Harmon Killebrew ill

[joeadcock]

Learned yesterday that Mr. Killebrew ill with cancer. Hope he gets beyond this disease. Has been 35 years since he was in baseball.
I was young then, but I am sure I saw him on some televised baseball game.

[ErikV]

Hate to break it to you, but that news became public over a week ago.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...ew-has-cancer/

[Ladder7]

There's some rough treatments ahead. Best of luck to Brew and his crew.

[ethicsprof]

thanks, frank.
i loved watching killebrew hit those great home runs when i was a boy.
one of the greats of all time imho.
i do wish and pray for him the best of care.
all the best,

barry

My favorite player, and the focus of my collecting - my thoughts are with him, hoping for the best.

Not only was he an amazing home-run hitter and all-around nice guy, he also hosted a Twins pre-game show on Minnesota television for 12 seasons while he was an active player (beginning when he was only in his mid-20s). He then moved to the broadcast booth for another 12 upon retirement (mostly with Minnesota, but for a few years with Oakland). He's seemed like part of the family to a lot of Minnesotans for nearly 50 years.

[scmavl]

I'm a very big fan of Harmon. I have more of his cards than any other player by a long shot. I've exchanged a few emails with him around donating to a charity for his granddaughter. I'd meant to send my '55 Topps RC to him for a signature and now he's no longer signing.

I hate to hear this as he's one of the true gentlemen of baseball.

[Robextend]

Sad news on the Killebrew front:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[vintagecpa]

Today's game could use a few more professional personalities and players like Mr. Killebrew. I wish him the best.

[sbfinley]

Sad news. Best wishes to Killebrew and his family.

[Fred]

Killer was one of my favorite sluggers from the 60's. This is really sad news...

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...wins-killebrew

[sycks22]

Living almost my whole life in the Twin Cities "Killer" was always a constant in the Twins family. I wish him the best.

[bunst]

Just read that he is giving up the fight and choosing to live his remaining days in hospice care. So sad.

[greenmonster66]

Met him several years back at Rich Altman's store for a private signing. Guy was nothing but a true gentleman and class act. God Bless him and his family!

[Hankphenom]

My Washington teams didn't have much when I was a kid, finishing last every year, but we had Roy Sievers and Harmon Killebrew. Great players with the character to match. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Killebrew.
Hank Thomas

[kcohen]

I'm with you Hank. I remember the nights at Griffith watching him with his fellow sluggers Lemon and Allison - wonderful memories.

Very sad news indeed.

[39special]

My prayers to him and his family.

[Rickyy]

Sending him best wishes and prayers...

[wrapperguy]

Met him several times at card shows. Class personified.

[Kenny Cole]

Class guy. Really sad news. My prayers go out to his family.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by wrapperguy

Met him several times at card shows. Class personified.

Absolutely! I got him to sign a ball at an autograph show, and he was quite congenial; more than happy to engage in a short discussion. Earlier, when I told him I was very pleased to make his acquaintance, he reacted as if I had given him a great compliment. My prayers also go out to the Killer and his family. Was there ever even a single moment when he carried himself with less than great class during his career???

God bless,

Larry

[Kalineman]

Harmon Killebrew was one of the nicest ballplayers I met while covering baseball. I asked him one time, "What's the hardest you've ever hit a baseball... not the longest... but the absolute hardest?" He thought for a little bit and said, "Well, we were playing the White Sox in the mid-60s at their place and I absolutely crushed a ball. It hit one of those big steel girders just beyond the leftfield fence... and rolled nearly all the way back to the shortstop position. I can't hit a ball any harder than that." Harmon is a class act.

[tbob]

Killer was my hero when I was a kid growing up in Minnesota. Typical of one of the most kind and considerate men in or out of uniform, Harmon said last night he was more worried about the Twins current state of affairs than his own health. He is one in a million and I am very sad about his current state of health. The Twins? Dedicated the game to Killer and then laid an egg and were shut out. They are almost on pace to catch the 62 Mets as worst team ever. How does GM Bill Smith still have a job?

[tbob]

Sorry about the double post, I am so mad at the incompetent Smith I slammed the submit reply button twice.

[HRBAKER]

Though not a Twins fan I have had the opportunity to meet Mr. Killebrew on several occasions over the last 20 years. I concur with all of those who have posted before me, easily the nicest ballplayer or ex-ballplayer I have ever met and had the chance to visit with.

[Rich Klein]

Although any day now, this news is going to hurt many of us fans who appreciate his class on and off the field

Rich

[Trl3789]

RIP to a great ballplayer and a great person.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6559023

[prewarsports]

The pride of Western Idaho. He was a great guy!

[autograf]

RIP....met him at a Upper Deck Heroes of BB show in Louisville and he was very cordial. 573 home runs was quite a feat.......

[barrysloate]

Sorry to hear he passed away. He was a great ballplayer and a decent man. And he had that great name. You could never forget it.

[Robextend]

Very sad news...one of the most feared sluggers of all-time. RIP

[bobbyw8469]

Same as everyone else has already stated. Sad day in baseball.....

[HRBAKER]

By far the nicest current or former ballplayer I ever met.
Sad day indeed!

Rest in peace, Harmon. You will be missed, but never forgotten.

[deadballpaul]

I met Harmon also. Yes, he was a very nice man, & one of only a few great HR hitters in the game.

[Chris-Counts]

R.I. P. Killer. Here's a few pages clipped from old Sport magazines ...

[joeadcock]

Goodbye Harmon

[doug.goodman]

A scored scorecard for the June 24, 1955 game against the Tigers where Harmon hit his first homerun.

RIP Harmon,
Doug

[ls7plus]

A real first-class guy, and they were all REAL homers!

Larry

[ValKehl]

Tom Boswell, DC's dean of sportswriters, wrote a great column re Killebrew (in relation to Bryce Harper) in today's Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...T6G_story.html

I was a Little Leaguer in the DC suburb of Alexandria, VA, when Killebrew was signed to such a large bonus that the Senators were required to keep him on their major league roster for 2 years. I thought he was a huge waste of money because he didn't play much, and when he did, he frequently struck out. This probably was because my Dad preached contact hitting, and he acted like I had committed a Cardinal sin whenever I struck out! (Actually, I was a skinny kid with no power - my only LL homer was a pulled shot down the left field line that barely cleared the fence!). Of course, by the time the Senators left us for Minnesota, "Killer" was one my favorites!

I got to meet Killebrew at a local card show circa 1990. In mid-afternoon, after he had finished signing autographs, Killebrew slowly walked the aisles of the show, shaking hands and chatting with collectors and dealers. After our chat, my thought was "Wow, what a super nice guy - a rare sports hero who doesn't have an ego!"
Val

[ls7plus]

Ditto that last paragraph, Val. A great, great slugging star with no ego that ever showed, who truly liked people--a credit to the game in every way!

Larry