Early Life
Puckett was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Robert Taylor Homes, a housing project on Chicago's South Side (the escape from which he frequently referred back to during his career). He attended and played baseball for Calumet High School. After receiving no scholarship offers following graduation, Puckett at first went to work on an assembly line for Ford Motor Company. However he was given a chance to attend Bradley University and was a star on the baseball team, despite his under-sized 5' 8" frame, before the Minnesota Twins selected him in the 1st round (3rd pick) of the 1982 MLB Draft.
After signing with the team, he was assigned to the rookie-league Elizabethton Twins in the Appalachian League where he immediately showed why the Twins considered him so highly, hitting .382, with 3 home runs, 35 RBI, and 43 steals, in only 65 games, albeit against predominantly younger players. In 1983, Puckett was promoted to the Single-A Visalia Oaks in the California League and although his average was not as high as the previous year—he still hit an impressive .318, with 9 home runs, 97 RBI, and 48 stolen bases over 138 games—and continued to turn heads in the organization. After being promoted to AAA Toledo to start the 1984 season, Puckett was brought up to the majors for good 21 games into the season.
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