East Hampton - In a perfect world, Tommy John, a major leaguer for more than a quarter of a century, would still be taking the mound every four or five days. The left-hander played 26 seasons with six teams, most notably in this area with the New York Yankees from 1979-1982 and 1986-1989. He won 288 games. Forty-six were by shutout; by contrast, only two active pitchers have more than half that. John pitched in three World Series, outdueled Steve Carlton in the rain in Game 7 of the 1977 National League Championship Series, and justifiably put his name on the short list for election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

On the side, John was one heck of a golfer, hitting the links nearly every day that the manager didn't call his number to pitch. On Monday, Oct. 5, John and dozens of other heavy hitters will take part in the 2009 Ann Liguori Foundation Charity Golf Classic at The Maidstone Club in East Hampton. The Foundation benefits the American Cancer Society and Healthy Children, Healthy Futures, an after-school initiative promoting healthy eating and physical activity. To register an individual or foursome at the event or for additional information, visit www.annliguori.com/acscharity.html.

Of Tommy John's 288 wins, 46 were shutouts, placing him in the top 25 all-time in the category.

Hamptons.com spoke with John, now a Dallas area resident, last week and discussed his baseball career, his passion for golf as well as his new line of work.

How often do you get out on the golf course?

Tommy John: I try to hit balls every day. I play once every 10 days. Sometimes if there are outings, I play more often. My handicap is probably between 10 and 12. I've been down as low as a 4. That was in my days of youth.

How much did you play while in the big leagues?

TJ: On the road, I played every day. I took my clubs with me, and I'd put them in a box and mark it 'Fishing Equipment.' You weren't allowed to have golf clubs on the road, so I put 'Fishing Equipment.' I'd fold up my carry bag and put it in a shoulder bag that I carried on. When I got to the hotel, I'd undo the bag and I'd have the "fishing equipment" sent up to my room. I'd already made arrangements to play and we'd go out and play. I'd play every day that I didn't pitch.

How was it playing a day after one of your starts?

TJ: I loved that. You were stiff and sore and playing golf got you loosened up, I thought.

What does it mean to you to participate in an event that raises funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society?

TJ: I lost both parents to cancer. I'll do it any time that I have a chance to. It's a vehicle to get the word out, maybe draw people in and raise money. I just think that we, as athletes, have an obligation eventually to help those that are less fortunate. I do it with fundraising like this, and I do a lot of work with ALS - or Lou Gehrig's Disease - because of Catfish Hunter, [a teammate of John's who died from the disease in 1999]. I play in a lot of outings. This week I'm in a breast cancer awareness tournament, and I do a lot of work in and around New York for the ALS chapter.

How enveloped are you as a baseball fan at this time of year?

TJ: If I'm driving - and I drive a lot - I've got XM Radio on. I listen to the 7 o'clock games, then I'll listen to the Midwest games if there's a better game going on than I'm listening to, I also watch baseball all the time.

You spent your 26-year career with a number of teams. Now that you don't wear any sort of uniform, for whom do you root?

TJ: I'm a Yankee fan, a Dodger fan and a White Sox fan. Those are the three teams I played with the most.

How important is it for you to be inducted into the Hall of Fame?

TJ: I've got a chance. I've got a better chance with the veterans than with the sportswriters. All the veterans either played against me, with me, or saw me play. A lot of sportswriters never saw me play. I think as we go farther down the road, I have a decent chance. If I do get in, I do; if my peers think I'm not worthy of it, I'm OK with that."

The reconstructive elbow surgery first performed on Tommy John has become an all too regular occurrence.

You went to the World Series as a Dodger and lost to the Yankees; then you went as a Yankee and lost to the Dodgers. As a player, how much did that irk you to come so close three times?

TJ: I look at my record in the playoffs and World Series and it's very good. I pitched and I pitched very well in the World Series (2-1, 2.67 ERA). The last one that I played in was with the Yankees, and in 13 innings I gave up one run, but we lost. It just happened that I didn't play on a team that won four games.

If you could choose which hat you wore in the Hall of Fame, which team would be on it?

TJ: I don't have a pick but probably the Yankees or Dodgers.

When they devised a plan for the surgery that eventually would be named after you, what went through your head?

TJ: Dr. [Frank] Jobe said that 1 in 100 people would recover. He said that I really didn't need the surgery, but if you don't have the surgery, you'll never pitch in the majors again. I wanted to pitch, thus I had to have the surgery. I said 'If I have the surgery, what are my chances?' and he said 'Not very good. It's never been done before.' I don't know, that's just the way it was.

Did you think your career was in jeopardy?

TJ: I thought that if I had the surgery, I'd pitch again. I was that determined to pitch again. If I couldn't pitch the way I normally did - fastball, curveball - I would have gone down to spend the winter with Hoyt Wilhelm. I called him and told him I wanted to come down and work with him on the knuckleball. Maybe I should have picked that up; I might still be pitching.

How much do you embrace or resent the fact that you're so well known for a medical procedure?

TJ: Not at all. That's just the way it is. I've managed and coached, and most players that I coached or managed know me more for the surgery than for the 288 wins, 46 shutouts, and 26 years in the big leagues.

What are you up to these days?

TJ: Up until July 8, I was managing the Bridgeport Bluefish of [the independent Atlantic League]. This year was the third year on a three-year contract and I needed to get away, so I resigned. It was the midway point during the season. I took a job with a company called Sportable Scoreboards, and I sell sports scoreboards.

After Bridgeport, is managing or coaching something you see yourself doing in the future?

TJ: If something comes along and I think that I could do it, I would seriously look at it. Baseball's the only thing I've done in my life.