RIP Hank Aaron

[The Sultan]

I didn't become a baseball fan until I was a teenager, and one of my first and fondest memories was of his 715th home run.

I took it upon myself to learn all there was to know about Hank, and he definitely became one of my earliest sports heroes. After I became an adult and got to talk to others who knew him pretty well, he just seemed like the classiest of class acts to me.

Oh, and I just got this text from my son:

When I saw that Hank died, I looked up his stats. Obviously an all-time great, and there's a ton to be amazed at, but this blows my mind: He never struck out 100 times in a season. Fewer than 1400 Ks in 23 seasons. Amazing for a HR hitter of his stature.

My son has followed the "close your eyes and swing as hard as you can" era pretty much his whole life, so I can see how that would amaze him.

Joe DiMaggio hit more HRs than Ks in 7 of his 13 seasons. 

[muwarrior69]

The actual homerun champ indeed.

Could not agree more.

[JWags85]

As someone who LOVED Barry Bonds as a kid, back to his Pirates days, I agree with the true Home Run King label for Hank, but also am bummed at Bonds' legacy. 

3 MVPs, 1 Runner Up, 7 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, 400 HRs, 400+ SBs, .295 average, and only 0 seasons over 95Ks after his rookie year...all before he started juicing.  He had like a 92 WAR through his career to that point. 

He was an absolute freak of nature, that first year with the Giants in 1993 was an absurd season statistically.  And that all got sullied to be a balloon headed bomb chaser.  Sucks

[GooooMarquette]

As someone who LOVED Barry Bonds as a kid, back to his Pirates days, I agree with the true Home Run King label for Hank, but also am bummed at Bonds' legacy. 

3 MVPs, 1 Runner Up, 7 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, 400 HRs, 400+ SBs, .295 average, and only 0 seasons over 95Ks after his rookie year...all before he started juicing.  He had like a 92 WAR through his career to that point. 

He was an absolute freak of nature, that first year with the Giants in 1993 was an absurd season statistically.  And that all got sullied to be a balloon headed bomb chaser.  Sucks

I agree. Bonds was a great player destined for the Hall of Fame before he apparently started juicing. Why he chose to sully his legacy at that point is beyond me.

[wadesworld]

As someone who LOVED Barry Bonds as a kid, back to his Pirates days, I agree with the true Home Run King label for Hank, but also am bummed at Bonds' legacy. 

3 MVPs, 1 Runner Up, 7 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, 400 HRs, 400+ SBs, .295 average, and only 0 seasons over 95Ks after his rookie year...all before he started juicing.  He had like a 92 WAR through his career to that point. 

He was an absolute freak of nature, that first year with the Giants in 1993 was an absurd season statistically.  And that all got sullied to be a balloon headed bomb chaser.  Sucks

Yup. He was an all time great before juicing.

I agree. Bonds was a great player destined for the Hall of Fame before he apparently started juicing. Why he chose to sully his legacy at that point is beyond me.

Wanted to reach the mountaintop as the best. McGuire and Sosa got all the attention.

[The Big East]

One other great Henry stat that I saw today. If you take away all of Hammerin Hanks homers he still had over 3000 hits.

I saw Henry hit a homer at the 1971 All Star game at Tiger Stadium against Vida Blue. Was one of the great all star games played. The players were still playing for League pride back then. The bat action Henry  created with his wrists, was incredible, in those days the ball was not as lively as it was today, so it took considerable power to actually drive a ball out of the ball park.   

[The Big East]

Some good films of Henry from 1957 , I really enjoy these older videos. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PObdvfCrw_A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PoaAmkO-fg

[WI inferiority Complexes]

It's not my original idea, but I totally back the notion that Miller Park Way should be renamed Henry Aaron Drive.

AmFam Field's address could be:
755 Henry Aaron Drive
Milwaukee, WI

[Uncle Rico]

It's not my original idea, but I totally back the notion that Miller Park Way should be renamed Henry Aaron Drive.

AmFam Field's address could be:
755 Henry Aaron Drive
Milwaukee, WI

We have the Henry Aaron trail running through the valley along Miller Park Way already.  I wouldn't be upset at any memorial towards Henry Aaron, though. 

[GooooMarquette]

It's not my original idea, but I totally back the notion that Miller Park Way should be renamed Henry Aaron Drive.

AmFam Field's address could be:
755 Henry Aaron Drive
Milwaukee, WI

It would be an amazing idea.

The other Milwaukee baseball player who I think ought to be considered for a similar honor at some point is Robin Yount. A Hall of Famer and 2-time MVP who played his entire career with the Brewers.

[Hards Alumni]

Yup. He was an all time great before juicing.

Wanted to reach the mountaintop as the best. McGuire and Sosa got all the attention.

