Wanda Goins, Killebrew and Lookouts Bobbleheads

 

Hall of Famer and former Chattanooga Lookout Harmon Killebrew hit a home run once every 14.22 times at the plate, good enough for sixth best all-time.

But Lookouts game programs seller Wanda Goins hits a home run with her fans every Lookouts home game.

Get Your Programs,” shouts Goins from her stand just inside the front gates.

“Twenty-five cents … twenty-five cents … t-w-e-n-t-y   f—i—v—e  cents” she cries out as fans dig in their pockets for that quarter to get the lineup card and program for that night’s game.

Bobblehead Give Away: Tonight will be special as the fans can get a program from Goins for the aforementioned quarter as well as a free Harmon Killebrew Bobblehead Doll sponsored by Great Clips for the first one thousand fans who come through the turnstiles.

But Killebrew has nothing on the high energy Goins as she had her day in the sun with her own bobblehead night five or six years ago.

“That was a complete surprise to me the night they gave out my bobbleheads,” said Goins with a big laugh and smile.

 “I never expected that honor.”

Goins, the mother of two and grandmother of two, who worked for Erlanger for 39 years in customer service, has worked 26 seasons for the Lookouts and has no intention of slowing down or retiring from her spot at AT&T Field.

“What I like best about this job is the friends I see night after night who come to the ball park to cheer on the Lookouts,” stated Goins who played two years of varsity basketball for Dalton High School, graduating in 1970.

Killebrew, who passed away in 2011, will also be honored later in the season as he is one of 12 Southern League greats to be inducted into the SL Hall of Fame this summer.

“This is a good year to have a Harmon Killebrew Bobblehead Night as he played here as well as with the  Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins who are now the major league parent club for the Lookouts,” said Lookouts marketing and promotions manager Alex Tainsh

The Idaho native, who played for Chattanooga at Engel Stadium in 1957 and ’58 and led the Southern Association in home runs with 29 in 1957, is a member of the Lookouts inaugural hall of fame class of  1994.

Important Stats: Killebrew had 2,086 career hits, and 1,584 RBIs in 22 seasons in the major leagues.

For Goins, she sells about 200 programs a night, so multiply that times 70 home games a season times 26 seasons and that’s a lot of programs at “twenty-five cents … twenty-five cents … t—w—e-n-t—y  f—i—v—e cents.”

Come visit her tonight, put down t--w--e--n--t--y  f—i—v—e cents, get a hot dog and drink and a Harmon Killebrew Bobblehead Doll and cheer on the Lookouts.

 

contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@Comcast.net