# Would you want to be Kirby Puckett? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851 "2006-03-10T17:13:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/1 "2006-03-10T17:13:19Z")
Hypothetical question: Would you trade places with Kirby Puckett? (He’s the renowned Minnesota Twins baseball player who died from a stroke this week.) Positives: - well-loved by his fans - won two World Series - Hall of Famer Negatives: - had to retire due to glaucoma - hit with bad publicity after retirement - dies at age 44 So, would you trade your life with him, become famous but dead at 44? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/2 "2006-03-10T17:14:25Z")
Nope. But maybe age 64… ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/3 "2006-03-10T17:57:08Z")
Nope. I have children, and I want to see them grow up. No amount of money or fame is worth not being with them. ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/4 "2006-03-10T18:12:13Z")
Didn’t the “bad publicity” include things like spousal abuse? If so, then I’d have to vote a resounding no. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/5 "2006-03-10T20:00:40Z")
Not only was he “hit with bad publicity” after retirement…near the end of his career he was [hit in the face with a baseball](http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/chronology/1995SEPTEMBER.stm#day28) by Indians pitcher Dennis Marteniz. I, personally, would not like to be hit in the face by a ball thrown by a major league pitcher. I think i’ll pass on being Kirby. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/6 "2006-03-10T20:09:16Z")
I would prefer to not die at age 44. How is fame worth that? Jim ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/7 "2006-03-10T20:15:00Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/8 "2006-03-10T20:24:11Z")
> [@mrklutz](#): > > Didn’t the “bad publicity” include things like spousal abuse? If so, then I’d have to vote a resounding no. Yes. And sexual harassment. He was a great ball player whose enthusiasm for the game lit up the diamond, and was notable for his civic works, but ultimately was human, just like us all, with good and bad. No, I wouldn’t trade places with him. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/9 "2006-03-10T20:51:10Z")
No. The end of his life was really pretty sad, as I see it. His baseball career - which was fabulously successful and which he seemed to enjoy as much as anyone who’s played - ended very suddenly because of the glaucoma, and from there he seemed to lose his way. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-kirby-puckett/347851/10 "2006-03-10T23:15:05Z")
If I was going to die at the age of 44 no matter what, well, maybe. Otherwise, no way.