Born June 24, 1938 in Huntsville, AL .  He was named recipient of the Sandlot Player of the Year award, the forerunner of today’s Golden Spike Award (amateur baseball’s Heisman Trophy).  He decided to forego going to college and signed a professional baseball contract.  He played in the major leagues from 1960-’72, with the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, California Angeles, Oakland A’s, and the Seattle Pilots.  He played in two World Series (Minnesota Twins in ‘65 and Oakland A’s in ‘72).  During the ’65 World Series with the Twins he tied a major league record when he homered in his first at-bat off of Don Drysdale of the Dodgers.  He played in two All-Star games (‘67 & ’69).  In ‘67 he hit 25 home runs (tied for 5^th in the American League).  On June 9, ‘66 he helped the Twins set a one-inning home run mark (he hit one of five home runs) against Detroit .  In his final major league at-bat in game four of the ‘72 World Series with the Oakland A’s, he had a pinch-hit single to tie the game against Cincinnati Reds.  During his 13 year career he appeared in 1,400 games, had a batting average of .249, hit 200 home runs and 643 RBI’s.  He retired as a player after the 1972 World Series.He returned to Huntsville and entered into private business.  He was lured back into baseball in ‘84 when Huntsville secured a minor league franchise in Class AA Southern League, the Huntsville Stars.  He was their first general manager.  The Stars set attendance marks and under his leadership the Stars also won the Southern League’s President’s Cup for best opening-night attendance.  In 1993 he led a local ownership group which bought the Stars’ franchise from Nashville based business man Larry Schmittou.  He was named President.  He was appointed interim President of the Southern League in 2000 and named President in 2001.  A position he still holds today.