Harmon Killebrew
| Birthdate | 6/29/1936 |
| Death Date | 5/17/2011 |
| Debut Year | 1954 |
| Year of Induction | 1984 |
| Teams | Royals, Senators, Twins |
| Positions | Designated Hitter, First Base, Left Field, Third Base |
Harmon Killebrew hit 573 homers; at his retirement it was the most by a right-hander in AL history & the 2nd-most in the AL behind Babe Ruth.
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Harmon Killebrew led the AL in homers six times
Harmon Killebrew led the AL in homers six times
Harmon Killebrew made his Major League debut on June 23, 1954. Fifteen months before that he signed this contract on March 16, 1952.
The deal calls for Killebrew’s signature to appear on souvenir baseballs with stamped signatures. The terms of the contract? Killebrew received one cent per ball sold.
Killebrew broke out as a star in 1959 when he led the league with 42 homers. The 23-year old finished the season with 105 RBI and 90 walks. He was rewarded with his first of 13 trips to the All Star Game.
The right-handed hitting Killebrew had prolific power, slugging 40 or more homers in 8 seasons. During his 22-year career he drove in 100+ runs nine times.
Killebrew’s finest season came in 1969 when he set career highs and led the league in homers (49), RBI (140), walks, (145), and on-base percentage (.427). His performance earned Killebrew the Most Valuable Player Award.
Killebrew retired after the 1975 season. His career numbers stand at 573 homers, 1,584 RBI. Killebrew was inducted into Cooperstown in 1984.
Harmon Killebrew made 13 All Star teams in 22 years
Harmon Killebrew made 13 All Star teams in 22 years
Harmon Killebrew’s flowing signature is found on this Topps Chewing Gum baseball card, a 1968 All Star rendition. Killebrew was a 6-time home run champ who led the league in RBI three times and walks four times.
The slugger hit 25 or more homers in 13 seasons to finish with 573 in his career. Killebrew made 13 All Star teams. In 26 at bats in the Mid Summer Classic, he hit .308 with three homers and six runs batted in.
Killebrew was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 with Don Drysdale, Luis Aparicio, Pee Wee Reese, and Rick Ferrell.
Known as a quiet and calm man, Killebrew was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in December, 2010 and died five months later.
Killebrew finished with 2,086 career hits, good for 115th on the all-time list when he retired
Killebrew finished with 2,086 career hits, good for 115th on the all-time list when he retired
Fittingly, Harmon Killebrew closed his legendary career with one final towering home run. The blast came on September 8, 1975, while Killebrew suited up for the Kansas City Royals. Even better, he launched the homer against the Minnesota Twins, the franchise he represented for 21 unforgettable seasons. Killebrew’s final hit pushed his career total to 2,086 and added another dramatic chapter to his remarkable résumé.
When he retired, that number ranked 115th on baseball’s all-time hits list. Time eventually pushed Killebrew farther down the rankings as dozens of players surpassed the total. One of those was Rafael Palmeiro, whose steady production carried him into elite company.
Shown here is a game-used lineup card completed and signed by Rangers manager Johnny Oates. The card comes from the July 19, 1999 contest between Palmeiro’s Texas club and the San Francisco Giants.
During the eighth inning, Palmeiro lined a single that tied Killebrew with career hit number 2,086. The veteran first baseman later signed the lineup card and proudly noted the milestone in his inscription. Collectors treasure pieces like this because they preserve baseball history at the exact moment it happened.
Palmeiro refused to stop climbing after matching Killebrew on the all-time list. Two nights later, Rafi collected two more hits and officially moved ahead of the Hall of Fame slugger. He continued piling up hits with relentless consistency throughout the remainder of his career. By retirement, Palmeiro amassed 3,020 hits, a total that ranked 23rd in major league history at the time.
