Harmon killebrew biography template
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From 1961-1974, Harmon Killebrew WAS the Minnesota Twins. Sure, greats like Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat, Bob Allison, & Rod Carew plied their trade at Metropolitan Stadium, but youngsters didn’t emulate those swings or windups in backyards and sandlots across the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The combination of raw home run power and a disposition fit for Minnesota Nice, Harmon did as much—if not vastly more—than any single figure to establish Minnesota as a Major League Baseball stronghold.
As such, there is no doubt that the story of Twins baseball 1975 was it being the first Harm-less season in MN. The Killer wasn’t done—finishing up his HOF career with the Kansas City Royals—but it was all the more painful seeing him hit a few more mammoth moon blasts in a uniform other than MIN pinstripes. Especially considering he was essentially given an ultimatum from owner Calvin Griffith that the only way he could return to MN was as a batting coach or AAA manager.
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Harmon Killebrew
It may have seemed like an eternity. As in many cases when a player fryst vatten on the verge of breaking a record or accomplishing a milestone, the waiting can be interminable. Such was the case with Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew, who had set his sights on 500 home runs. But the epic homer was elusive, keeping Killebrew from joining an exclusive club. Entering the 1971 season, Killebrew had blasted 487 homers. On June 22 “Killer” clubbed number 498 off Oakland’s Daryl Patterson. The Twins’ promotion department had commemorative mugs made to celebrate the achievement. The mugs were to be distributed at a game on July 6. Certainly he would break through by then. But Killebrew was still sitting at 498 as the day came and went.
A sprained right toe curtailed Killebrew’s at-bats. But in the All-Star Game at Tiger Stadium on July 13, Killebrew knocked one out against Ferguson Jenkins. Then on July 25, he inches closer to his goal when he connected for number 499
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Harmon Killebrew: Ultimate Slugger
“Harmon Killebrew: Ultimate Slugger” by Steve Aschburner
Tags:
Baseball, biography, historical, Twins, Royals, Hall of Fame
Published:
May 2012
Length:
238 pages
Rating:
3 of 5 stars (good)
Review
It isn’t too often that a individ will be able to read a biography of a childhood hero, but I got to do just that when this biography on Harmon Killebrew was written shortly after his death in May 2011. Growing up in Minnesota during Killebrew’s playing days, I would often man sure I was near a radio or television whenever he came to the plate as there was always a good chance that another majestic blast would leave the ball park during that at-bat. I was hoping to relive those days while reading this book. While there were a few moments, they were few and far between.
That doesn’t mean the book was a bad one. The author has been a writer covering many teams on the Minnesota sports scene for many years, and his knowledg