On this date (August 10) in 1971, Harmon Killebrew hit his much anticipated (and long-awaited) 500th MLB home run. It was a 385-foot smash to left field (off a curve ball from the Orioles’ Mike Cueller) in the first inning of a 4-3, 10-inning Twins’ loss to the Orioles at Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium.
Why long-awaited? Killebrew had been sitting on number 499 since July 25th. He hadn’t gone deep in 14 consecutive Twins games (Killebrew played in 13 of those) before that landmark clout. Killebrew had a total of 59 plate appearance and 43 at bats between home run 499 and 500 (includes Killebrew’s final at bat July 25). This from an eventual Hall of Famer, who averaged one home run every 4.2 games played, 17.2 plate appearances and 14.2 at bats over his career.
Another element in the “long-awaited” theme: Killebrew had banged out home run number 498 on June 22 and the Twins, confident the prolific slugger would reach 500 by early July, created commemorative mugs to celebrate the milestone – to be distributed July 6. Oops! Killebrew didn’t knock number 499 until July 25 and it wasn’t until August 10 (more than a month after the give-away) that he made the mugs truly relevant. Harmon expressed the delay (and pressure of the chase) this way, “I didn’t feel the pressure, if that is what you want to call it, until a couple of weeks ago. There was that mug job and people kept asking when I would do it. You try harder in those situations.”(1)
Killebrew, by the way, didn’t make fans wait long for home run 501. It came just two at bats after number 500 – a two run-shot in the bottom of the sixth. For those who like to know such things, both numbers 500 and 501 came off Mike Cueller, who pitched a complete game seven-hitter (three runs) for his 14th win of the season. In that game, Killebrew went three-for-four with two home runs and drove in all three Twins’ tallies.
Turn About
Harmon Killebrew, ironically (sad face here), hit his 573rd and final MLB home run against the Minnesota Twins. It came on September 18, 1975 at Metropolitan Stadium (off Eddie Bane) in a game Killebrew’s Royals won 4-3.
Hall-of-Famer Killebrew played 22 MLB seasons, primarily with the Senators/Twins (1954-74). He played one season – 1975 – with the Royals. Killebrew hit .256-573-1,584. He was an All Star in 11 seasons and the 1969 American League Most Valuable Player. He led the American League in home run six times (topping 40 in eight seasons); had nine seasons of 1oo+ RBI (leading the league three times) and scored 100+ runs twice. His best season was 1969, when he was an All Star and the AL MVP – hitting .276 and leading the AL in home runs (49), RBI (140), walks (145), intentional walks (20) and on-base percentage (.427). Heck, he even stole eight bases that seasons (but that’s another story).
Harmon Killebrew was an AL All Star Game starter at three different positions (1B, 3B, LF).
Primary Resources: MLB.com; Stathead.com; (1) “Slow curve gives Killebrew No. 500,” by Mike Lamey, Minneapolis Star, August 11, 1971
Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. To see the full list, click here.
I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT
Follow/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here. More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.
Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
