#164 Harmon Killebrew - Washington Nationals

Harmon Clayton Killebrew
Washington Nationals
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  195
Born:  June 29, 1936, Payette, ID
Signed:  Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent, June 19, 1954
Major League Teams:  Washington Senators 1954-1960; Minnesota Twins 1961-1974; Kansas City Royals 1975
Hall of Fame Induction:  1984
Died:  May 17, 2011, Scottsdale, AZ (age 74)

Harmon Killebrew was one of the most prolific sluggers of his era, and upon his retirement he was fourth on the all-time home run list and second to Babe Ruth in the American League.  Killebrew led the league six times in home runs and three times in RBIs.  He was a 13-time All-Star and received MVP votes in 11 different seasons.  He helped lead the Twins to the their first pennant in 1965, and while he hit .286 in the World Series, the Dodgers prevailed in seven games.  In 1967, he hit the longest home run ever recorded at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium at 520 feet.  Killebrew attained career highs in home runs (49) and RBIs (140) in 1969 and won the league's MVP honors that season.  He wrapped up his 22-year big league career with a final season with the Royals, serving as the team's designated hitter.  When the Royals visited Minnesota in early May 1975, the Twins held a pre-game ceremony to retire Killebrew's #3.  He was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1984, and was in the inaugural class of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2000.  In 2,435 games, Killebrew accumulated 2,086 hits while batting .256.  He hit 573 career home runs to go along with 1,584 RBIs.

After retiring as a player, Killebrew served as a broadcaster for the Twins, Athletics and Angels between 1976 and 1988.  He also briefly served as a hitting instructor with the Athletics.  Nicknamed "Killer" on the field, by all accounts Killebrew was one of the kindest and most well-respected men to ever play the game.

Building the Set
January 27, 2001 from Moorestown Mall Baseball Card Show - Card #164
For Father's Day this year, we attended my youngest son's piano recital and then travelled to the Moorestown Mall (in nearby Moorestown, NJ) for a baseball card show.  I don't spend a lot of time in malls, but I thought this one looked vaguely familiar.  As it turns out, I was at the very same mall 20 years earlier with my Dad for his 57th birthday.  We paid $60 for four cards for our 1956 Topps set, including this Killebrew card that set us back $38.  Based on my checklist at the time, we got a good deal on this card as I had the Killebrew card listed as one of the more valuable cards we still needed at a range of $60 to $100.  The other three cards added were Carl Erskine (#233), Frank Malzone (#304) and Ellis Kinder (#336).

The Card / Nationals Team Set
This is one of only six cards in the set to use the "Infield" position designation.  Topps could have safely opted for "third base" as by the time this card came out, Killebrew had played in 47 games for the Senators - including 23 games at third and six games at second.  Killebrew's rookie card can be found in the 1955 Topps set, and this 1956 card uses the same main photo as his rookie card.  I'm not sure what's going on in the action shot here.  Either Killebrew is fielding a foul ball at the third base line, or a throw has gotten away from him and he's in the process of tracking it down.  The cartoon panels on the back of the card hint at what would come for Killebrew as the Senators were correctly predicting that the slugger would become a "big star."

The card was reprinted in the 2012 Topps Archives Reprints insert set, and an oversized reprint of the card was included in the 2015 Topps Cardboard Icons 5 x 7 Harmon Killebrew set.

1956 Season

Under the bonus baby rules of the day, Killebrew was required to remain on the Senators active roster for two years.  He began the season with the big club, and was used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter in 24 games between opening day and June 21st.  When his bonus baby status expired, Killebrew was sent down to the single-A Charlotte Hornets where he'd receive regular playing time.  With the Hornets as their regular third baseman, and at just 20 years old, Killebrew played in 70 games and batted .325 with 15 home runs and 63 RBIs.  The Senators called him back up when rosters expanded in September, and for the last few weeks of the season he served as their every day third baseman.  In 44 total games with the Senators, Killebrew batted .222 with five home runs and 13 RBIs.

1955 Topps #124

1962 Topps #70

1965 Topps #400

1969 Topps #375

1975 Topps #640

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #124
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1955-1956, 1958-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2021 Topps Allen & Ginter #139

1,810 - Killebrew non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/23/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia