The Killer

During his playing days, Harmon Killebrew was nicknamed the Killer. He got the name because of his ability to kill the old horsehide & his propensity to destroy opposing pitchers, but never was there a more inappropriate name for a gentler man.

Harmon Clayton Killebrew as of this date is dying. He has cancer. On May 13,2011, he checked into a hospice to spend his last days with dignity. From all reports, dignity was the key word in describing how Harmon Killebrew lived his life.

I met him more then 30 years ago at a sport collectors show. I was lined up with others to get the autograph of the local hero. His warmth & kindness was instantly apparent. He would patiently listen to the fans with their reminiscences, smiling & exchanging kind words with them. He respected the baseball fans. I have since passed that autograph onto my grown daughter with the belief that she too will honor the man.

Of all his accomplishments, the single most moment I remember about Harmon Killebrew was something he said in his Hall Of Fame induction speech. "I'll never forget, we used to play a lot of ball out in the front yard and my mother would say, "you're tearing up the grass and digging holes in the front yard?', and my father would say, "we're not raising grass here, we're raising boys."

I find that I have a tear in my eye & the cliched lump in my throat as I think back to the excitement & joy of watching him play. I have that same tear & the same lump in my throat thinking that somewhere, someone is writing a new definition to the words "class act".

Thank you so much Mr. Killebrew.