May 31–Harmon Killebrew clubbed 573 home runs during his Hall of Fame career, spent mostly with the Twins.
He also has a thing for golf, and Monday at Mendakota Country Club in Mendota Heights will host the sixth-annual Kwik Trip Killebrew Classic celebrity golf tournament. The event, which also includes an open-to-the-public dinner and auction beginning at 6 tonight at the Metrodome (call 612-414-4506 for details), raises money for the Twins Community Fund and Miracle League of Minnesota through the Harmon Killebrew Foundation. Killebrew, who now resides in Scottsdale, Ariz., recently chatted with the Star Tribune’s Brian Stensaas while in town for the event. Q Tell me a little bit about the Killebrew Classic. Q Did you play golf on off days during your baseball career A I tried to concentrate on that other swing. I really didn’t really play seriously until I quit playing baseball, and I’ve been doing that off and on since. Q How tough was it to adjust your swing from a baseball player to a golfer A People ask me if I’m any good and I tell them if I was any good I’d be on tour. I’m lousy. I love to play, but I’d rather be hitting against Sandy Koufax in the bottom of the ninth, the game on the line with two strikes on me than play golf sometimes. Q You told Sports Illustrated in 1963 that you wash dishes as a hobby. Is that still true
A [Laughs] I did that tongue-in-cheek. I was just kidding, but they took it as serious and I’ve been asked about it ever since. No — I grew up in Idaho and did a lot of hunting and fishing. And now, any spare time I’ve got I like to play golf.