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The Hall of Fame outfielder died of a stroke at age 45 on March 6 last year.

Puckett

FORT MYERS, Fla. — One year after the death of Kirby Puckett, the Minnesota Twins paused to remember the Hall of Fame outfielder and his lasting impact on the organization.
Center fielder Torii Hunter, a close friend and the only current Twins player who was a teammate of Puckett’s during past spring trainings, has found it difficult to talk about the subject since Puckett died of a stroke at age 45 on March 6 last year.
“I got up this morning, and I prayed for him and his family. I know it must be a tough day for them,” said Hunter, who first met his mentor in 1994 when he was a minor leaguer. They were placed next to each other in the clubhouse that spring.
Puckett was the catalyst on both Minnesota’s World Series championship teams in 1987 and 1991, which were managed by Tom Kelly.
“You miss him. It’s a wonderful thing to think about him. He has given us so many memories,” said Kelly, now a special assistant to the general manager and a guest coach during spring training.
The Twins held a moment of silence in Puckett’s honor before their exhibition game Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It weighs on your heart,” said fellow Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, who also serves as an assistant coach during spring training. “In some ways, it’s hard to imagine that it’s been a year already. There are certain times of the year when his presence is really missed. There was a big void out there last summer.”