MLB alumni give back through Swing with the Legends tournament

During his ten Major League seasons, Ken Sanders had his greatest success during his three years as an ace relief pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers. He led the American League in saves, while anchoring the Crews bullpen in 1971. After his playing days, Ken made his home in southeastern Wisconsin and for the past 26 years has continued to be a relief specialist, raising over a million dollars for various causes as chairman of the Swing With The Legends golf tournament at the Grand Geneva Resort. This years SWTL is scheduled for Sunday, August 14th and Monday, August 15th. The event raises money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Walkers Point Youth and Family Center and the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. Sanders was determined to give proceeds to groups that help children, and has generated valuable funds for JDRF and WPYFC. "One of the things we always wanted to be associated with were charities that were kid-related, Sanders said. Juvenile Diabetes fits the bill. Sanders is passionate about helping former Major Leaguers who played well before the era of megabucks salaries. Through money raised from the golf tournament, he contributed to the family of a former Brewer teammate, Gene Brabender, a native of Black Earth, Wisconsin. One day I got a call from a young lady who was crying. She said, Ken, you played with my brother Gene and he fell on hard times with the family and he died this morning and we dont have any money to bury him. So we buried him. All of Brabenders funeral expenses were covered. At one point, Sanders says, Brabender had to sell his World Series ring (from the 1966 Orioles), which is not uncommon among former big league ballplayers and that few people realize how many MLB alumni from the 60s and 70s have little financial wherewithal from their playing days. I came to the Big Leagues in 1964. The minimum salary was 6500. If you stayed in the big leagues 60 days they paid you an extra 1000. On the 55th, 56th or 57th day, they sent you to the minors to save 1000. Sanders said he made more money playing in a week long Red Sox fantasy camp than he did for his entire first season in the Majors. Swing With The Legends features Hall of Fame players like Robin Yount, Carlton Fisk and Ferguson Jenkins, as well as former Brewers Gorman Thomas, Charlie Moore and Damian Miller. Other luminaries such as former NL MVP Jeff Kent, Bobby Grich and Roy Sievers also participate. Local golfers who enter SWTL are paired with one of the approximately 50 former MLB players and compete in foursomes for special prizes. There are also three memorabilia auctions featuring autographed items from Hall of Famers (a signed Sandy Koufax jersey recently fetched 16,000). While their expenses are covered, none of the ex-big leaguers are paid to play in the event. Yet many big names return year after year. Guys like to come here, because of the location, Sanders said. There are a lot of tournaments around the country where you have to drive 30 or 45 minutes to get to the golf course. The tournament's players stay at the hotel located on the course. Fergie Jenkins one time took a red-eye to get there. He got to the hotel at 6:30 in the morning and right after that, Fergie was sitting on his golf cart smiling, signing everything. They dont come here unless theyre a having a good time. Sanders, who became a successful real estate businessman after baseball, feels corporations get a lot of value by sponsoring foursomes in the event. In corporate America these days, you have to be careful how you entertain people. Our celebrities are so great with everybody. Whether you play with Robin Yount or Andy Kosco, youre gonna have a great time but youre also going to get to visit with the other celebrities. Sanders says golfers enjoy hearing war stories like the tale Gorman Thomas tells of conspiring with Reggie Cleveland to sneak a 100-pound pig into Jim Gantners hotel room and then unscrewing all the light bulbs in the room. Cleveland later took the pig home, raised it until it weighed 300 pounds, then butchered it. I dont know how he got the thing home, Sanders said. But he managed somehow. Event organizers say there are spots available for this years event. For more information about the tournament, you can check swingwiththelegends.org. Sanders says Swing With The Legends is recognized as the finest golf tournament put on by the Major League Players Alumni Association. The MLBPAA provides the lions share of the players. Its a partnership. Its about having a good time, seeing the former players. People that are fans, companies that play, they love it.