#PuckettYear

                It is my pleasure to be the first entry in The Puckett Year blog.  The particularities and direction of our efforts are yet to be determined, but there is some significant background information helpful for any reader.  Basically, you’re going to need to know a little about who we are as writers, as well as who Kirby Puckett was.  If you don’t know about the latter, I’ll shed a tear and forgive the unawareness; but carry no expectations in regard to the authors' backgrounds, and appreciate your attention.  I’ll start with our mutual background.

                We’re a group of guys (most from Minnesota, but one Wisconsinite doing circles with us).  We attended St. John’s University (SJU) in Central Minnesota, graduating in 2005.  This bit of information is not only pertinent to our shared background and the origins of this blog, but also the reason we dare compare our storylines to the legendary Kirby Puckett.  SJU is a small liberal arts college founded by the Monks of St. John’s Abbey in 1857.  The place prides itself in not only supplying the academic components of learning, but also considerations of social justice, stewardship and leadership. The curriculum promotes values development, character construction, spiritual growth, emotional veracity, and personal integrity.  I was once told by a friend (and co-author) that SJU “is an A+ school for B+ students;” implying that some of us could have tried harder in high school.  Certainly, that generalization may be applied on a case-by-case basis, but the outcomes of its graduates seem widespread.  I cannot say enough about how impressed I am with my cohort and their accomplishments.  Undoubtedly, our alma mater lacks the recognition of the ivy leagues; but the impact SJU has on young men is quite remarkable, and seems to have stood the test of time.  For fear of insulting half our friends’ partners, I must also acknowledge the brilliance of the College of St. Benedict; the women’s counterpart to SJU and itself an impressive institution.   …Oh, did I fail to mention the “all dudes” nature of SJU?  Well, yeah…  that’s part of it too. 

                So that’s where the shared story starts for most of us; on the campus of an old Benedictine monastery, on almost 3000 acres of classic Minnesota terrain, littered with buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, and bound to a monastic learning environment underscoring effort and integrity paramount to academics.  Now you’ll have to forgive me if the foreground seems hollow or pretentious.  I assure you we were far from saints.  In fact, back then we were most likely ignorant to how the etchings of SJU’s wisdoms may become embedded canyons in our personal and professional development.  But such is the nature of youth, and after all, it’s trying hard that brings success.  I believe it is this emphasis on effort that ties our stories to Kirby…but first a little background on him.

                You would be hard-pressed to find a Minnesota man over 30 without a lasting imprint of Kirby Puckett.  As a youth, He grew up as a known underdog out of Chicago, joined the Twins in 1985, and quickly became legend as he swung his stick as well as any batter since Joe DiMaggio.  His most notable impressions include stellar performances in the Twins’ World Series Championships of 1987 and 1991.  I mean, really, 1991 was literally one of the best World Series of all time.  In game six, Kirby showed he could fly with a dramatic catch early in the game, and eventually hit a home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning to send the series to game seven.  Wow!  In those days, every person a young guy knew (in MN) was wearing Twins apparel, and Kirby was to blame.  Just take a look at this gem pulled from my mother's archives out of ’87.

                Kirby wore the number 34, hence the title and affiliation of our blog.  We write this as both a tribute and reflection as we engage our own 34.  Sadly, Puckett was also forced to retire at age 35 due to medical conditions; thus highlighting the importance one’s 34th year of life.  Certainly, you could read past the headlines of his glory days and find controversial tarnish in his legacy.  Nonetheless, our mission is to honor his days of brilliance as we echo our own bits of life experience through the parodies of his impressionable greatest achievements.  He was an underdog and reached his greatest potential through effort and mantras of "be the best you can be." He taught us that life takes practice, that you're going to face some setbacks, but persistence will be rewarded.  I think those are some of the same values that St. John's instilled in us.  So far, none of us have a World Series ring.  But I have seen my friends try hard, face adversities with persistence, and been rewarded for their efforts.

So here we go, into the 34^th year…reflecting on the past, present and what may lie ahead.  Happy 34 to a fantastic group of people, and happy #PuckettYear .  “Touch ‘em all…”