RIP Hank Aaron

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Pujols has never been linked to steroids.

Tell that to former-Cardinal Jack Clark.

[buckchuckler]

Tell that to former-Cardinal Jack Clark.

Jack Clark was a Cardinal when Pujols was a baby. 
He also retracted his statement after Pujols threatened a suit.

[MU82]

Not saying they're comparable...but DiMaggio and Aaron are even less comparable, and DiMaggio was not someone most would call a 'home run hitter.'  Consider this: The HR gap between Aaron and DiMaggio is almost twice as big as the gap between DiMaggio and Gwynn.

He was a great hitter with decent power...but not a 'home run hitter.'

I respectfully disagree, and I believe you are looking at career HR totals too much.

Hank averaged 37 HR per 162 games. DiMag averaged 34 HR per 162 games. Gwynn averaged 9 HR per 162 games. Hank and DiMag are not "even less comparable" than DiMag and Gwynn.

DiMag lost 3 years of his prime to WW2 and played only 13 seasons. He also played his entire career in a ballpark that was notoriously difficult for right-handed HR hitters. And yet he led his league twice in HR and had seven seasons of 30+ HR. He was a great power hitter in addition to being a great hitter, period.

Hank also was a great power hitter and a great hitter. He also played 10 more seasons and didn't have to take a 3-year break in the middle of his career. He also played in two hitter-friendly ballparks, including a famous bandbox in Atlanta.

Again, Hank averaged only 3 HR more per 162 games than DiMag did.

And so I will repeat: DiMag struck out ridiculously few times for a home-run hitter.

Gwynn? Great hitter but his name really never should have been introduced in this discussion. His game was nothing like either of theirs. Nothing.

[Lennys Tap]

I respectfully disagree, and I believe you are looking at career HR totals too much.

Hank averaged 37 HR per 162 games. DiMag averaged 34 HR per 162 games. Gwynn averaged 9 HR per 162 games. Hank and DiMag are not "even less comparable" than DiMag and Gwynn.

DiMag lost 3 years of his prime to WW2 and played only 13 seasons. He also played his entire career in a ballpark that was notoriously difficult for right-handed HR hitters. And yet he led his league twice in HR and had seven seasons of 30+ HR. He was a great power hitter in addition to being a great hitter, period.

Hank also was a great power hitter and a great hitter. He also played 10 more seasons and didn't have to take a 3-year break in the middle of his career. He also played in two hitter-friendly ballparks, including a famous bandbox in Atlanta.

Again, Hank averaged only 3 HR more per 162 games than DiMag did.

And so I will repeat: DiMag struck out ridiculously few times for a home-run hitter.

Gwynn? Great hitter but his name really never should have been introduced in this discussion. His game was nothing like either of theirs. Nothing.

Mike

When you’re right, you’re right. This argument isn’t any closer than Hank’s and TG’s power numbers. Gooooo should make his concession speech and be done with it.

[The Big East]

One interesting thing about Henry's career, is that over time his accomplishments became more appreciated by the general public and media.

During the prime of his career Henry was always classified with Mays and Mantle, but was somewhat in the third position.

In addition, In the early part of Henrys career Ernie Banks was on a monster run. Similarly Roberto Clemente got a lot of attention in the mid to late part of Henrys career for his incredible achievements.

Dimaggio had not been retired  very long ,and Ted Williams and Stan Musial were still posting incredible numbers in the early part of Henrys career and at historically old ages. So it was hard for Henry in the early part of his career to be classified with them.

 Finally Pete Rose and his various achievements were also starting to take off at the end of Henrys career.

I think the tide started to turn in Henrys favor when he built a strong foundation of credibility with the grace  he handled the chase for Babes Record.

Also Willie Mays ended his career with the Mets in very poor playing form. Unfortunately for him this was in the public eye since he was in New York and the Mets were on TV a lot then. Hank was able to end his career modestly in Milwaukee not in the public eye as much. Ernie Banks also did a long slow decline after his monstrous start of a career , which somewhat took the gloss of his career.

Rose had all sorts of off field problems that shrouded his legacy as the heir to Ty Cobb. Similarly the off field post career hurt Mantle who died young from hard living. Clemente died early but was not in a major market so many did not really see his greatness until the last few years of his career when the Pirates where taking off.

Finally, I think Ted Williams  and Stan Musial became more classified in the generational era of DiMaggio after they retired.

So Hank was somewhat of the last great player standing and his consistency of incredible seasons year after year really started to sink in. Modern day access to statistics etc have borne out his greatness in addition to the eye test of yesteryear.

I cant specifically say where Hank rates in terms of the all time greats, but I think his career is now safely in the discussion of top 5, where he is the top player of his generation and can be compared to those who were the top players of their generations.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Hank was also hampered by lack of team success. The Braves accomplished very little after 1958.

[GooooMarquette]

I respectfully disagree, and I believe you are looking at career HR totals too much.

Hank averaged 37 HR per 162 games. DiMag averaged 34 HR per 162 games. Gwynn averaged 9 HR per 162 games. Hank and DiMag are not "even less comparable" than DiMag and Gwynn.

DiMag lost 3 years of his prime to WW2 and played only 13 seasons. He also played his entire career in a ballpark that was notoriously difficult for right-handed HR hitters. And yet he led his league twice in HR and had seven seasons of 30+ HR. He was a great power hitter in addition to being a great hitter, period.

Hank also was a great power hitter and a great hitter. He also played 10 more seasons and didn't have to take a 3-year break in the middle of his career. He also played in two hitter-friendly ballparks, including a famous bandbox in Atlanta.

Again, Hank averaged only 3 HR more per 162 games than DiMag did.

And so I will repeat: DiMag struck out ridiculously few times for a home-run hitter.

Gwynn? Great hitter but his name really never should have been introduced in this discussion. His game was nothing like either of theirs. Nothing.

Fair points, but extrapolating on the assumption that more games and more at bats would have resulted in more success is speculative at best. At the end of the day, DiMaggio’s career home run total is far closer to Tony Gwynn’s than it is to Hank Aaron’s.

DiMaggio may not have been a Tony Gwynn, but he is certainly no Hank Aaron either.

[MU82]

Fair points, but extrapolating on the assumption that more games and more at bats would have resulted in more success is speculative at best. At the end of the day, DiMaggio’s career home run total is far closer to Tony Gwynn’s than it is to Hank Aaron’s.

DiMaggio may not have been a Tony Gwynn, but he is certainly no Hank Aaron either.

Nor did I say he was.

Otherwise, I’ll let it go, and wish you a good night.

[GooooMarquette]

Nor did I say he was.

Otherwise, I’ll let it go, and wish you a good night.

👍

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Really, really good article on what Hank meant to Black Milwaukee

https://slate.com/culture/2021/03/hank-aaron-black-milwaukee-civil-rights-vel-phillips.html