Title/Author:
“Harmon
Killebrew: Ultimate Slugger” by Steve Aschburner
Tags:
Baseball,
biography, historical, Twins, Royals, Hall of Fame
Published:
May 2012
Length:
238 pages
Rating:
3 of 5
stars (good)
Review
It isn’t
too often that a person will be able to read a biography of a childhood hero,
but I got to do just that when this biography on Harmon Killebrew was written
shortly after his death in May 2011.
Growing up in Minnesota during Killebrew’s playing days, I would often
make sure I was near a radio or television whenever he came to the plate as
there was always a good chance that another majestic blast would leave the ball
park during that at-bat. I was hoping to
relive those days while reading this book.
While there were a few moments, they were few and far between.
That
doesn’t mean the book was a bad one. The
author has been a writer covering many teams on the Minnesota sports scene for
many years, and his knowledge came across in the book. He told Killebrew’s story from his time on
the Idaho farm to his early days of languishing on the Washington Senators’
bench as a “bonus baby” of that time to his heyday of home run hitting in the
Twin Cities, through his last season in Kansas City and his post-baseball
life. It was written in a manner that
was easy to read and comprehend. The
style will appeal to all levels of baseball fans, from hardcore to casual, as
it is neither too complicated nor too easy.
My major
disappointment could stem from being a lifetime Twins fan, as I didn’t glean
much new information on Killebrew’s life – even his post-baseball life, as it
was all the highlights told from a different point of view. There wasn’t a lot of depth to these stories
– that kept the reading easy, but the level of knowledge gained by a reader
also suffers because of this style.
That didn’t keep me from enjoying this good, quick read.
Did I skim?
No
Did I learn something new?
Not a lot
of the material was new or a surprise to me.
Even most of his life after baseball was familiar to me and this book
didn’t share anything new. Again, keep
in mind I have followed the Twins and Killebrew since I first knew what a
baseball was, so others may learn new information about Killebrew.
Pace of the book:
Excellent
– moved along very quickly. I finished
this in less than three hours of total reading time.
Positives:
The
timeline of the story went well – it stayed on track and didn’t stray too far
off course. That is a preference I have
because if there is constant back and forth, I find the book hard to
follow. There are also some more
advanced statistics cited for Killebrew that were not used during the time he
played, such as on-base percentage.
Seeing those statistics and how they measure against other players in
the Hall of Fame was interesting.
Negatives:
Even
though the book is 238 pages (in a smaller size than most hard covers), I
thought the entire book skimmed through Killebrew’s career and the teams he
played for a little too much. Not enough
that I thought I was reading a Cliff Notes version of his life story, but it
still seemed that it could have been a little more detailed.
Do I recommend?
Yes, for
baseball fans that don’t follow the Twins or Killebrew regularly, it is full of
good information that a casual fan will like and understand.
Book Format Read:
Hardcover
Buying Links:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600787029
He was a gentleman in the purest sense of the word. When he hit one, it was crushed and there was never a doubt. He was stoic about his cancer and carried himself with the same dignity that he displayed all of his life.
ReplyDeleteThe book reinforces that characteristic of Killebrew being softspoken and a gentleman. He loved to invite others out to join him in a "milkshake." Also, your comment about there being no doubt when he hit one out made me think of how he often would watch one of his majestic blasts for a second or two before rounding the bases. Too bad others who now do that are only doing so for showmanship.
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