Former Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins star Harmon Killebrew has esophageal cancer and is being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., he said in a statement released Thursday. Killebrew, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 after a career that included 11 All-Star Game selections and the 1969 Most Valuable Player award, said he was recently diagnosed with the disease. Killebrew, 74, currently ranks 11th on the all-time major league home run list with 573, and his eight seasons with 40 or more homers still is tied for second in league history with Babe Ruth. Killebrew spent 21 seasons with the Senators and Twins, in addition to one final season with the Kansas City Royals. "With my wife, Nita, by my side, I have begun preparing for what is perhaps the most difficult battle of my life," Killebrew said in the statement. "I am being treated by a team of medical professionals at the Mayo Clinic. While my condition is very serious, I have confidence in my doctors and the medical staff, and I anticipate a full recovery. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5969976
