Harmon Killebrew
1936 – 2011
Harmon Clayton Killebrew, an iconic Minnesota Twin known for his prodigious home runs and humble demeanor, passed away Tuesday morning at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home at the age of 74 after a nearly five-month battle with esophageal cancer.
I’m sure it’s urban myth, but a favorite back home is the story of a reporter speaking with Killer during the height of the steroids controversy. The young man asked Killebrew how many home runs he could hit if he were playing today? Killebrew kinda looked past the reporter, pondered the question for a second, sighed and said, “Well, I think I could hit 15, probably a few more if I was lucky.”
“15!?!”, responded the reporter? “Only 15? Are the pitchers that tough today? You just don’t think you could hit ’em?”
Killer kinda grinned at the reporter “Son, theyre no tougher today than when I was YOUR age. But you have to know, I’m 65!”
Damn!
RIP Mr. Killebrew
I wanted to post about this, thanks for doing the job.
I’d always heard that story about Joe DiMaggio– “He’d hit .220. You gotta remember, Joe’s 65 years old!”
In light of the fact that some of the folks who have supplanted him in the top 10 had… somewhat anomalous careers, it’s a shame that he’s 11th on the all-time HR list.
I’d known what a great player he was. The tributes to him today indicate that he was a pretty solid person, too. Maybe the greatest slugger of his era besides.
I’d known what a great player he was. The tributes to him today indicate that he was a pretty solid person, too. Maybe the greatest slugger of his era besides.
Thanks.
I’ve never met him. I never saw him play live.
We only share a thing called baseball and a place called Minnesota.
Weird how powerful that is.