Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew was a celebrated American professional baseball player, born on June 29, 1936, in Payette, Idaho. He emerged as one of the sport's premier power hitters, known for his impressive home-run statistics and earning the nickname "The Killer." Killebrew's baseball career began when he signed a significant contract with the Washington Senators, becoming the first bonus player in the franchise's history. He later transitioned to the Minnesota Twins after the team relocated, where he became a fan favorite and consistently led the American League in home runs throughout the 1960s.
Over his illustrious career, Killebrew won the American League MVP award in 1969 and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, highlighting his status as one of the greatest hitters of all time. Beyond his athletic achievements, Killebrew was known for his humility and kindness, fostering strong relationships with teammates and fans alike. After retiring, he continued to contribute to the sport as a broadcaster for the Twins. His legacy endures not only through his impressive statistics but also through the respect he garnered from those around him.
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Subject Terms
Harmon Killebrew
Baseball Player
- Born: June 29, 1936
- Birthplace: Payette, Idaho
- Died: May 17, 2011
- Place of death: Scottsdale, Arizona
Sport: Baseball
Early Life
Harmon Clayton Killebrew was born on June 29, 1936, in the town of Payette, Idaho, near the Oregon border. Harmon was the youngest of four children of H. C. and Katherine Pearl May Killebrew. He had two brothers, Eugene and Robert, and one sister, Eula.
As a young boy, Harmon helped his father—a former college football player and a professional wrestler—who was a painter and a sheriff. As he grew older, he took on after-school painting jobs by himself. Harmon married his high school sweetheart, Elaine Roberts, in 1955. They had five children: Cameron, Kenneth, Shawn, Kathryn, and Erin.
The Road to Excellence
From a high school class of fifty-four students, Harmon lettered in four sports: golf, basketball, football, and baseball. He received a dozen different recruitment letters while competing in high school.
The late U.S. Senator Herman Welker of Idaho lined up a major-league contract for Harmon with the Washington Senators. Welker’s hometown was Payette, so he was helping a hometown boy. Harmon had a football scholarship from the University of Oregon, but he decided to sign with the only professional baseball team to make him an offer, even though other scouts were looking at him. Ossie Bluege, the Senators’ farm director, offered Harmon a $30,000 contract that broke down to $6,000 a year for three years and a bonus of $12,000. This was the first bonus-player contract in the club’s history.
The 1954 through 1958 seasons were not very productive for Harmon. He was not a good defensive player, and he was not hitting well. Senator Welker was not a happy person in the stands and kept after the team’s managers to play the young man from Idaho. Harmon’s bonus contract stated that he must play for the Senators for the first two years. In the following three years, Harmon spent his time primarily in the farm system, finishing out the 1958 campaign by hitting .308 in the Class AA Chattanooga club.
Team owner Cal Griffith felt it was time to make good on his investment and put Harmon at third base for the Senators, thinking that the mistakes he made defensively would be made up offensively.
The Emerging Champion
Griffith’s gamble paid off even though Harmon did not hit a single home run through twenty-four exhibition games in 1959. In the opening game of the regular season, Harmon hit a long home run against Hoyt Wilhelm of the Baltimore Orioles. The days of “The Killer”—as one report dubbed Harmon—had arrived. He would go down as one of the leading home-run hitters of all time. In 1959, Harmon tied for the American League (AL) home-run title with a total of 42 home runs.
Harmon was never a candidate to win a batting average crown during his career, but he was always considered a threat—just as Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were—to win a game with the long ball.
In 1960, Harmon played for a new team but the same owner. Griffith moved the Washington Senators to Minneapolis, where the team became the Minnesota Twins. Harmon grew to be loved and appreciated by the Minnesota fans.
In 1960, Harmon slumped through the first half of the season with only 4 home runs, but he responded with 27 more by the end of the campaign. A reversal took place during the 1961 season; he started strongly, but finished slowly finish for a season total of 46 homers. In 1962, Harmon became the AL home-run champion by hitting 48 homers while accumulating 126 RBI. He repeated as league leader in 1963 with 45 home runs and again in 1964 with 49.
In 1960, Harmon played about half the season at third base and about half at first base. He played primarily in the outfield from 1962 through 1964. Then, from 1965 to 1971, he was rotated between first base and third base. In 1972, he played solely at first base. From 1973 to 1975, he either played at first base or was the designated hitter. Fielding was never his strength, but his home-run hitting allowed him to remain a valuable entity in Major League Baseball.
Continuing the Story
The well-liked Harmon was always bashful and quiet. He was also sensitive to others’ feelings and thus was respected by his teammates. If he made a statement about one league, he would be careful to explain what it implied about the other league. If he stated what he liked about one state, he would quickly correct any misconceptions about what he thought of Minnesota. That was the human side of Harmon.
The pinnacle of Harmon’s career was in 1969, as the Twins made a bid for a possible World Series berth in the League Championship Series. A key to the 1969 season was Harmon’s league-leading 49 home runs. The previous season, Harmon had pulled a hamstring muscle in the all-star game and many thought his career was over. However, he came back stronger than ever, winning the league home-run title for the sixth time. For his efforts in 1969, he was honored as the most valuable player in the American League.
In 1975, Harmon was traded to Kansas City, where he finished his twenty-second season. He returned to Minnesota after his retirement and became a Twins broadcaster.
Summary
People will not forget the man considered to be one of the best power hitters of all time. Harmon Killebrew was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, an honor reserved only for the best. He will be remembered not only for his athletic prowess but also for his care and concern for others. He was always modest about hitting home runs and would never purposely do or say anything to hurt a fellow teammate or opponent.
Bibliography
Anderson, Wayne J. Harmon Killebrew: Baseball’s Superstar. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret, 1971.
Butler, Hal. The Harmon Killebrew Story. New York: J. Messner, 1966.
James, Bill. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York: Free Press, 2003.
Rippel, Joel A. Seventy-five Memorable Moments in Minnesota Sports. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2003.
Roberts, Russell. One Hundred Baseball Legends Who Shaped Sports History. San Mateo, Calif.: Bluewood Books, 2003.
Urdahl, Dean. Touching Bases with Our Memories: The Players Who Made the Minnesota Twins, 1961 to 2001. St. Cloud, Minn.: North Star Press of St. Cloud, 2001.