That is the true tragedy of Barry Bonds.  He is probably one of the top players ever without the BS.  He didn't need the HRs. 

[wadesworld]

That is the true tragedy of Barry Bonds.  He is probably one of the top players ever without the BS.  He didn't need the HRs.

And he already was hitting plenty of home runs. Just not the 70 that Mac and Sosa were closing in on.

[Jockey]

Aaron never spent a single day on the disabled list.

[MuggsyB]

Hank Aaron's hr title should have been restored a long time ago.  And the fact that Selig allowed this to happen is pathetic.  A 5 yr old could look at Bonds and others in the Steroid era and see in 10 secs that these were freaks using performance enhancing drugs.  They made Ivan Drago look ethical in comparison.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Did anybody happen to see the ESPN game a few years ago when Aaron sat in the booth? It started out as one of those short visits and he ended staying around for several innings. It was really remarkable viewing. It was a three man booth (4 with Hank) and they essentially just stopped talking about the game and just talked with him about his memories, his career, etc. I remember they even had Billy Williams call in to talk with him about their Alabama days. It was riveting stuff and a real treat for a baseball fan. He was such as wonderful guy that, even if he wasn't the Home Run King, his loss would be sad. He was a real American treasure.

[The Sultan]

Hank Aaron's hr title should have been restored a long time ago.  And the fact that Selig allowed this to happen is pathetic.  A 5 yr old could look at Bonds and others in the Steroid era and see in 10 secs that these were freaks using performance enhancing drugs.  They made Ivan Drago look ethical in comparison.

Making moral judgements about what stats are worthy and which are not is a slippery slope..  Since he was never suspended for his use of PEDs, and all his legal issues around BALCO have disappeared, there is no reason to take away his numbers even though people feel they are tainted.

[MuggsyB]

How in the world did Aaron hit cross handed?  I didn't realize he learned that way and then switched his grip early in his career. 

[The Sultan]

It would be an amazing idea.

The other Milwaukee baseball player who I think ought to be considered for a similar honor at some point is Robin Yount. A Hall of Famer and 2-time MVP who played his entire career with the Brewers.

I think it should be named after Yount.  He was the greatest Brewer to play the game.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

I think it should be named after Yount.  He was the greatest Brewer to play the game.

Maybe. Yount doesn't have the national name recognition, but I understand your point.

As an aside, unfortunately, I think you have to wait until the namesake is dead. Any living athlete technically still has the opportunity to "go OJ Simpson."

[Uncle Rico]

And he already was hitting plenty of home runs. Just not the 70 that Mac and Sosa were closing in on.

Barry Bonds, pre-PEDs, when he was stealing bases and playing the field was a joy to watch.  He was a jag off even then but his play on the field was brilliant.  I'll admit to going to Miller Park just to watch him but even though I knew he was juicing because he was still a show.  At the end of the day, whether we consider Hank Aaron the HR king or not, what Hank Aaron represented was far greater than a number

[MuggsyB]

I have to say that Mr. Aaron taking the Moderna vaccine a few weeks ago is a little concerning. 

[The Sultan]

Maybe. Yount doesn't have the national name recognition, but I understand your point.

As an aside, unfortunately, I think you have to wait until the namesake is dead. Any living athlete technically still has the opportunity to "go OJ Simpson."

Maybe they should name it for him?  Because he is undoubtedly the greatest Brewer to play the game while wearing the uniform.  That probably says more about their short and rather inglorious history than anything, but still...

[MU82]

Joe DiMaggio hit more HRs than Ks in 7 of his 13 seasons.

That's funny, because here was my text back to my son:

Yeah, that is amazing. But if you want to see some incredible low-strikeout totals for a HR hitter, check out DiMaggio. In 1941, he struck out 13 times!

[GooooMarquette]

I have to say that Mr. Aaron taking the Moderna vaccine a few weeks ago is a little concerning.

Why? Is there some evidence that his death was a vaccine reaction?

The simple reality is that 86-year old guys die pretty regularly. In fact, by making it to 86, Aaron outlived life expectancy for an American male by 10 years. And as an African-American, he outlived his life expectancy by 17 years. Unless there is some direct evidence that it was vaccine-related, I suspect it's just an elderly man dying.

[buckchuckler]

That's funny, because here was my text back to my son:

Yeah, that is amazing. But if you want to see some incredible low-strikeout totals for a HR hitter, check out DiMaggio. In 1941, he struck out 13 times!

Obviously a completely different type of hitter, but, if you're talking about amazingly low K totals, Nellie Fox, struck out 216 times in his 19 year career. (over 10K ABs)  He averaged 15Ks per 162 games.  The most he ever struck out was 18 times.  That was in 624 ABs.