Minnesota is known for its 10,000 lakes and love of hockey. But in the 1970s, it was also known for its top export: Paul Molitor.

One of nine children, Molitor was a standout three-sport athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall, a military school at the time. But according to those close to the future baseball Hall of Famer, he was a standout person, too.

"He always had a real respect for everybody," says Jim O'Neill, today the head baseball coach at Cretin and a former high school teammate of Molitor's who keeps in close contact with the former big-leaguer of 21 years. "He had a lot of friends; he got along with everybody."

Along with being a popular student, Molitor was a star athlete. Dating back to the winter season of his junior year, he closed out his career at Cretin with five straight state titles. The basketball and baseball teams took home top honors in Minnesota his junior year. Then, as a member of one of the first soccer teams at the high school, Molitor led the squad to a state title in his senior season. The basketball team completed a back-to-back championship run with "Molli" at the helm, as did the baseball team. In the championship game (1974), Molitor blasted a grand slam that allowed Cretin to raise yet another state title banner.

That paved the way for a stellar baseball career after high school. Passing up the opportunity to go pro after being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 28th round of the '74 draft, Molitor opted to attend the University of Minnesota. As a Golden Gopher, he was an All-Big Ten Conference selection during his final two seasons (1976-77). The Milwaukee Brewers wasted no time in selecting Molitor with the third overall pick in the 1977 June Amateur Draft, despite the notion that Minnesota couldn't produce top-notch baseball talent.

"No one questioned his skills, but at that time, not a lot of players were coming from a snow-state like ours," says O'Neill.

Molitor showed what kind of players come from Minnesota. He was a seven-time All-Star in his 21 years in the Major Leagues. He held a career .306 batting average with 3,319 hits (ripping off a 39-game hitting streak from July 16-Aug. 25 in 1987), 234 home runs, 504 stolen bases and 1,307 RBI. The only player in history to collect 3,000 hits, 200 home runs and 500 stolen bases, Molitor also was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays' 1993 World Series team. In 1996, he returned to Minnesota to close out his playing career with the Twins.

Just like in high school, Molitor's notoriety didn't go to his head. In 1998, the year he retired from playing, Molitor received the Players' Choice Man of the Year Award. Today, Molitor, 43, is still in Minnesota as a bench coach for Twins manager Tom Kelly. It's a job that gives him ample opportunity to visit his old stomping grounds.

"He's been real good to the kids here. Whenever he comes back he leaves spikes, gloves, balls, anything," says O'Neill. "He's definitely never forgotten where he came from."