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American Morning
Kirby Puckett Discusses Induction Into Baseball Hall of Fame
Aired July 31, 2001 - 11:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It's been 10 years. The Minnesota Twins are reliving still the glory days of the 1981 World Series. But for Kirby Puckett that means game six against Atlanta and a bottom-of- the-eleventh homer to remember, among others.
Kirby Puckett joins us right now from New York. This Sunday, he's going to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame, in Coopertown.
And there are a lot of us, Kirby, who are saying it's about time. Congratulations.
KIRBY PUCKETT, ATHLETE: Thank you guys so much.
HARRIS: What does it feel like?
PUCKETT: What does it feel like? I wish I had my life back. Ever since this was announced, in January, I have had to do commitments and lots of things. After this Sunday, I will get my life back somewhat -- get to go fishing and just do the easy things that I'm used to doing.
HARRIS: Easy things like walking around with your own box of Wheaties with your own picture on it.
PUCKETT: I walk around with a box of Wheaties in my hand all the time.
HARRIS: How sweet is that? How good is your life if you've got your own Wheaties box -- which, by the way, also has Dave Winfield on the back.
PUCKETT: This is my third time being on the Wheaties box, so I feel really honored and privileged. As much cereal as I ate as a kid, I'm not surprised that I'm on a cereal box. But this is definitely an honor and a privilege, and I feel honored just to be on a Wheaties box.
HARRIS: They have you and Dave Winfield on the same box. That's a pretty cool duo there. You guys go back quite a way, don't you?
PUCKETT: We go back a ways. In 1984, when I was a rookie, he took me under his wings, and we've been friends ever since. So to be going into the Hall of Fame, and to be going there with a friend makes it that much more special. HARRIS: Have you made up your mind yet about what you are going to say at the Hall of Fame?
PUCKETT: I've got my speech ready. We've got it about 99.9 percent ready. I made one more change today, but other than that, my speech is ready, and it's all sealed up so nobody can steal it -- because baseball players have a tendency of playing around, so I want to make sure that nobody can get ahold of this, and I want to make sure that I say everything I was supposed to say.
HARRIS: You are used to performing in front of big crowds. Are you going to be nervous?
PUCKETT: I'm not going to be nervous talking in front of 30,000 people. I think anybody can do that. I talk all the time anyway. I've talked in front of 60,000 people. So it doesn't matter to me. I won't be nervous. I'll just make sure I read it verbatim. That's the only thing.
And I've been practicing -- lots of practices. I don't want to mess up, and people are always worrying the big question: Am I going to cry? I've never cried in my life or anything like this. So I'm going to speak my piece, take my ten minutes that I'm allotted, and sit down somewhere.
HARRIS: Man, you can go out there and fall on your face, and nobody will ever say you messed up.
PUCKETT: I hope I don't do that.
HARRIS: You won't do that. I guarantee you won't do that.
Before we let you go, how's your health these days? Lots of folks are worrying about how you have been getting along.
PUCKETT: My life is well. My health is great. I woke up today, and I'm able to talk to you guys. So everything else in my life is well. I can't out of my right eye, as you guys know, but left eye has 20/15 vision. I can hit about 280, 290 with a bad eye, but if it ain't 300, I don't want to play. I'll just say forget it.
HARRIS: That might be a smart move on your part.
PUCKETT: There you go.
HARRIS: Congratulations.
And it's not just up there in Minneapolis, where you happen to be, where people are still talking about what happened in '91. Folks here on sports radio can't decide whether they're more mad at you or at Charlie Liebrandt for throwing that pitch to you.
PUCKETT: Tell those people not to be mad at Charlie Liebrandt. He actually did us a favor here in Minnesota, and I appreciate it very much. He threw me a hanging change-up, and did what I was supposed to do: I hit it. So we did what we were supposed to do. HARRIS: Man, you keep doing what you are supposed to do. Lots of us are really happy and proud of you. Congratulations -- you really deserve it.
PUCKETT: Thank you guys so much, man. Thank you for having me on today.
HARRIS: We'll see you down the road. Good luck.
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