Today’s baseball history: Killebrew’s 500th HR
Thirty-six years ago today, the Minnesota Twins’ Harmon Killebrew became only the tenth man to reach Major League Baseball’s prestigious 500 home run club, taking the Baltimore Orioles’ Mike Cueller yard in the first inning. Killebrew would later add #501 in the game (although the “Killer’s” two-taters would go in vain, his team losing 4-3).
Killebrew joined 500 HR club, today in baseball history
The 36-year-old would end his career with 573 home runs in total, now sitting ninth all-time behind, from top, Barry Bonds (757); Hank Aaron (755); Babe Ruth (714); Willie Mays (660); Sammy Sosa (604); Ken Griffey Jr. (589); Frank Robinson (586) and Mark McGwire (583).
The Heckler has to ask, however – does the 500 home run club hold anywhere near the same meaning as it did back then? What used to be a rubber-stamp to the Hall of Fame now looms as just another bloated indication of the enhancement era in my eyes. Is Mark McGwire a Hall of Famer? Hardly. Rafael Palmeiro? Please. What about Frank Thomas? Hmmm. The debate will surely rage.
The bottom line, from these eyes, is baseball as a whole – writers, fans, players – need to understand that numbers are just that: numbers. Nothing should be an automatic anything when it comes to the Hall of Fame. By that logic, you mean to tell me if Dave Kingman somehow swatted another 58 homeruns in his “illustrious” career, him and his .236 would be Cooperstown material? C’mon. Let’s give this whole “500 HR = Hall of Fame” a realistic dose of reality. Players like Harmon Killebrew surely deserve it, no?
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- The Heckler
Photos used with permission of Early Era Baseball Photos.com
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