

When I am asked who my favorite baseball player of all time is, I still say that it is Kirby Puckett. And I say it easily and with no hesitation. If someone were to ask me who the best running back that I’ve ever seen in the NFL, I will tell them Adrian Peterson (though Bo Jackson might be the answer on the right days).

And that’s OK.