Remembering the Gracious Harmon Killebrew

BALTIMORE — I never watched Harmon Killebrew play or had the pleasure of meeting him,Pittsburgh Pirates Hats sale, but I felt a connection with him. One of my favorite things to do when I got home from school was to turn on ESPN and watch reruns of “Home Run Derby,Cheap More Brand Hats,” which pitted some of baseball’s top power hitters against each other in,NFL Hats Sale, yes,Detroit Tigers Hats, a home run hitting contest.
As an 8-year-old, I was drawn to Killebrew because of his name. It sounded mean and threatening, which, as I learned later, was the opposite of how you would describe the man. Still, it seemed as if he would crush balls farther than anyone else, and I liked that.
When my dad was the same age, “Home Run Derby” had started to air. Growing up in Philadelphia, he was a die-hard Phillies fan. His favorite players were Johnny Callison,cheap Texas Rangers Hats, Vada Pinson and Willie Mays,Cheap DC shoes hats, but from “Home Run Derby,” he came to love Killebrew,cheap Pittsburgh Pirates Hats, who died Tuesday of cancer. My dad followed his career, reading the box scores and watching him on television. When I asked him Wednesday why he liked Killebrew so much, the first thing he said was that Killebrew seemed like a gentleman, a very nice guy.
In 1990, we found that out for ourselves. That year, Killebrew landed in an Arizona hospital with a collapsed lung. My dad had never been moved to send a letter to a professional athlete, but he mailed a get-well card to Killebrew. He just wished Killebrew a speedy recovery, with no requests for photos or autographs, and signed it from our family.
To be honest, he wasn’t expecting a response.
But one did, eventually, arrive, in the form of a typed thank-you letter. In the envelope were signed pictures that he included because we were “true Killebrew fans.” The letter,More Brand Hats, with a photo,Seattle Mariners Hats sale, hangs framed in my parents’ house. It reads:
“Dear Joel,Cheap NFL Hats, Toby, Ben & Andrew:
“Thank you for the warm and generous get-well greeting during my recent surgery, hospital stay and recuperation. The recuperation process has been very slow and I apologize for the delay in responding to your thoughtfulness.
“The majority of my fan mail is requesting autographs. It is so nice to open mail from fans who really care about my health and welfare and offer such personal and genuine concern. After such an incident as this, the response is overwhelming from true Killebrew fans whose love reaches beyond the ballpark. This is my opportunity to say ‘Thank You’ to you for your prayers and thoughts. I’m certain that they each played a significant role in my recovery.
“Sincerely with Love,”
It was signed Harmon.
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