"He hit line drives that put the
opposition in jeopardy. And I don't mean infielders,
I mean outfielders."
-- Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege
"The homers he hit against us would
be homers in any park, including Yellowstone."
-- manager Paul Richards
Bio:
One of the greatest home run hitters of all time, Harmon
Killebrew will forever be remembered to Twins fans as
the "Killer" for his prolific clouts. A member
of the Twins from their inaugural Minnesota season in
1961, Killebrew hit 573 career home runs, 475 of them
in his 14 seasons with the Twins, to place him 5th on
the all-time home run list and second only to Babe Ruth
in American League history. He hit over 40 home runs
on eight occasions and 30-or-more 10 times while driving
in 100-plus runs nine times.
Due to his raw power and monumental home run success,
Harmon Killebrew became known as one of the hardest
hitters in baseball. He played in the American League
for 22 years and he hit more home runs than any other
right-handed batter in League history at the time
of his retirement. Though he may not have had a record
breaking batting average he was a powerful, dynamitic
hitter who could draw a crowd.
He was raised in a farming community in Payette,
Idaho. He quickly established himself as gifted athlete,
and was a high school All-State quarterback. Harmon
Killebrew said, "My father used to play with
my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out
and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.' Dad would
reply, 'We're not raising grass,’ 'We're raising
boys.'" His fathers’ dedication was equally
matched with Harmon’s own desire to succeed.
While playing in an impromptu baseball game Senators
scout Ossie Bluege saw his powerful hits and reported
back to Washington. He was then snatched up by the
Washington Senators who offered the 17 year old a
surprising $30,000 package, an annual salary of $6,000,
the league minimum, and a yearly bonus of $4,000.
Since Harmon Killebrew was a “bonus baby”
he spent the next five years sitting on the bench
only getting some minor league playing time, before
getting the chance to prove his power. Finally, opening
day of the 1959 season he had his first year as a
Senator regular. He was not an instant success as
a major league player, but eventually with practice
and patience he became a major hitter. “I found
out early in life I could hit a baseball farther than
most players, and that’s what I tried to do,”
Harmon said.
The Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961
to become the Minnesota Twins, and Harmon Killebrew
had his best year. While playing for the Twins he
had 48 homers in 1962, 45 in 1963 and 49 in 1964.
The Twins started getting respect in the industry
due to this hard hitting player, and in 1969 he led
the Twins to the first American League West title.
In 1968 he suffered from a ruptured hamstring which
almost ended his career, but bounced back in 1969
and played all 162 games. During his career he did
not play a specific position and often played two
different positions in one game. He could typically
be found on third base, first base or the outfield.
He was a valuable fielder because of his well-known
agility.
His last big hitting season was 1970 were he led
the Twins into a division title with 41 homers. After
difficult 1971 and 1972 seasons Harmon played less
frequently, and began to serve mainly as a part-time
designated hitter. His home runs went from 41 in 1970
to 28 in 1971; by 1972 he only hit 26 homers. He ended
his big league career in 1975 with the Kansas City
Royals. After his retirement he became a Twins broadcaster,
later he started an insurance business, Killebrew
& Harding, Inc. in Boise, Idaho with a former
U.S. Congressman.
Harmon Killebrew had numerous achievements during
his baseball career. In 1959 he won the home run title
with 42 homers. In 1969 he won the Most Valuable Player
award when he hit 49 home runs with an amazing 140
RBI and 145 walks, all team records that still stand.
His record makes him third behind Babe Ruth and Ralph
Kiner in home run percentage with 7.0. His career
total for home runs is 573, and he was named an American
League All-Star 13 times. He was elected to the Baseball
Hall of Fame on January 10, 1984, the first Twin to
receive that honor. He had his number 3 formally retired
on August 11, 1974.
After moving here with the team, Harmon Killebrew
brought instant excitement to the new Minnesota Twins
franchise with his powerful bat. He easily brought
the Minnesota fans out to watch him make history as
a Twin “great.”
