Not many Major League Baseball players play more than 10 seasons in the big leagues. The number of players from Canada has grown in recent years but it’s still rare when a Canadian makes it and someone from Saskatchewan going to the Majors is almost unheard of. All of that is what makes Terry Puhls story even more remarkable.
Puhl was born on July 8th, 1956 in Melville Saskatchewan. He was raised in Melville and even took his schooling in Melville. Throughout his highschool days he competed in numerous sports, not just baseball. When Puhl was playing midget baseball his team won the Canadian championship. Puhl was lights out at the tournament and was named the most outstanding pitcher in all of Canada. His performance was so impressive it caught the attention of the Houston Astros. Harry Morgan, Astros scout, signed Puhl to a contract in 1973.
When Morgan signed Puhl to a contract the intent was for him to play in the outfield. Puhl was predominately used as a pitcher in his younger days and had never played in the outfield before but it was not a difficult transition for Puhl. “The biggest thing about the transition is that I had the skill set to be a good outfielder,” Puhl says. “A lot of young players start out as pitchers then move to other positions as their skills change and improve in other areas.”
In 1974 at the age of 17 Puhl played in 59 games with the Covington Astros, Houston’s rookie ball team. He had 69 hits, 11 doubles, 21 runs batted in and 17 stolen bases. The next season he was off to single A Dubuque Packers. Once again Puhl put up impressive numbers which caught the attention of Astros management and the next year he started in double A but by the end of the season he was in triple A, one step below the majors.
The 1977 season was the year Puhl made it big! He played in 78 games in AAA and also made his major league debut. July 12, 1977 Puhl came off the bench to replace Jim Fuller defensively. On July 13th in a game against the Dodgers he got his first hit and it was a big one. It happened in the 13th inning against Elias Sosa. Later on that inning Puhl would come around to score the game winning run off of a Bob Watson double. He played a total of 60 games with the Astros in his rookie season, collecting 69 hits and 10 steals.
Puhls breakout season came the following year. In 1978 he was named an all star for the first and only time in his career. In 149 games he had 169 hits, 25 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 35 runs batted in and 32 stolen bases. The 70s finished on a high for Puhl he put up a career high 172 hits in 157 games.
In the 1980 season his hot streak continued. He played in 141 games hitting 24 doubles and 13 home runs. In 1981 Puhls numbers were down as he only played 96 games, his fewest number of games played since his rookie season. From 1982-1985 he was able to once again put up impressive numbers. He appeared in over 100 games in all three seasons and collected over 130 hits each year.
Puhl would remain with the Astros until the end of the 1990 season. In 1991 he would play in his final major league season. He suited up for 15 games with the Kansas City Royals. In total Puhl played in 1531 games. He had 1361 hits, 226 doubles, 56 triples, 62 home runs, 435 rbis and 217 stolen bases.
Puhl retired in 1991 then in 1994 he was named to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of fame. In 1995 he was inducted to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. The Texas Baseball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2006 and it was just announced that Puhl will be going into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame this August.
He is very appreciative about each induction and believes his longevity is the main reason for them. “Each induction has its own significance. To be singled out in any of them is wonderful,” Puhl adds. “I had longevity in the sport. I think what’s really important is that if you treat the sport well the sport will treat you well but it does take a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifice in order to maintain what has been done on the field.”
Puhl believes the reason he was able to play so long was because of his productivity. “In order to play for a long time you have to be productive,” Puhl says. “Baseball isn’t a sport at the professional level where they let you be on the team. You have to produce, you have to make the team better, you have to be wanted so therefore you have to have a skill set. My skills are very well rounded and developed in the minors over the years. I was a very consistent type player you could count on for a certain batting average, a certain defensive ability. I was a fairly mistake free type player that made it necessary for my team to keep me around all of those years.”
He also feels strongly that being in good shape is essential to playing a long time. “Conditioning should be one of the easiest things a player has to do,” Puhl explains. “There is no reason for any player to allow themselves to ever have a weight issue which impedes their flexibility, movement and endurance as a player. To me it’s just poor judgement from the player. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for people that lose their jobs because they put on 20 pounds. To me that’s just nonsense.”
Baseball has taken Puhl all over the world as a player and a coach, including the Olympic Games. Despite all of Puhls success he has never forgotten where he came from. “I am still honoured to have a street up in the regional park Terry Puhl Boulevard.” Puhl finishes off by saying, ”I have many many friends still in Melville. The Puhls may have left but that was home for many many years and just wish everybody well.”
Today Puhl is still involved in the game of baseball. He is the head coach of the University of Houston Victoria Jaguars. He is in his 14th year. This August he will enter the Houston Astros Hall of Fame. Not bad for a kid from Melville!
By: Travis Longman