Twins' Harmon Killebrew dies

Twins' Harmon Killebrew enters hospice care

Paul Walsh and La Velle E. Neal III
Minneapolis Star Tribune
May 13, 2011

Legendary Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew, one of Minnesota's most beloved sports figures, said Friday that he is near death from esophageal cancer and is entering hospice care.

In a statement sent through the Minnesota Twins, the 74-year-old Hall of Famer said, "It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end. ... I look forward to spending my final days in comfort and peace with [wife] Nita by my side."

Killebrew's ongoing battle with cancer didn't keep him from his annual appearance as a Twins spring training guest instructor but he could not make it to Minneapolis to throw out the ceremonial first pitch last month at the team's home opener. Former teammate Tony Oliva filled in and made the pitch to Killebrew's grandson Casey.

Killebrew said then that he had to remain in his home state of Arizona for continued cancer treatment at Mayo facilities. The diagnosis was made in December.

"I have exhausted all options with respect to controlling this awful disease," Friday's statement said. "My illness has progressed beyond my doctors' expectation of cure." He added that he has spent the "past decade of my life promoting hospice care and educating people on its benefits. I am very comfortable taking this next step and experiencing the compassionate care that hospice provides."

Team President Dave St. Peter, who saw Killebrew in Phoenix on Thursday, said Friday that Twins officials "have been in constant contact" with family members.

"It became clear to [Killebrew and his family] that they have entered a new stage in the battle, and they felt it had progressed beyond what the doctors originally hoped to control. ... I can't say enough about the courage displayed by Harmon.''

St. Peter added that Killebrew "remains incredible. He's watching, as best as he can, the baseball team. He's more concerned about the struggles on the field than his situation. He's an amazing man.''

The news prompted reaction from all corners of the Twins family, with consensus building about his accomplishments and his character.

"When I came here, in 1961, he was one of the first people I met," said Oliva. "We became special friends, and we've been together for all these years. When I came here, I didn't speak English, but he talked to me. He called me 'Rookie,' and I called him 'Killer.'"

Michael Cuddyer, in a tweet accompanied by a recent photo of him and Killebrew, said that the baseball legend is "one of the greatest men I have ever had the pleasure of calling a friend! My thoughts and prayers are with him right now."

Rod Carew, boarding a plane from Hawaii back to the mainland, said he spoke with his former teammate just four or five days ago and it "seemed like he was in good spirits." The fellow Hall of Famer said Killebrew was a "special man" who "really helped me out as a young player."

Clark Griffith, whose father, Calvin, signed the 18-year-old Killebrew as a "bonus baby" in 1954, said, "Oh man, there's a sense of deep sadness. I don't know how to react. This is very shocking and very sad.''

Killebrew played 22 seasons in the majors, the bulk of them at third and first base, hitting 573 home runs (11th on the all-time list). He was an 11-time All-Star, at least once in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s

He hit 40 or more homers in eight seasons and won the American League home run title six times.

Killebrew moved from Washington to Minnesota with the Twins for the inaugural 1961 season, becoming a fan favorite for his tape-measure home runs and his genial nature.

He helped lead the Twins to the World Series in 1965, when they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1969. Playing in all 162 games, he hit 49 home runs, collected 140 runs batted in and batted .276.

He wrapped up his career in 1975 with the Kansas City Royals.

Killebrew was inducted into the Hall in 1984, being named on 335 of 403 ballots by baseball writers who put aside his .256 lifetime batting average.

According to Mayo, the cause of esophageal cancer is unclear, though the clinic recommends weight reduction and quitting smoking as prevention measures.

It is most common among men and people between 45 and 70 years of age. It is listed by the National Cancer Institute as the 10th-most deadly cancer in the United States.

He was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Sad news for such a good guy.

Twins great Killebrew dies

La Velle E. Neal III
Minneapolis Star Tribune
May 17, 2011

Harmon Clayton Killebrew, an iconic Minnesota Twin known for his prodigious home runs and humble demeanor, passed away Tuesday morning at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home at the age of 74 after a nearly five-month battle with esophageal cancer.

Killebrew was the face of the Twins franchise for 14 seasons after the franchise moved to Minnesota from Washington, D.C. before the 1961 season. He is 11th on the all-time major league home run list with 573, of which 475 were hit wearing a Twins uniform. He has the eight highest single-season totals in Twins' history. And he was the American League's MVP in 1969 and the Twins' first Hall of Fame inductee in 1984.

Killebrew became so popular that the street in front of Metropolitan Stadium -- the team's Bloomington home until 1982 -- was named after him, and today is still one of the major roads into the Mall of America. And his home runs were such a drawing card that then-owner Calvin Griffith made the slugger the team's first $100,000 player in 1971.

Killebrew retained strong ties with Minnesota right up to his passing, making several appearances in the Twin Cities each year, and since 2006 making an annual trip to the Twins spring training camp.

"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 Wednesday, who credited the Hall of Famer with helping "lay the foundation for the long-term success of the Twins franchise.''

Killebrew was diagnosed with the cancer during the last week of December, 2010, and vowed to do all he could to fight the disease. He made enough progress with chemotherapy and radiation treatments that he was allowed to visit camp in mid-March.

Although noticeably a few pounds lighter, Killebrew moved well and seemed to be his old self. He spoke of attending the home opener on April 8 and returning for his annual charity golf tournament June 29-30, which coincided with his 75th birthday.

Alas, he made neither.

"When you go through something like this, you're not really sure of what to expect," he said in March. "The thing that's really been an effect on me is how many people have reached out to me. That's one thing I want to say is to thank all of the people who sent cards and letters and e-mails and all of the well-wishes. It's really been overwhelming and special.''
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He added that he has spent the "past decade of my life promoting hospice care and educating people on its benefits. I am very comfortable taking this next step and experiencing the compassionate care that hospice provides."

I really appreciate this statement by him as I completely agree with his view of hospice care having experienced it first hand in the passing of my mother a couple of months ago. Her hospice care was extremely compassionate and I really appreciated their true compassion during my mother's final days. I was extremely impressed and pleased by the level of care and caring that she received.