Jack Lang of the BBWAA informed Killebrew of his election to Cooperstown
Jack Lang of the BBWAA informed Killebrew of his election to Cooperstown
Harmon Killebrew felt he had a career worthy of baseball’s highest honor. At the time of his retirement, only Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Frank Robinson had more home runs.
In his first year on the Cooperstown ballot, Killebrew received 59.6% of the vote, well below the 75% threshold for election. He also fell short in the next two Hall of Fame elections.
In his fourth time on the ballot came in 1984. When the votes were tallied, Killebrew received 83.1%. The duty to inform Killebrew of his election fell on Jack Lang.
Known as “The Good News Man”, Lang served as secretary-treasurer of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) from 1966-1988. The role entrusted Lang with counting Hall of Fame votes and notifying those who made it.
From Red Ruffing to Willie Stargell, every player voted in by the writers from ’66-’88 got the call from Cooperstown with Jack Lang on the other end of the phone.
In the collection is a letter from Killebrew thanking the baseball writers through Lang. It’s dated January 16, 1984, just one week after he received the good news.
Killebrew writes in part, “What a thrill to hear these words from you last week…It is the greatest thrill of my life and we look forward to being with you and the rest of my friends along with Don Drysdale and Luis Aparicio on August 12.”
The slugger signed his name at the bottom of the letter.
Harmon Killebrew was one of six in the inaugural Twins Hall of Fame class in 2000
Harmon Killebrew was one of six in the inaugural Twins Hall of Fame class in 2000
The Minnesota Twins created their team Hall of Fame in 2000. Their first induction class included All Star Kent Hrbek, owner Calvin Griffith, and Cooperstown men, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, and Kirby Puckett.
An original member of the American League as the Washington Senators in 1901, the team moved to Minnesota in 1962 and became the Twins. Killebrew’s first 7 years came in the nation’s capital, the next 14 in the Twin Cities.
In the long and proud history of the franchise, Killebrew stands #1 on the all-time leaderboard home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage, OPS, and offensive WAR.
Another player in the team’s Hall with his number retired is Tony Oliva, a teammate with Killebrew for 13 seasons. Shown here is the 1964 Topps rookie card signed by the three-time batting champion Tony O.
He was with the Royals? Did they exist at that time? Wasn’t it the KC Athletics?
It was the Royals. The end of his career and beginning of the new franchise. Technically, the Senators left Washington in 1960 and became the Twins. So, he really only played for two franchises.
My first major league game was in the old Griffith Stadium in DC – Wash Senators vs. KC A’s in 1959. I was ten years old. Harmon hit a walk-off off Dick Hall and became my baseball idol forever after that. I used to listen to the Twins on my transistor late at night under my bed covers – play by play – Ray Scott, Herb Carneal and Halsey Hall. I felt like I was in Heaven when the Twins pulled out a win. Not a lot of great pitching then except Camilo Pascual and Jim Kaat, but plenty of homeruns – Killebrew, Allison and Rollins. Back in the 1960’s and 70’s – the great days of pure major league baseball.
In 1954 Harmon Killebrew was playing Emmett, Idaho in Payette. Harmon was 17 years old. He hit a home run so far over the fence it landed in a field. The pitcher looked at the catcher and said Is it. The catcher nodded his head and said it is. (Meaning over the fence)
Harmon was signed in the next several days by Washington Senators, later becoming the Minnesota Twins.
I know this because Harmon was my best friend and school friend. The pitcher was Lynn Mohler and later became my husband. We stayed friends always with Harm. He called us several days before he passed. He and Lynn are playing baseball together again, I am sure. ⚾️🙏❤️😥 I miss them both.
Jack Morris was in Flint, MI this past weekend at a Hot Stove event to raise funds for youth baseball in our area. He brought up how much he respected and admired Harmon Killebrew as a Twins Cities kid. Later, Morris got to play college ball with Harmon’s son at BYU. Getting to know Mr. Killebrew on personal level was a revelation because Jack said his baseball hero was an even better person. Awesome.