I had heard my older brother laugh harder.

But not many times.

We were watching the 1968 baseball All-Star game on TV. It was being played in Houston's Astrodome.

At some point the American League first baseman, Idaho-born Harmon Killebrew, stretched to receive a throw before the batter arrived safely at first base. In doing so, he hurt himself.

It was a groin injury. And even if a classic groin injury doesn't actually involve male genitalia, you know where guys tend to grab themselves after incurring such a painful setback.

So as Killebrew was writhing on the ground, holding himself, a remarkably loud fan who must have been close to a broadcast microphone, yelled a remark that was something of an allusion to Houston's reputation as city of pioneering medical procedures.

"Give 'em a transplant!"

Forget Killebrew. My brother laughed so hard, I thought he was going to need one.  

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