Harmon Killebrew

Harmon Clayton Killebrew Jr. is the most celebrated athlete in Payette High School history and one of the greatest to ever come out of Idaho. Born in Payette on June 29, 1936, Killebrew earned twelve varsity letters in multiple sports and was named an All-America quarterback at Payette High School, which retired his uniform number. He became a varsity baseball, basketball, and football player as a freshman, and also played on a state championship American Legion baseball team. A quarterback for the Pirates with a powerful throwing arm, his athletic reputation had spread well beyond Idaho by his senior year. Killebrew was offered an athletic scholarship by the University of Oregon but declined it. Playing in the semi-professional Idaho-Oregon Border League the summer after graduation, he drew the attention of major league scouts, and Idaho Senator Herman Welker — a Payette native — urged Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith to investigate the young slugger. Killebrew signed a $30,000 contract with Washington just before his eighteenth birthday. He went on to play 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, retiring with 573 home runs — fourth-most in major league history at the time — second only to Babe Ruth in American League home runs, and the American League career leader in home runs by a right-handed batter. A 13-time All-Star, Killebrew was named American League MVP in 1969, led the league in home runs six times and in RBIs three times, and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. Nicknamed "Hammerin' Harmon" and "The Killer," he was named to the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was a finalist for Major League Baseball's All-Century Team. He was inducted into the Idaho Sports Hall of Fame in 1979, received the Idaho Distinguished Citizen Award in 1980, and was named Idaho Male Athlete of the Century in 1999. Off the field, Killebrew was known for a generosity that outlasted his playing career. He once said that the most important reason we are here on Earth is to love and help one another, and the Harmon Killebrew Foundation continues that work today. Killebrew passed away on May 17, 2011, following a battle with esophageal cancer; his Idaho funeral services were held in the Payette High School gymnasium. Payette High School's baseball facility is now Harmon Killebrew Field.