Talking Baseball: In Memoriam – Harmon Killebrew

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I am going to take a moment of personal privilege to remember one of my childhood heroes, Minnesota Twins legend and Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, who lost his battle with cancer today at the age of 74.

Thank you, Harmon, for being my inspiration and my hero. Thank you for all of the memories; you will never be forgotten. You are one of the greatest baseball players to have ever played the game. May you rest in peace. Twins great Killebrew dies | StarTribune.com:

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.

Killebrew was the face of the Twins franchise for 14 seasons after the franchise moved to Minnesota from Washington, D.C. before the 1961 season. He is 11th on the all-time major league home run list with 573, of which 475 were hit wearing a Twins uniform. He has the eight highest single-season totals in Twins' history. And he was the American League's MVP in 1969 and the Twins' first Hall of Fame inductee in 1984.

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"No individual has ever meant more to the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins Territory than Harmon Killebrew,'' Twins President Dave St. Peter said Wednesday, who credited the Hall of Famer with helping "lay the foundation for the long-term success of the Twins franchise.''

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Killebrew played in one of the game's golden eras, with the likes of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, Mickey Mantle and Frank Robinson. Killebrew's monstrous home runs set him apart even among his future Hall of Fame peers.

Hall of Famer George Brett, a teammate of Killebrew on the 1975 Kansas City Royals, once said, "If Harmon had hit lefthanded, he would have been Babe Ruth. It wasn't just the number of home runs he hit, but how far they went and how high they went. He hit the highest home runs I had ever seen.''

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Killebrew was named the first Twins captain in 1961. He smashed 46 homers that first season in the Twin Cities. His totals the next three seasons: 48, 45 and 49 homers. In 1965 he helped lead the Twins to their first World Series, which ended in a seven-game loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was named to the 1967 American League All-Star team at first base, becoming the first player in All-Star history to be named at three different positions (third base and outfield were the other two).

He was named the American League's most valuable player in 1969, when he drove in a career-high 140 runs and matched his career-best with 49 homers.

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"Harmon was a Hall of Famer on and off the field,'' said Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson. "He was baseball's version of Paul Bunyan, with his prodigious home run power, leading by example in the clubhouse and on the field. Off the field, he emanated class, dignity, and warmth, and he was a great humanitarian. He was so down to earth, you would never realize he was a baseball legend.''

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Killebrew, in recent years, had held an annual charity golf event in Phoenix, Ariz, and one in the Twin Cities. He continued to make public appearances right up until he was diagnosed with cancer.

Fans at the statue of Harmon Killebrew at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN. H/t Brian Peterson, Minneapolis Star Tribune.

UPDATE: Killebrew funeral set for Friday in Arizona:

The Minnesota Twins will hold a public memorial service for Harmon Killebrew at Target Field next week, after the Hall of Fame slugger's funeral in Arizona.

The Twins made the announcement on Wednesday, the day after Killebrew died at 74 from esophageal cancer.

Killebrew's funeral is open to the public and set for Friday morning at Christ's Church of the Valley in Peoria, Ariz. The family has scheduled a private burial service for Monday in Killebrew's hometown of Payette, Idaho.

The Twins will hold a memorial at their ballpark in Minneapolis on May 26 to honor the popular, affable player who hit 573 home runs in 22 seasons, good for 11th on baseball's all-time list.

Teammates, family honor Hall of Famer Killebrew:

Teammates, family and friends will gather Friday for funeral services for Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, who died Tuesday of esophageal cancer. He was 74.

Several family members, former Minnesota Twins teammates and fellow Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven were among those scheduled to speak at the service at Christ's Church of the Valley in Peoria, Ariz.

Pall bearers at the funeral included former Twins Rod Carew, Paul Molitor, Tony Oliva and Frank Quilici; current players Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, and Joe Nathan, and manager Ron Gardenhire.