12/03/24
March 05, 2006
Hall of Famer Puckett suffers stroke: Get well Kirby.
Get Well Soon, Kirby.
posted by Joe88 at 01:13 PM on March 05, 2006
I truly hope that Kirby can overcome his stroke. Womanizer or not, nobody deserves to suffer like that. Nobody wants to be a prisoner in their own body.
posted by wingnut4life at 01:51 PM on March 05, 2006
I wasn't intending to suggest the stroke as some form of karmic retribution. One of my relatives underwent surgery for one this weekend, so the seriousness of what Puckett's dealing with is not lost on me. It's possible this could be a "minor" stroke -- at least as minor as they can get -- with a good prognosis for recovery.
posted by rcade at 02:07 PM on March 05, 2006
Get well soon Kirby. Good Bless you!!!!
posted by lighthouselady at 03:34 PM on March 05, 2006
A TRUE shame! Sometimes, you have to get by the personal stuff, and just hope for the best. Anyone whom has ever been around a stoke victim knows what a real challenge it can be. Get well, Kirby...tonight, I'll ask "the Man" for some help for ya!
posted by wolfdad at 04:15 PM on March 05, 2006
Puck. May your recovery be swift and complete.
posted by petem at 04:23 PM on March 05, 2006
Get Well soon Kirby, I was always a fan of yours, you're much to young for this..........GOD BLESS!!!!!
posted by sonicdog at 04:54 PM on March 05, 2006
rcade, I don't know about everybody else, but I never thought that you wished Kirby any harm. I have heard about some of the bad stuff he's done. I'm not a big fan of his off-the-field stuff, just his baseball accomplishments. I'm a Tigers fan, for God's sake, I can't like him too much! I've just seen what a stroke can do to a person up close and personal.
posted by wingnut4life at 06:12 PM on March 05, 2006
Kirby Puckett was acquitted of all charges in the September 2002 incident. Speedy recovery to the man who coined the nickname "Donnie Baseball" for Don Mattingly.
posted by pinstripe_mike at 06:26 PM on March 05, 2006
For a player whos career was cut short too quickly, this is even worse. Real baseball fans are praying tonight.
posted by kaydj72 at 06:27 PM on March 05, 2006
This is very sad news, and I hope for Kirby's quick recovery, but I have to say this comes as little surprise given his lifestyle. The man has been known on several occassions to stop at a convenience store, purchase $50 (or more) on junk food, and devour his entire bounty in a one-hour car ride. His condition was not glandular -- he had an issue with his diet, and unfortunately it caught up with him. Hopefully others (especially successful post-career athletes, who are taught to think that they are impervious to just about everything) will take this as a lesson.
posted by BullpenPro at 12:24 AM on March 06, 2006
I think the SI cover story on Puckett was one of the low points in the magazine's history. If you are going to splash that a Hall of Famer with a sterling rep is a scumbag on the front page, you had better be confident that he'll be convicted of the charges against him, or else you look like the National Examiner. I don't know about BullpenPro's sources regarding Puckett's junk food binges, but if it is true, it puts the lie to endless claims from the morbidly obese that it's all glandular. Some of the nicest people I have ever met are obese (before the Surgeon General lowered the weight standards), but you know how they got where they are when you see them eat lunch. You don't get to be 400+ by being conscientious about your eating habits.
posted by L.N. Smithee at 01:37 AM on March 06, 2006
I imagine most of them get there by being depressed, which isn't necessarily under their control either. I don't see anything to indicate that being fat causes strokes, though it can contribute to diabetes and high cholesterol, which can make them more likely. More direct causes of strokes are cigarette smoking and high blood pressure. Puckett's in critical condition as of the most recent press reports. He was cleared several years ago of groping a woman in a restaurant. I haven't found anything that indicates the other SI allegations are false, and they seem pretty well-sourced skimming that piece.
posted by rcade at 07:06 AM on March 06, 2006
rcade, I checked the American Heart Association web site and it does contribute obesity to strokes. The CNI Stroke Center doesn't think that it is hereditary (Puckett's parents died from heart conditions), though. It's sad to say, but Kirby's lifestyle is directly linked to his current health condition. He drank too much, he ate too much. He went from being an icon to your average joe who had to clear his name. I think that it took it's toll.
posted by wingnut4life at 08:07 AM on March 06, 2006
Heart conditions and strokes are separate maladies. We could use a medical expert's advice, but society's too quick to blame everything on obesity. Puckett, who the press now says suffered a "massive stroke," lost older brothers at ages 50 and 46 to heart attacks and both his parents are deceased. Though he's apparently 300 pounds today, a lot more's going on here than an unhealthy diet.
posted by rcade at 09:01 AM on March 06, 2006
I think the SI cover story on Puckett was one of the low points in the magazine's history. If you are going to splash that a Hall of Famer with a sterling rep is a scumbag on the front page, you had better be confident that he'll be convicted of the charges against him, or else you look like the National Examiner. Just because he was acquitted of the criminal charges, doesn't mean he still wasn't a "scumbag". There were a lot of stories/accusations in the article that were in no way criminal (or he wasn't charged for), but were definitely sub-par for his public perception. That said, I hope everything turns out fine.
