European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse Something s always happening to sports scene Harrelson the top a s hitter was released outright by Kansas City. Dpi by Milton Gross Nana staff writer win lose or strike out with the Boston red sox in the waning 67baseball season Ken Harrelson is glad to be wearing their uniform and glad that Fortune seems to be smiling on the Savannah ga., sports hero again. He was 15 and had just scored 33points in a basketball game when he winked at a cheer Leader in the Tea bus. Two years later they were married and now they have three children Patricia s 7, Mike 5 and Rich 1. Pat s Blond Mike s a Brunette Andrich a redhead said Harrelson. I Don t know How that happened but something s always happening to like coming to terms with the battling red sox late in August the next Day ordering an $8,200 yellow and Blacker Dorado for his Mother. "1 promised her years ago that someday i d buy her a Cadillac said har his unconditional release by the a s Charley Finley Harrelson was out of a Job. A few Days later he homered for the sox in his first time at Bat. Hews in the Money. That might be said i Haven t gotten the Check from Bost Onyet but As soon As i do i la pay every body 1 owe including Charley. I la write everybody a Check and it will be a great Day for me. I won t have to run to theban to cover for the first time in for Harrelson whose life has been a ride on the wild Side along Snake roads with unforeseen twists there has never been anything As Cork screwy As this. The a s were paying him less than $15,000 for the year. There sox Are paying him $10,000 for the rest of the season alone and have signed him for next season with a 50 per cent raise and bonuses. Charley Finley s mad mad moment when he read that har Relson had called him a menace for firing Alvin dark As manager has be come a Bonanza. The whistle Ken blew turned into a Horn of plenty that some say could spew As much As $80,000."and i won t even have to ride a mule any More said Harrelson who is known As the Hawk because of the size and shape of his Schnotz. How about that i m off the jackass and i m out from under All my financial for a one time Pool Hall Hustler who often found himself being hustled har Relson feels As though he s just run out the rack. The 29-year-old first baseman outfielder can hardly wait to mail Check to Charley owner from whom he borrowed $5,000 he s been paying offal $300 a month for the past year and a deficit spelling s Over. I m serious now. This is the Chance a Guy can t blow. After All these years in the second division i m going to make some thing of this Opportunity. All the crazy things i did in the past i m going Tolive Down. Besides paying off All my debts i be got to Start doing things for the people my Mother my wife who have gone along with Harrelson s Mother and father were separated when he was 10. She Remar ried but for years worked As a Secre tary to put him through the Benedictine military Academy in Savannah where the Hawk was a High school phenom in baseball basketball and football an had dozens of College scholarship of worked awful hard for me not to have to go to work and be Able to playbill said Harrelson. She was Mak ing Only a few dollars a week and had clothes As Good As anybody Ken signed for a scholarship with the University of Georgia but when the a s offered him a pro contract he accepted that instead. It was a three year Deal said salary and bonuses it came to almost $30,000. I went hog wild. I blew my Cool and blew All the dough. I Haven t had any since and i m a Guy who likes to dress Well. You know mar ried at 17 and most times it does t workout. It s been Tough on my wife but we be gotten along Fine. She s always gone along with it had to be More than Tough. Har Relson has t been the most stable of characters. For one thing he was All everything in everything and did t think there was anything he could t do. A recently As the Spring of 1965 he considered seriously trying the pro Golf tour when people wanted to sponsor him. I be shot 65 five or six times. I Hada 64 once but i cheated. I gave myself a putt of about a foot and a half. I was going so Good i did t want to take a Chance of blowing i 10 the stars and stripes n Savannah where everybody wanted to try out the great Harrelson one Way or another they remember him As an Amateur fighter. I had three fights he laughs. I got beaten thelast one. I did t see anything but lights afterwards and i did t get into the ring any remember his virtuosity with a Pool Cue. I was about 17 or 18," he said and for an hour or an hour and a half at a time i Felt i was capable of beating anybody. I would t miss. Once i ran a High of 89."they remember him As an All court Star who averaged better than 20 Points game. I could Dunk the Ball with both hands Ken said. In football hews a quarterback who went to end after breaking a greatest break said Ken was Finley getting mad and letting me Goshen he could have gotten Money for me. When did you Ever hear an owner releasing the leading hitter on a club maybe that s Why the Hawk s still wearing his a s Sivvy beneath his reel sox shirt. In his bag he still has pc White Albino spiked shoes and fort Knox Gold uniform. Ken s found his own for Knox. Sunday september 24, 1967 Cambridge the View from Tower of great St. Mary s Church. King s College Chapel is at right sunday september 24, 1967 Church of the holy sepulchre is one of four round churches in England. The stars and stripes Page 11
