Hall-of-Famer Harmon Killebrew, 74, dies

MINNEAPOLIS

Harmon Killebrew, the affable, big-swinging Hall of Famer whose tape-measure home runs made him the cornerstone of the Minnesota Twins and perhaps the most popular player in the team's 51-year history, died Tuesday after battling esophageal cancer. He was 74.

The Twins said Killebrew passed away at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife, Nita, and their family at his side. He announced his diagnosis six months ago, and last week Killebrew said he was settling in for the final days of his life after doctors deemed the "awful disease" incurable.

Killebrew is 11th on baseball's all-time home run list (573) after an exceptional 22-year career. His eight seasons with 40 or more homers still is tied for second in league history to Babe Ruth, and his uppercut swing formed the silhouette that inspired Major League Baseball's official logo.

"No individual has ever meant more to the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins territory than Harmon Killebrew," Twins president Dave St. Peter said. He said Killebrew's legacy "will be the class, dignity and humility he demonstrated each and every day as a Hall of Fame-quality husband, father, friend, teammate and man."

At Target Field, where the video board showed a picture of Killebrew, members of the Twins' ground crew lifted home plate and slipped under it a plastic-encased, black-and-white photo of Killebrew winding up for a swing. The picture, believed to be from the 1960s, will stay there the rest of the season.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer said he felt like he had lost a family member. "He has treated me like one of his own," Mauer said. "It's hard to put into words what Harmon has meant to me. He first welcomed me into the Twins family as an 18-year-old kid and has continued to influence my life in many ways. He is someone I will never forget and will always treasure the time we spent together."

The Minnesota House observed a moment of silence. Rep. Bob Barrett of Shafer recalled how his father once did contracting work at Killebrew's home and "couldn't remember having met a nicer man."

Said Barrett: "He was a great player, but he was an even greater man."

Killebrew broke in with the Washington Senators in 1954 as an 18-year-old. He spent most of his first five seasons in the minors, then hit 42 homers in his first full season in 1959. The Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961.

The 11-time All-Star was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1969 after hitting 49 home runs with 140 RBIs and 145 walks, all team records that still stand.