An excellent line-drive hitter, the Canadian-born Puhl was signed by the Astros as a free agent in 1973. He hit .301 in 60 games as a rookie in 1977, and in 1978 was the lone Astro All-Star, hitting .289 with 32 stolen bases as Houston’s left fielder. He started for the Astros through 1984, averaging over 20 steals a year, rarely striking out, and providing sure-handed defense.
A severe hamstring pull in 1985 and an ankle injury in 1986 curtailed his playing time. After 1984 he had only one more season of double-figure steals. In 1987 Puhl emerged as the Astros best left-handed pinch hitter, and in 1988, playing in 113 games, he hit a career-high .303.
At the turn of the century, Puhl stood sixth on the Astros’ all-time hits list, third in games, sixth in runs, fifth in stolen bases, and fourth in triples. His .526 batting average in the 1980 NLCS set a record for a five-game series that stood until Will Clark hit .650 in 1989.
