Lest we forget: Harmon Killebrew

Killebrew passed away this morning.

The Hall of Fame released the following statement:

Harmon Killebrew Remembrances, From Family to Hall of Famers

“It is with profound sadness that we share with you that our beloved Harmon passed away this morning. He died peacefully surrounded by Nita and our family. He will be missed more than anyone can imagine but we take solace in the fact that he will no longer suffer. We thank you for your outpouring of support and prayers and take comfort in the fact that he was loved by so many.” – The Killebrew Family

“We all loved Harmon so much. Harmon was a great man, on and off the field. He was a bigger Hall of Famer off the field. Everyone that Harmon ever came in contact with has a story about what a class man he was.” – Bert Blyleven

“He was just a fierce competitor and a perfect gentleman at the same time. You don’t see that a lot. Sometimes you get fierce competitors who are bad people. You see guys that are not fierce competitors but nice guys. You don’t see the two of them together very much.” – George Brett

“This is a sad day for all of baseball and even harder for those of us who were fortunate enough to be a friend of Harmon’s. Harmon Killebrew was a gem. I can never thank him enough for all I learned from him. He was a consummate professional who treated everyone from the brashest of rookies to the groundskeepers to the ushers in the stadium with the utmost of respect. I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for Harmon Killebrew. He was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.” – Rod Carew

More at baseballhall.org: Harmon Killebrew’s Hall of Fame Induction Speech, a video tribute, and his Hall of Fame plaque.

Richard Goldstein wrote the obituary for The New York Times while the Minneapolis Star Tribune published this package on its website.