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Puckett was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Former Minnesota Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett had surgery to relieve bleeding in the brain after suffering a stroke on Sunday, two sources familiar with the situation told the Star-Tribune of Minneapolis.
The newspaper said Puckett, 45, required surgery to drain blood and relieve pressure.
The Twins announced from their spring training camp that the Hall of Fame outfielder had a stroke at his Arizona home Sunday and was taken to a hospital for surgery.
The 44-year-old Puckett, who led the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, had surgery at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, the team said, and was later moved to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.
A spokeswoman at St. Joseph's confirmed that Puckett was there, but said the hospital had been asked not to release any information about his condition.
"The Minnesota Twins and major league baseball ask fans to keep Kirby and his family in their thoughts and prayers," the team said in a statement.
Ron Shapiro, who was Puckett's agent, said he had been in contact with Puckett's family Sunday but would not confirm his whereabouts.
"We're all praying for his recovery," Shapiro said.
The Twins played the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game Sunday at their spring training complex, winning 5-1. Star center fielder Torii Hunter sat out after learning of Puckett's stroke.
Hunter, who is close to Puckett, took himself out the lineup, saying he "couldn't focus on anything," The Star-Tribune reported. He left the ballpark and spent the rest of the day getting updates on Puckett's condition.
"I learned about this game from him," Hunter told the newspaper. "He's a guy I look to like he's an older brother. I've come up in this game just by watching what Kirby Puckett is all about." Puckett's former managers and coaches hoped for the best.
"Our thoughts and our prayers are turned towards Puck in Arizona," current Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told the Star-Tribune. "We all heard about this before lunch and that pretty much takes away from anything you do at a ballpark. We did the best we could do today and the game was whatever ... it was a game."
"The doctors said that if he has good luck, he'll be all right. You have to keep the faith," added former manager Tom Kelly, who won two World Series with Puckett.
Puckett, who broke in with Minnesota in 1984, had a career batting average of .318. Glaucoma forced the Gold Glove center fielder and 10-time All-Star to retire in 1996 after 12 seasons with the Twins when he went blind in one eye.
Three years ago, he was cleared of assault charges after being accused of groping a woman at a Twin Cities restaurant. He said then that he was retired and spent his time golfing, fishing and doing nothing.
Puckett has maintained relationships with many people in the Twins organization. The team tried unsuccessfully to get him to come to spring training as a special instructor this year, something he hasn't done since 2002.
Another former Twins great, Tony Oliva, a special instructor during spring training, said he has been worried about Puckett's weight.
"The last few times I saw him, he kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger," Oliva said. "And we worried about him. I saw him about five months ago. He always tries to invite me. He says, 'Come to Arizona, and we'll play some golf.'"
Source: ESPN.com
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