This May 31, 2003, file photo shows Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, right, enjoying a laugh with fellow Hall of Fame star Harmon Killebrew, left, during ceremonies honoring Twins announcer Bob Casey, in Minneapolis.
Posted on 05/14/2011 5:29:30 AM PDT by massmike
Harmon announced Friday that he no longer plans to fight his esophageal cancer and has settled in for the final days of his life, saddening friends and fans of the 74-year-old Hall of Fame slugger.
In a statement released jointly by the Minnesota Twins and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Killebrew said "it is with profound sadness" that he will no longer receive treatment for the "awful disease."
He said the cancer has been deemed incurable by his doctors and he will enter hospice care.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...
This May 31, 2003, file photo shows Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, right, enjoying a laugh with fellow Hall of Fame star Harmon Killebrew, left, during ceremonies honoring Twins announcer Bob Casey, in Minneapolis.
One of best, ever. Godspeed ...
Great athlete. Great man. Sad.
In the 1960s...he was probably one of the top ten players to be on the field. If he had played for the Dodgers or Yankees...they would have gone to the World Series on a yearly basis.
I WAS Harmon Killebrew, every day in my back yard. And each wiffle ball that went over the back fence was accompanied by a cheering crowd of sparrows and squirrels who had gathered in anticipation of my at-bat in the bottom of the ninth.
We love you, Harmon.
MINNEAPOLIS — The atmosphere around the Minnesota Twins clubhouse and batting cage prior to Friday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays was understandably subdued following the news that Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew has entered hospice care.
The team donned its cream-colored, home throwback uniforms and hung Killebrew’s jersey in the dugout — two symbolic gestures that will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
“It was tough,” Justin Morneau said of his reaction to hearing the news. “You just hate to see bad things happen to good people, you know. He’s as good as it gets.”
How very sad. I was a great fan of his back in the days of my Minnesota youth.
Yesterday’s thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2719426/posts
God’s blessings on him and those around him.
My boys used to refer to him as ‘Killaball’ when I took them to Yankee stadium. Seemed like he always got a few homers to make the lives of the Yankees and my guys a bit miserable.
Harmon, you'll be remembered fondly as a great player but also as one of baseball's really nice guys.
He was amazingly good at the plate. Cat-like reflexes in the field, too.
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