Harmon Killebrew ill

My favorite player, and the focus of my collecting - my thoughts are with him, hoping for the best.

Not only was he an amazing home-run hitter and all-around nice guy, he also hosted a Twins pre-game show on Minnesota television for 12 seasons while he was an active player (beginning when he was only in his mid-20s). He then moved to the broadcast booth for another 12 upon retirement (mostly with Minnesota, but for a few years with Oakland). He's seemed like part of the family to a lot of Minnesotans for nearly 50 years.

[scmavl]

I'm a very big fan of Harmon. I have more of his cards than any other player by a long shot. I've exchanged a few emails with him around donating to a charity for his granddaughter. I'd meant to send my '55 Topps RC to him for a signature and now he's no longer signing.

I hate to hear this as he's one of the true gentlemen of baseball.

[Robextend]

Sad news on the Killebrew front:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

[vintagecpa]

Today's game could use a few more professional personalities and players like Mr. Killebrew. I wish him the best.

[sbfinley]

Sad news. Best wishes to Killebrew and his family.

[Fred]

Killer was one of my favorite sluggers from the 60's. This is really sad news...

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...wins-killebrew

[sycks22]

Living almost my whole life in the Twin Cities "Killer" was always a constant in the Twins family. I wish him the best.

[Kalineman]

Harmon Killebrew was one of the nicest ballplayers I met while covering baseball. I asked him one time, "What's the hardest you've ever hit a baseball... not the longest... but the absolute hardest?" He thought for a little bit and said, "Well, we were playing the White Sox in the mid-60s at their place and I absolutely crushed a ball. It hit one of those big steel girders just beyond the leftfield fence... and rolled nearly all the way back to the shortstop position. I can't hit a ball any harder than that." Harmon is a class act.