09/22/2026
Join us this year as the Eastside Old-Timers induct six new men and women into the Hall of Fame. Athletes who grew up on the Eastside are selected for their achievement in sports throughout their lifetime. Our event is September 24th, 6:30 pm at Holy Cross Kolbe Hall 1620 4th St. NE/Minneapolis. Each day prior to our event we'll present one of our inductees, today our Inductee is:
Kevin “Yogi” Hanzlik
Kevin “Yogi” Hanzlik grew up in Lower Northeast Minneapolis as part of a powerhouse athletic family, and from an early age, sports—especially baseball—were at the center of his life.
Yogi began playing baseball and basketball at Bottineau Park for the Northeast Boosters before continuing with North Side American Legion Post 230, where he had the unique opportunity to
be coached by his father, Joe Hanzlik Sr.
At Edison High School, Yogi was a five-time letter winner and earned All-City honors in both baseball and basketball. He was selected to the WCCO Weekly All-State basketball team three
times, but baseball was where he truly made his mark. As Edison’s standout catcher, Yogi helped lead the team to the 1972 city championship with a 9–1 record. His rocket arm, quick bat, toughness, and baseball IQ caught the attention of professional scouts, and in 1972, he was drafted by his hometown Minnesota Twins.
Yogi ultimately chose a different path, attending St. Cloud State University, where he played baseball for four years, served as team captain his senior year, and earned his degree in Education. He continued playing with the Park National League Warriors from 1979–86.
Yogi, an excellent golfer, has also spent many happy summers on the golf course, often alongside his wife Jeanne.
That love of sports carried naturally into his professional life. Yogi spent 36 years teaching middle school English, including 33 years at Rosemount Middle School, while also coaching baseball, volleyball, basketball and even soccer. More important than wins and losses were the generations of young people he had the opportunity to teach, coach, challenge, encourage—and undoubtedly entertain with one of his many stories.
And anyone who knows Yogi knows there are a lot of stories. Bottineau Park, baseball, golf, old teammates, former students—no friend or foe is safe once Yogi starts reaching into the archives. He has always had a gift for turning a memory into a story and a story into something that leaves everyone around him smiling.
Away from the field and classroom, Yogi built the accomplishment he is perhaps proudest of: his family. He and his wife, Jeanne, raised four daughters—Kaitlin, Kylie, Cassidy, and Quinn.
Today, Yogi is Grandpa to nine grandchildren—two girls and seven boys, all under nine years old. They keep him busy, laughing, and certain that retirement bears very little resemblance to slowing down.
But his legacy extends far beyond statistics, championships, or even being drafted by the Minnesota Twins. It lives in the teammates who remember what it was like to play beside him, the athletes he coached, the students he taught, the friends who have heard his stories countless times and still laugh, and the family that remains at the center of it all.
