This Day in Twins History – March 6

Kirby PuckettMarch 6, 2006 – Twins star outfielder and MLB Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett passed away at the age of 45 from a stroke he suffered a day earlier.

Hisle, Larry 2March 6, 1973 – In an exhibition game against the Pirates, the Twins Larry Hisle becomes the first designated hitter in ML history. It was that spring, the first with the designated hitter rule in place in the American League, when he made history. Hisle was horsing around with his son, Larry Jr., when he tripped over a chair and seriously injured his big toe. The pain was so bad that Hisle couldn’t take his normal spot in the outfield, so he started the March 6 exhibition against the Pirates at Tinker Field in Orlando as the designated hitter. Hisle made the new AL rule look good by collecting 2 homeruns and 7 RBI. For the record, the Yankees’ Ron Blomberg was the first official designated hitter on Opening Day 1973 — April 6. Baseball fans have been arguing for and against the DH rule since it started 40 years ago. What do you think?