Lucky Hall of Famer Number 42 - Kirby Puckett

    Kirby Puckett was an outfielder active from 1984 through 1995. He was one of baseball's most popular players from 1986 through 1995, but a broken jaw suffered from a beaning in 1995 ended his career. He made the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2001, a decision that I am not in favor of. In fact, I don't know if he belongs in the Hall of Fame at all. 

    Puckett was a very good player, but he wasn't really great at anything. His biggest product was his .318 career batting average, but he backed it up with only 207 home runs and a .360 OBP, which are very low for a Hall of Fame outfielder. His overall batting statistics are very borderline, at best, for a Hall of Fame outfielder. 

    I never would have doubted Kirby Puckett if not for some serious criminal charges filed against him. Fans, especially kids, should be able to look up to their favorite players, imitate them, and admire them. Anyone who faces such criminal charges in recent years should be chastised by voters, at least for a while. This all made me reevaluate his career, which suddenly didn't look as impressive as it did before. 

My opinion: Kirby Puckett is probably not a Hall of Famer.