Killebrew Harmon - Harmon Killebrew: Ultimate Slugger

Foreword by Jim Thome

T he first time I ever heard of Harmon was through Charlie Manuel. Manuel was our hitting instructor in Cleveland, then he was the manager. I used to hear Charlie talk about this guy Harmon Killebrew. And I remember hitting a home run in Cleveland and Charlie said, Man, that reminded me of a Harmon Killebrew home run. And I said, What do you mean?

He goes, Well, it was a high home run. It looked like it would never come down. It just kept going I had always heard Harmons name through Charlie, and then when I signed in Minnesota and was able to go to spring training with the Twins, there was Harmon.

Im glad that someone is writing a book about Harmon because hes a legend. It was a thrill to meet himhes a huge baseball icon. But then, when I had the opportunity to talk to him, I saw a man. This guy is like my dad or my grandfather , I thought. You could sit down and he would talk to you about anything. What really stood out was that Harmon had time for everybodyit wasnt something that was an act. He truly, genuinely liked being around people. That was his personality.

I watched how hed handle our young guys on up to the veteran guys. I know that when he was going through the struggle with his illness, even then he always thought of other people first, which is a testament to his character.

Unfortunately, he and I really never got to talk about hitting. There was maybe one time when he stood around the cage and he said something like, This is what I used to try to do in BP His theory was, he tried to hit home runs in BP because he was a home run hitter. Charlie Manuel used to tell me, too, you have to practice hitting home runs. But Harmon wasnt one of those guys who just came in and started talking about what he knew. If the subject of hitting came up, he would do it. But he wanted to get to know the person and build from that, maybe build a relationship and then get into the hitting or the player end of it. That was unique.

As much of a gentleman as Harmon was, he was very, very firm about the steroid era. I agree with him. That was a part of the era I played in. Guys did it, lets face it. But as Ive always said, not every guy did it and you shouldnt punish everybody. Unfortunately, I think theres a little bit of a sour taste for some older players; theyre a little bit bitter. And Harmon was one of them. Youve got to respect the way a guy feels about itits not right, it wasnt rightand Harmon definitely stood for what he believed in. No question.

Ive been told that Harmon took awhile to get his 500 th home run, and I can understand what he might have been going through. The journey for me [to 600], Ive had back issues, Ive had some injuries where I went on the DL a couple of times. I take nothing for granted at this stage. When you get older and youve had some injuries, it makes you appreciate so much more the things you accomplish. I never sat there, two away, going, Oh, its going to happen. You approach every game as if it could be your last.

Someone said it took Harmon 23 games to go from 498 to 499 and 14 more to go from 499 to 500. Those big numbers have been kind of tough for me, too, looking back. Going from 495 to 498you know, when youre there but youre still not thereI needed eight days to get to 496 but I got 496, 497, and 498 pretty quick. Three days, I think. Then it took me another three or four days to reach 499. And Ill never forget getting to 500 because my wife was pregnant with our son and we had three games in Chicago against the Angels and then we were going on the road. Ill never forget that Sunday, the last day of the homestand, she said to me as I left the house, Hey, could you do it? Joking, right? It sure would be nice if I didnt have to go to Kansas City.

Well, I ended up doing it on my last at-bat on a walk-off, and it was very special.

The night Harmon hit 500 he also hit 501, and I totally understand that. Its a huge burden off your back when you accomplish it. A couple of nights after I hit 500, I hit two more in Kansas City. I remember, after you hit a big milestone500 or even 400how much more relaxed you feel afterward.

Harmon talked about never getting to 50 home runsthough he had one in Boston in 1969, when he hit 49, that hit the top of the wall and was ruled a double. I can remember hitting a ball in Cleveland that hit an iron railing in left-center field and the umpires missed it. You always look back and go, Oh, if Id just gotten that one, or, That was the one the wind knocked down. Youre always looking back on those handful of homers you didnt get. Thats what makes hitting home runs so specialits not something you can try to do. Youve just got to let your swing do it. Harmon might have disagreed. Its a fine line.

Its flattering when people say I remind them of Harmon. It has to do with being a slugger, and it has to do with our defense. Lets face it, I wouldnt be sitting here talking to you if it hadnt been for the DH. The DH has given several guys in the latter stages of their careers an opportunity to reach milestones that normally might not have happened. It has given guys like, say, Eddie Murray, myself, Harmon, Tony Oliva, and Paul Molitor the opportunity to hang on and not put as much stress on our bodies compared to going out and grinding every day on the field. Harmon only had three years with the DH, and the Twins had Tony then, too. But Im all for the DH, because Ive reaped the rewards from it, no question.

Harmon was fortunate to play all but one season with one franchise. Ive moved around more. But its been a great journey, and its been a great ride. I feel very fortunate. I mean, think of the people Ive met in the game. There have been rivals. Legends, too. Theres been Mike Schmidt with Philly. Theres been Bob Feller with Cleveland. In Minnesota, it was Harmon and Tony. All those guys, they came back and gave their time to the game. Its important that guys today appreciate that. Youre talking about the living legends.

Harmon is still a living legend to me.

Jim Thome
August 8, 2011

7. Power on the Plains

F rom 196164, his first four seasons as a Minnesota Twin, burly Bob Allison had clubbed 29, 29, 35, and 32 home runs. He drove in 384 runs, an average of 96 a year, scored 374 runs, had an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .888, and was walked by opposing pitchers 369 times. An outfielder with a linebackers aggressiveness, he certainly looked the part of an athletic Alpha dog. On most big league teams, Allison would be the big bopper.

On Harmon Killebrews team, however, Allison had to be content as Robin to Killebrews Batman. Killebrew, in those same four seasons, slammed 46, 48, 45, and 49 home runs. He averaged 114 RBIs, scored 362 runs, drew 378 walks, and posted an OPS of .938.

They were brothers in bash, even if they were Twins sluggers from different mothers. Once you got past their right-handedness at the plate and all those biceps, they didnt have much in common, although they roomed together for most of their time as teammates.

We are different, and weve had different problems [in the game], Killebrew said in an interview back then. We have never really given each other much advice, although we talk baseball a lot. Bob always is on the go. Hes got to be playing cards, going some place, meeting someone, or doing something. I would just as soon read, watch television, or something like that.

Harmon has that graceful fast swing, Allison said. He swings up at the ball just a little bit and hits those high homers. He has had that swing ever since I have known him. And he has worked harder to improve it than he has worked on anything else. Its more compact now, and hes hitting more consistently than I have ever seen him. I swing down at the ball, and Im more of a line-drive hitter. I have never been as much of a long-ball hitter as Harmon. I had played more football than baseball before I signed my first pro contract. So Ive had to learn to swing.