Killebrew Has Cancer

By Aaron Goldstein on 12.30.10 @ 11:22AM
Baseball Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew has announced he is battling esophageal cancer and is undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic.

The 74-year-old Killebrew stated it is "perhaps the most difficult battle of my life" but is optimistic he can make a full recovery.

Killebrew spent nearly his entire twenty-two year big league career in the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins organization. Nicknamed "Killer", he hit 40 or more homeruns in eight different seasons and six times led the American League in homeruns. Killebrew also led the AL in RBIs thrice and in OBP four times. His only World Series appearance came in 1965 when the Twins came up just short against Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Killebrew's best season came in 1969 when he won the AL MVP. That season, Killebrew hit .276 with 49 homeruns, 140 RBI and drew 145 walks (good for a .427 OBP) for the AL West Division champion Twins. He was named to 11 AL All-Star teams and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

Here's hoping Killebrew knocks his cancer out of the park.