Twins Daily Roundtable: Hall of Fame Impact

Imagine a city, metropolitan area, state, entire region, that never experienced a major league sport.   (Let's pretend that the NBA was not a major-league sport in the 50's....since it really wasn't.)  Also, imagine a time when MLB and MLB stars were infinitely more prominent/important in the culture than the NFL or NBA. 

Then imagine being handed one of the best players in MLB, the player that would have more home runs in the franchise's first decade than anyone else...yes, more than Willie Mays, and more than Hank Aaron...and would lead the team to a WS and win an MVP in those formative years.

I'll accept Kirby Puckett as the answer.  But, I really don't think even he had more of an impact than Killebrew on the franchise.

Game 7 of the 1991 World Series was my 11th birthday.  I still vividly remember watching that whole series.  Two World Series, the pinnacle of Baseball, it has to be Kirby!  I will say that the answer to this question will depend on when you grew up, child heroes reign supreme.

I'm not really sure that I can say on is "better" than the other or has had "more" of an impact.   To me and my limited intellect and vocabulary, I look at Puckett and Killebrew as two different (but equally important) eras of baseball.

I was born to late to know or enjoy Harmon as a player (although my dad loves to talk about him, and thusly I got him an autographed Killebrew baseball shortly before he passed... Best.Xmas.Present.Ever ) and I, like many of us grew up and cultivated my love of baseball with Puckett on the field... but, I couldn't really say one is more important than the other.

Both were and are equally important to the franchise during two different and distinct eras.

As an old-timer---it hurts to type those words!!---I experienced both Harmon and Kirby in their primes. I'd have to give the edge to Puckett because he was a complete ballplayer. Killebrew hit tons of homeruns, but he also struck out a lot, rarely hit much over .270, was a liability in the field wherever he tried to play (1b, 3b, lf), and was not the slowest player on the Twins teams of his prime only because Earl Battey was truly molasses incarnate. I remember that in the late 1960s, before injuries brought him down, I thought that Tony Oliva was a better player than Harmon.

Puckett on the other hand was an outstanding defender at a premium position, regularly hit well over .300, and was always a threat to steal or take the extra base, even though his power did not approach Killebrew's numbers.

Both were great players, but Kirby was great in so many dimensions that I just have to give him the edge.

But the question is “greatest impact on the franchise”...not greatest player.

Puckett is the only one even remotely in Killebrew’s category in that regard.

I love this discussion.  I have already commented on the fact that I was a first year usher and had wonderful images of Vic Power, Pedro Ramos, Camilo Pascual and other early Twins.  Being in my 70's I am not sure how I rank in your old timer list of writers/followers, but I have been wrestling with the right answer and I certainly think that both Killebrew and Puckett are the right answers - in terms of team impact on the fans.

That said, I want to make a case for Carew who was a model of consistency and had his career cut short here by the horrible racism of Calvin Griffith.  He did not leave the team, the owner of the team made it impossible for him to stay.  He was such a master with the bat I can only imagine them trying to put a shift on with him.  The most important aspect of his career might have been the fact that the Griffith/Carew collision opened up a better racial attitude and discussion for the team and the future.

We have had short term HOF pitchers like Carlton and Morris, short term batters like Molitor and Winfield. And we had the best non-HOF player in Tony Oliva who did more while he was playing and after he retired that almost any Twin. 

Bert Blyleven was a great pitcher, a Twins and national HOF pitcher, but his stint and relations with the Twins stand out more for the booth than the mound.  I was much more impressed by Jim Kaat and Jim Perry for the Twins. 

You can answer this by just looking at the MLB logo.

That's a picture of Harmon Killebrew

The NBA logo is Jerry West

Kirby Puckett carried two teams on his back for WS wins both through his play and his intangibles in the club house.

I'm not sure there is still a team in Minnesota without those two magical seasons (lest we not forget the contraction risk was all too real a decade-ish later)

He could hit ANYTHING at ANYTIME! His at bats were appointment TV (or radio)

I cannot tell you how many times a stayed in a parked car to finish listening to a Puckett at bat. 

Rosario is a a bit of Puckett lite for me....and has that spark to become a special Twin.

This week’s roundtable discussion question is: “Which Hall of Fame player with ties to the Twins had the greatest impact on the organization?>>>>>>>>>>> Since the question seems to lend itself to the impact on the whole of the orginisation it sort of takes simple field performance off the table. And it makes post career performance pertinent. But here goes:

Harmon, great player who continued as a baseball ambassador his entire life. Reportedly as nice in person as he appeared to be as a player. He hit a prodigious amount of home runs without steroids, something some of those who passed him cannot say. While I think it was Jim Bouton who called him "the fat kid", very few pitchers viewed him in that context for long. His power was pure, and legitimate.

Kirby, another great with a ton of on field ability, but who's post career issues negated much of his charisma. So was the bubbly Kirby an act? His WS series heroics can't be washed away, nor can the suddenness of his forced retirement. I am sure all players, as all humans in general have demons. The question is can one control them?

Tony O, who I still think was the best hitter I ever saw. That's a pretty inclusive statement. But he hit anything anywhere, for average and power. He could run, had a great arm, and had issues with the glove, and seemed to always enjoy playing. Think Rosario X 10. He also continues to contribute to baseball and the Twins in many capacities, not the least of his connection to the Hispanic community.

Carew, lacked Oliva's power, but was the ultimate contact hitter. His numbers speak for themselves, and his career was not cut short like Olivas. Some like George Will called him a magician with a bat in his hands. His career was started by Calvin, and his Twins tenure was prematurely ended by Calvin. Never afraid to be heard his voice is now directed to causes like his Heart campaign. Another former Twin who has not simply faded into retirement.

A case can be made for any of the above. But for me it's Harmon, he checks all the boxes, plus he seemed to be simply a very good baseball player for his era, who remained basically a baseball player his entire life.

My baseball consciousness goes back to 1967-1968. With all deference to Killebrew, I go with Puckett as far as franchise impact.

Killebrew led a winning team that laid down solid fan roots in the sixties, but that fandom looked like it was dying thanks to stingy, racist Cal Griffith and the Metrodump. Killebrew was an all-or-nothing player. Even as a kid in the sixties, I was more of an Oliva fan. Killebrew did not even end his career here, and he turned his back in bitterness on the town for a period. 

Puckett and crew brought the area a two-time championship sports team and fans into the Dome, and Kirby did it with a workman's ethic and well-spoken charisma. He was only on the scene for a dozen years, but he was a reliable dynamo for all of them, and he came through in the biggest of sports moments.

Notwithstanding his lost years after his career was cut short, Puckett has been my favorite ballplayer for 34 years and counting.