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COOPERSTOWN, New York -- The house built to honor Baseball's past will celebrate two ABL careers this weekend in its annual induction ceremony. The Hall of Fame invites Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield, Bill Mazeroski, and Hilton Lee Smith. to join baseball's greats. Kirby Puckett spent all 12 years of his Major League career with his hometown, Minnesota Twins. In Minnesota, he collected 207 homer, 1,085 RBIs, 134 stolen bases, and had a career average of .318. He made 10 All-Star Game appearances and won 6 Gold Gloves. Puckett joined the ABL through the 1994 expansion draft. He played his entire ABL career with the San Andreas Faults. The team later changed its name to the Cape Canaveral Rockets. Puckett was featured as one of the ABL's players of the century. Dave Winfield was a three-sport star at the University of Minnesota. After his college career, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres, the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, and the ABA's Utah Stars. Dave chose baseball, and had a Hall-of-Fame career playing for the Padres, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Minnesota Twins. Winfield played on 12 All-Star teams and won 7 Gold Gloves. Of note, Winfield was born on October 3, 1951, the day Bobby Thompson hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World." Winfield played seven seasons in the ABL, all with the Alabama Rebels. He lead the League with 16 doubles in 1989, batting average (.327) in 1993, and accomplished these careers stats:
Bill Mazeroski was known for his defensive skills as a secondbaseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mazeroski won 8 Gold Gloves and set major league records with 1,706 career double plays and 161 double plays in a season. His most notable moment was his World Series-ending home run to beat the Yankees in 1960. Hilton Lee Smith posted a 72-32 career record as pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League. He lead the league in victories five times, and posted a 10-0 record in 1941. He also had a career batting average of .326. |
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