Legendary broadcaster Bob Wolff, the voice of the Washington Senators, nicknamed a fresh-faced slugger named Harmon Killebrew, "Killer."
His persona was anything but, a kind, sweet, soft-spoken, self-effacing man who never boasted of his accomplishments and one of the nicest people I have ever met in the game.
Harmon Killebrew's personality belied his achievement on the field as, arguably, the most popular player in Minnesota Twins history: 573 home runs (he didn't need the wind blowing out), currently
11th on the all-time list, and 5th at the time of his retirement.
I have a personal note in his file folder at home dated July 23, 1992 that reads simply, "Dear Ed,
I'm sorry we didn't have connect for your show in San Diego (at All-Star FanFest). I hope you'll give me a rain check for another shot at it!"
That shot came on January 21, 1994 when Harmon Killebrew arrived at HBO Studios in Manhattan
to be a guest on the 341th edition of "Ed Randall's Talking Baseball.". Not only was he there to talk about his fabulous career but also to promote a new women's league, The National Fastpitch Association.
The story I will always remember was Harmon telling me was of his signing.
He was headed from his native Idaho to the University of Oregon to play baseball and football. United States Senator Herman Welker was from Harmon's home town. He was a great friend of Washington Senators' Owner Clark Griffith and told him about, as Harmon said, "a young boy out in Idaho he thought could hit the ball pretty well. I think more than anything else, just to keep Senator Welker quiet, Mr. Griffith sent Ossie Bluege, the farm director, out to see me."
There was torrential rain and it appeared that Ossie Bluege had made the trip for nothing. But the rain let up, the field was prepared and Harmon Killebrew hit a long home run over the left field fence. The following morning, the farm director went back to the field the next morning and stepped it off. The ball went 435 feet, pretty good for a 17-year-old. He immediately called Clark Griffith, left a contract in Senator Welker's law office and went back to Washington.
Soon thereafter, Harmon Killebrew became a 'bonus baby' and took his first at-bat in the major leagues in 1954 at age 17. It would be 1959 before he had his first full season. Two years later, the Washington Senators were now the Minnesota Twins and Harmon Killebrew, across the 1960s would become the face, heart and soul of the franchise.
He personified power, the first to clear the roof at old Tiger Stadium in Detroit and, as Casey Stengel once said about another prodigy, Ron Swoboda, "could hit home runs over tall buildings."
Eight times, Harmon Killebrew struck 40 or more home runs, a record surpassed only by Babe Ruth.
He made 11 All-Star teams and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1984. His statue rests outside Target Field in Minneapolis.
Harmon Killebrew was a great baseball player.
He was a better man.
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