Published: September 04, 2008 10:09 am         

Killibrew recalls Hall of Fame career

Is Celebrity Host of annual Seniors Open golf tournament

By ERIC AHLQVIST
Cooperstown Crier

As Hall of Famer Harmon Killibrew was preparing to tee-off at Leatherstocking Golf Course Tuesday morning, he was approached by a couple of golfers seeking autographs. He quickly obliged and spent a few minutes talking with both men.

``You’re not going to find more of a gentleman than Harmon Killibrew,’’ said Cooperstown’s Earle Hayford, who asked Killibrew to sign his hat. ``He’s the best.’’

``The Killer’’ has always had a reputation in baseball circles as one of the nice guys.

Killibrew, who mashed 573 career home runs during his career to earn his misleading nickname, is serving as the Celebrity Host of the Otesaga Hotel Seniors Open, which began Wednesday and runs through Friday. On Tuesday, he played in the Pro-Am portion of the event.

Although Killibrew was tough on opposing pitchers, he earned a reputation as a Gentle Giant off the field.

Asked if he feels any resentment over the inflated numbers of the steroid era tainting his career home run totals, Killibrew said he was just happy to be able to put on a major league uniform every day. ``It sounds like sour grapes if you complain about it,’’ Killibrew said Tuesday before the start of the Pro-Am. ``I will say I’m glad I played in the era I did, because I feel there were more great players in that time than at any other time in baseball.’’

Killibrew, who played almost his entire 22-year career with the Minnesota Twins, was the American League MVP in 1969 when he hit a career-high 49 home runs and drove in 140 runs, another career- high.

He was quick to credit his teammates for helping him accumulate those big offensive numbers. ``We had Cesar Tovar leading off, (Hall of Famer) Rod Carew batting second and Tony Oliva hitting third,’’ said Killibrew, who hit over 40 home runs in a season six times. ``Those guys all had about 200 hits each that season, and I batted fourth and it seemed like every time I came up there were runners on base. I always joke that I should have driven in 240 runs that season.’’

The Twins won their division that year, but were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the playoffs. The Orioles lost to the ``Miracle Mets’’ in seven games in the World Series.

``I always joke with (Orioles Hall of Fame third baseman) Brooks Robinson that if we had beaten them we would have gone on to beat the Mets,’’ said Killibrew, a 1984 Hall of Fame inductee. Killibrew said his other career highlight was playing in his only World Series in 1965, when his Twins lost to Sandy Koufax and the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. Koufax shut out the Twins, 2-0, in Game 7 despite pitching on two days rest.

The Seniors Open benefits Pathfinder Village, a residential community in Central New York dedicated to children and adults who have Down syndrome.

``I had a chance to visit there on Monday and was very impressed, and I’m glad to be able to help in some way,’’ Killibrew said.

Since his playing days ended, Killebrew and his wife have done charity work through the Harmon Killebrew Foundation. They donate to a number of causes, most recently to build miracle fields in Minnesota so that disabled children can have a chance to play.

He has nine children and 23 grandchildren that he says also keep him very busy.

The Seniors Open is one of the top non-PGA tournaments in the country and offers a purse of $100,000.

During Tuesday’s Pro-Am, professional Tom Gorman led his team of four amateurs to victory in the 26th annual event.

Gorman was joined by amateurs Steve Cambareri, Gene Conway, Bill Fitzpatrick and John Kirwan. Gorman’s team won for the second consecutive year. Joe Creighton of Oneonta had a hole-in-one on the ninth hole.