Posted on 05/17/2011 9:03:09 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement
With his family by his side, Twins great Harmon Killebrew, one of the all-time great sluggers and one of the all-time great gentlemen, passed away Tuesday morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I used to go and watch the Senators and the Orioles back in the 60’s...watching Harmon walk to the plate would always bring forth butterflies in the pit of your stomach if you were a fan of the home team...especially with runners on base.
My first baseball bat was a Harmon Killebrew Louisville Slugger. I didn’t know who he was at first, but I always remembered the name because of that bat.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSH/1960.shtml
Jim Kaat would have been the last one to retire from Major League Baseball, 1983.
Look at the stats on that team and no one would pick them to be in the World Series five years later. I'd even go so far as to rank the 1965 Minnesota Twins as one of the top 40 teams which ever played the game. Yeah, I know, they lost to the Dodgers, but that Dodger team was maybe one of the top 20.
Hit it harder...goes thru the holes faster.
Ask Bonds about his BA.
I had one too!!
Thanks! I didn’t know Kaat was a Senator. And amen on the greatness of the ‘65 team. Tough to take down Koufax and Double D in 7
DIttos to all you said in your post.
Probably increases batting average about 10-20 points, but there's a little bit of a tradeoff there. Some ground balls may get through holes with steroids but not without, but some slow ground balls may get to infielders quickly enough to get outs which might have been infield hits otherwise. Of course there are balls that would otherwise be long outs without steroids that become home runs or extra base hits. But there are also balls that otherwise drop in front of outfielders that with 'roids go far enough for them to catch.
Probably increases batting average about 10-20 points, but there's a little bit of a tradeoff there. Some ground balls may get through holes with steroids but not without, but some slow ground balls may get to infielders quickly enough to get outs which might have been infield hits otherwise. Of course there are balls that would otherwise be long outs without steroids that become home runs or extra base hits. But there are also balls that otherwise drop in front of outfielders that with 'roids go far enough for them to catch.
I saw him do that to the Yankees. Blasted on into the right field upper deck.
Just admit you have no idea...and be done with it.
Actually, that speculation was pretty well reasoned, and I agree. I’d scratch the idea of slow rollers become outs though; since that’s more a function of hitting the ball at a bad bat angle than bat speed. However, how many infield hits did Harmon actually leg out?
Very sad to hear... RIP Harmon...You were a class act all the way.
Harmon`s clutch homers in the `60s and `70s sank this Oakland A`s fan`s heart many a time, but what a great guy and sportsman he was. The world is poorer today.
RIP to a great Ballplayer, any kid growing up in the 60’s knew of “the Killer”. He was from another era and a reminder of why a lot of us oldtimers have had a lifelong love affair with the American Pastime.
Godspeed Harmon
From a Tiger Fan
So you think the above is well-reasoned? "Slow ground balls may get to infielders quickly"....
I must be nuts....if that's well reasoned.
But you know...none of this matters. Harmon is in the Hall...and from most accounts was a good man. What we think at this point doesn't matter...
Regards,
that was actually the one part I specifically took issue with...
NOBODY hit more homeruns in the 1960s.
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