posted by grum@work at 10:19 AM on March 06, 2006
rcade, try googling for "obesity" and "stroke". The link seems pretty much conclusive. ...society's too quick to blame everything on obesity. I'm curious what you mean by this. Do you mean to say that obesity really isn't as unhealthy as "society" claims it is? I would strongly disagree with that. To the contrary, if we really appreciated the number of ways obesity can affect one's overall health and wellbeing, I don't believe we would be so fat, or that Fast Food would be such big industry. However, if you mean to say that society's prejudice against fat people leads certain individuals to blame more things on obesity than it deserves, well that could be the case. Kirby Puckett's parents and two siblings all died of heart attacks. It seems clear that there are bad genes at play there. However, knowing that, why would one allow oneself to balloon to 300 pounds? The link between obesity and heart disease is even more clear than the link between obesity and stroke. I understand that there are complex psychological issues like denial and apathy (umbrella: depression) that can play a huge role in things like this, but I don't think it's unreasonable to jump to the conclusion that Kirby's excessive weight probably played a part in his current state.
posted by cl at 12:45 PM on March 06, 2006
Do you mean to say that obesity really isn't as unhealthy as "society" claims it is? I mean that obesity is just one factor among many for why people suffer heart attacks, strokes, and other serious health problems. But since it's the most outward one, it catches a disproportionate share of the blame compared to genetics and other factors. Case in point: "I don't know about BullpenPro's sources regarding Puckett's junk food binges, but if it is true, it puts the lie to endless claims from the morbidly obese that it's all glandular." One unsourced rumor of Twinkie binges and the guy's the cause of his own massive stroke.
posted by rcade at 01:04 PM on March 06, 2006
Guys as young as Puckett having massive strokes is terrifically unusual - even if they weigh 300lbs. Methinks there are other factors at play outside of the occassional dozen twinkies.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:37 PM on March 06, 2006
But since [obesity is] the most outward [factor in strokes, etc], it catches a disproportionate share of the blame compared to genetics and other factors. I don't believe that obesity catches a disproportionately large share of blame though, because it is a factor that is controllable. I certainly don't claim it's always simple or easy, but obesity is almost always avoidable. And even if obesity did catch too much of the blame for things like strokes and heart attacks, I would say it's because it's such an avoidable health hazard, moreso than a signal of society's prejudice against the fat.
posted by cl at 04:31 PM on March 06, 2006
This is very sad news, and I hope for Kirby's quick recovery, but I have to say this comes as little surprise given his lifestyle. The man has been known on several occassions to stop at a convenience store, purchase $50 (or more) on junk food, and devour his entire bounty in a one-hour car ride. His condition was not glandular -- he had an issue with his diet, and unfortunately it caught up with him. Hopefully others (especially successful post-career athletes, who are taught to think that they are impervious to just about everything) will take this as a lesson. This is quite possibly the stupidest post of all time: - Starts with unpublished, unconfirmable hearsay - Proceeds to make a wreckless, unsubstantiated connection between Kirby's diet and his current dire medical situation - Finishes with lifestyle advice for retired athletes. I am sometimes left awestruck by my own stupidity. Apologies all around, but especially to Kirby who deserved better than that. I promise not to post anymore under WBC-induced sleep deprivation.
posted by BullpenPro at 05:22 PM on March 06, 2006
I am sometimes left awestruck by my own stupidity. This is a classic, BullpenPro. You post a comment, italicize your own comment, then bash the original comment AND yourself, and go on to comment how stupid you are. I get this mental image of your riding shotgun with Kirby, holding on to the steering wheel while he inhales BBQ Fritos, Ding-Dongs, Salami, a banana split, and washes it all down with Mountain Dew. It's OK, though, everyone posts crazy shit every so often (I won't even get into my own examples). As for Kirby, I mean no disrespect and hope he can recover fully.
posted by dyams at 06:04 PM on March 06, 2006
I don't believe that obesity catches a disproportionately large share of blame though, because it is a factor that is controllable. Not always. I am one of those people that can eat cheesesteak after cheesesteak and don't gain a pound while the guy next to me has to eat a small salad and then go walk it off after lunch. Metabolism is a big part of that, and everyones metabolism rate naturally slows down as you get older. Also some of my relatives have had thyroid problems that caused them to gain alot of weight. and to Kirby, get well soon.
posted by njsk8r20 at 06:44 PM on March 06, 2006
ABC News just reported that Puckett has died.
posted by rcade at 07:32 PM on March 06, 2006
.
posted by geekyguy at 07:38 PM on March 06, 2006
When the hero's of your youth pass away, A man realizes how tenuous his own hold is on this big blue rock. I'm not sure if I'm grieving for a man I never knew, or the realization of my own mortality. I do know I'm hurting inside over this news and that I miss his smile already. rip kirby
posted by azdano at 12:28 AM on March 07, 2006
This story's the first time I've read anything about Puckett since the 2003 Sports Illustrated story alleging he's a womanizer and domestic abuser who resented the visits he made to places like children's hospitals. Did all of this stuff get disproven at some point? Because this AP article on Puckett describes him in pre-2003 terms.