Harmon Killebrew

Did You Know?

• Killebrew earned 12 letters in various sports and was named an All-American quarterback at Payette High School.
• He worked as a farmhand in his youth, lifting ten-gallon milk cans weighing about 95 pounds each.
• He founded the Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament in 1977, which has donated more than $23 million to leukemia and cancer research.

Professional career

Killebrew signed under the bonus rule, requiring two full seasons on the major league roster because his bonus exceeded $4,000. He debuted four days after signing, six days before his 18th birthday, as a pinch-runner for Clyde Vollmer. On August 23, 1954, he started the second game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics and hit two singles and a double. His first home run came on June 24, 1955, off Detroit's Billy Hoeft.

In his first two seasons, he struck out 34 times in 93 at-bats with a .215 average and four home runs. After his bonus period expired in 1956, he was sent to Charlotte in the South Atlantic League. Recalled in early May, he hit two home runs on May 29, including the second ball ever hit over the center-field wire barrier at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. Sent back to Charlotte after a .115 average through June 16, he finished with a .325 average and 15 home runs in 70 games.

In 1957, he spent most of the season with Chattanooga of the Southern Association, hitting a league-high 29 home runs with 101 RBIs. He became the only player to hit a home run over the center-field wall at Engel Stadium, 471 feet. In 1958, he played briefly for Indianapolis and mostly for Chattanooga, hitting .308 with 17 home runs there, and appeared in 22 combined games for the Senators in 1957 and 1958.

Career overall

Killebrew hit 573 home runs, drove in 1,584 runs, and drew 1,559 bases on balls. He holds the all-time home run record among players born in Idaho. He had the most plate appearances (9,831) without a sacrifice hit, a record later broken by Frank Thomas. His first major league home run, off Billy Hoeft at Griffith Stadium, was his favorite; catcher Frank House had told him a fastball was coming. On August 3, 1962, he became the first hitter to clear the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium. On May 24, 1964, he hit the longest measured homer at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, 471 feet. On June 3, 1967, he hit a 520-foot home run at Metropolitan Stadium, the longest in Twins history; a plaque at the Mall of America marks the spot. Killebrew was known for his quick hands and exceptional upper-body strength, producing frequent tape-measure home runs.

Honors and legacy

Killebrew was first eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1984 and received 59.6% of the vote; 75% is required. He had 573 home runs but a relatively low hit total of 2,086 and a .256 batting average. In his second year, he received 59.3% of the vote. In his third year, he got 71.9% and expressed frustration about the limited number of inductees.

In his fourth year, he received 83.1% and was elected with Luis Aparicio and Don Drysdale. In 2022, The Sporting News named him on their "Minneapolis Mount Rushmore of Sports." A street near the Mall of America is named Killebrew Drive. His number 3 is retired by the Twins, and banners resembling baseball cards hung at the Metrodome.

In 1999, he ranked 69th on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was a finalist for the All-Century Team. Gate 3 at Target Field is named in his honor. Despite rumors, the MLB logo was not patterned after him, but he is the model for the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association logo, which he helped found in 1982.

Personal life

Killebrew was considered a quiet, kind man by colleagues. He became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and never smoked or drank. In the late 1980s, he faced financial problems; his house went into foreclosure in July 1988, and by 1989 he was $700,000 in debt. He divorced his first wife, Elaine, after more than 30 years of marriage. In May 1990, he was hospitalized with a collapsed lung and damaged esophagus, underwent three surgeries, and nearly died. By December 1990, his health improved and he married Nita Patten. On December 29, 2010, he announced he had esophageal cancer. On May 13, 2011, he entered hospice care. He died on May 17, 2011, at his home in Scottsdale at age 74, and was interred in Payette, Idaho.