I saw my childhood flash before my eyes

So the words Heather and Sports have never been synonymous. Even though I played tennis in college, I always felt strange owning a Dordt jacket which was usually meant for the jocks.

However tonight when I heard the news of the passing on of Kirby Puckett, I was greatly saddened. Growing up I was not a girl with posters of the New Kids on the Block in her room. Instead I had a giant poster of Kirby. It was 1986 when I started to go to the store with my brother to buy baseball cards, I would trade anyone for a Kirby card...which explains why I have 7 of the exact same card.

In 1987 I dressed up as a Homer Hanky for Halloween.

On my golden birthday we went to a twins game. I was ten years old, and my parents bought me a Kirby Puckett bear, a Kirby t-shirt, and two goldfish one of which I named Kirby. Then when Kirby (the fish) died two weeks later I went and got another one and named him Kirby 2.

Every year, we would go to multiple twins games. I think we went to 10 games one season. We would sit in the upper deck and would try to get as close to center field as possible. We would make sure to get their early enough so we could see the Twins warm up and we'd yell to Kirby. Sometimes he would turn and wave.

My dad was at the 6th game of the world series when Kirby hit that infamous homerun.

When Kirby's number was retired, I was a senior in high school. My family and I actually were at the Metrodome for Kirby Puckett day.The lights went out, and suddenly strobe lights were going on, and then a spot light hit just off of where we were sitting. There was Kirby. It was a great night.

A few years later I was one of the fans who was at the Metrodome by 6 AM so that I could get the original Kirby Pucket bobble head doll.

So now years later. I am still an avid Twins fan. I have moved on to the new center fielder with my Torii Hunter t-shirt, but I felt the need to post about Kirby and the role he played in my childhood.