BY ROBERT HOPWOOD

Delano Herald Journal Editor

A quick hello by Twins ’ legend and Hall of Famer Tony Oliva turned an unremarkable game between Minnesota and Oakland into an unforgettable experience for a group from the Delano Senior Center .

The Baseball Hall of Famer met the group , who traveled to Minneapolis for the day to watch the Twins ’ last home game of the regular season shortly after the game began . He said hello to the Delano baseball fans and snapped photos with them .

The visit , which the Delano Herald Journal helped to arrange with the Minnesota Twins communications department , made an unforgettable day for many of the 14 Delano baseball fans from the senior center .

“ I was so surprised to meet Tony Oliva ,” said Sharon David , who used to watch him play at the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington when she was a teenager .

“ He was one of my favorite players , along with Kirby Puckett and Bob Allison ,” she said .

David said meeting the octogenarian who she rooted for as a teenager made the Sept . 28 trip to see the Twins worthwhile .

“ Absolutely wonderful ,” she said of the experience . “ Absolutely the best day of my life .”

She said Oliva was a “ great ball player ” who was “ very kind .”

“ Remembering him way back in ‘ 61 ,

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he was just so nice to everybody , David said . “ He was always there to talk to . He was just a very pleasant person to be acquainted with .”

Dorothy Henry , who was visiting Target Field for the first time , said she enjoyed meeting the baseball legend once again .

“ When they came and said , ‘ Anybody want to talk to Tony Oliva ,’ I said , ‘ Oh , my gosh , yes ,’” she said .

It was Henry ’ s second time meeting Oliva . She first met him in 1987 during Mary Kay Day at the Humphrey Metrodome .

“ I ’ ve been an avid Twins fan from day one ,” said Henry , who has been on the baseball field three times .

She threw out the first pitch during a game in 1989 and has a photo book full of baseball memories . It contains photos of Oliva , Dan Gladden , Tom Kelley , Gary Gaetti , and others .

Lea Stoffels said the field trip , which the Delano Senior Center coordinated , was “ wonderful ,” and meeting Oliva was “ mind-blowing .”

“ I never thought I ’ d have this moment ,” said Stoffels , who attended the game with her husband and mother . Stoffels said she wasn ’ t into baseball when she was young , but now she and her husband never miss a Twins game on TV .

The Sept . 28 baseball game was largely forgettable .

The Twins lost to the Athletics 2-1 , but the game didn ’ t affect their standing in the playoffs .

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The Twins began a three-game wildcard series against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday . They won the first game 3-1 . Their next two games were scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday . Oliva is a Minnesota Twins legend . He arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1961 and began playing for a couple of the Twins ’ farm teams . The Twins first called him up Sept . 9 , 1962 . He went on to play for Minnesota from 1962 to 1976 as a right fielder and designated hitter .

Oliva has a long list of awards and achievements . In 1964 , he was named the American League Rookie of the Year . In 1966 , he received the AL Gold

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