Hammerin' Harmon Has Passed

Killebrew's legendary home runs will
live in baseball lure.

The Minnesota Twins have lost arguably the most popular member of their family Tuesday morning. Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew lost his battle with esophageal cancer, passing at the age of 74. Earlier this month Killebrew decided to stop his treatment of the rare illness that be was diagnosed with last December, knowing this storybook life was writing it's final chapter. Killebrew became the cornerstone of the Twins franchise with his ability to hit the ball a long way.

    Killebrew broken into the big leagues with the Washington Senators, who would eventually move to the Twin Cities and become the Minnesota Twins we know today. There he made Metropolitan Stadium his own personal playground. He made his major league debut in 1954, but became a full starter in 1959. That season he would begin what would become a familiar trend in his career hitting 42 home runs and was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time.

    In his 22 seasons in the majors, eight of them he hit 40 homes runs or more in a single-season. His best season came in '69 when he tied a career high in home runs with 49 and drove in 140 runs, being named the American League Most Valuable for the first and only time in his glorious career.

    The eleven-time All-Star finished in the top five in the MVP voting five other times in his career. Killebrew is one of twenty-five members to be in the exclusive 500 home run club with 573, that ranks him 11th on Major League Baseball's all-time home run list. He complied 1,584 RBIs in his career, leading the American League on three separate occasions. Even though Killebrew was only a .256 during his career, he is considered by many of his piers to be one of the greatest hitter of all-time. His raw power was a marvel to watch and something baseball fans might even see again.

    In 1975, Killebrew joined the Kanas City Royals for the final season of his career, but struggled batting .199 managing to still slug out 14 home runs in only 369 at-bats. He had his jersey number 3 also retired by Minnesota that year. Following his retirement, a decade later he would be the first Twin inducted into Cooperstown in 1984, receiving 83 percent of the vote.

    Killebrew will always be remembered for this tape measure home runs that still have the baseball world buzzing. For the Twins they have encountered yet another dark cloud over their team in '11. Minnesota is currently in last place in the American League Central and have posted the worst record in the majors at 12-27. Rest in peace "Killer" you will be missed.