Harmon Killebrew hit the longest home run ever hit by a Twin, estimated at 522 feet. The Killer crushed this 3 run blast against Lew Burdette of the Angels on June 3, 1967 in front of just 12,337 Twins fans. The ball landed in the sixth row of the upper deck at Metropolitan Stadium and Killebrew becomes the first player to hit a ball into the second deck of the left field pavilion. The ball cracked the seat, which was later painted orange to commemorate the event and the seat eventually found its way to the Hall of Fame. Box Score
Eyewitness to history: This Harmon Killebrew home run made a sound like no other
Hartman: Killebrew made himself into fabulous power hitter
The Mall of America’s unusual tribute to Harmon Killebrew
The ’67 summer was the most heartbreaking of that era for Twins fans. We were edged out for the pennant at the very end. Boston and Carl Yastrzemski prevailed. Historical annals show Harmon hitting tape measure blasts at his very best then. He came to bat on an early summer day, looking out to the mound and pitcher Lew Burdette of the Los Angeles Angels. It was early summer but the temperature felt like midsummer, making the atmosphere perfect at our beloved “Met.” The wind was gusting in the 25-35 MPH range. Legend has it Harmon may have caught a jet stream. Burdette vainly tried to fool “the Killer” with a knuckler. Killebrew launched the ball on a ride of 520 feet. The ball came down in the upper deck of the Met’s left field pavilion. Burdette was quoted saying “I threw him a knuckle ball that started out high. And all it did was get higher.”
The rest of the stories that I have done on the 1967 AL pennant race can be found here.