Henry Hank Aaron
 

Gone at age 86
A huge loss
RIP Slugger

I’m learning that part of getting old is watching your idols pass on.

I was in love with baseball growing up. The Big Red Machine was everything. Listened to the games almost every night.

I can still hear Marty Brenneman calling number 713

I am the same way. All these players passing away is sad, but I am of an age that they are up there in age. It brings back a lot of memories of when I was young.

Same here. I was a kid watching these great players. It's sad, yet alarming.

Here's my Hank Aaron story. Keep in mind IMO he's one of the best hitters (let alone power hitter) of all time....

In the mid 70s MLB was struggling to put people in the seats. One of the gimmicks was to hold "home run contests" 30 minutes before the 1rst pitch. This was pretty popular in Arlington. Each participant got 10 pitches from his pitching coach. Batter w/ the most HRs won

In 1976 the Rangers and Brewers had a series in Arlington, a HR contest with Jeff Burroughs & Tom Grieve vs Hank Aaron & Bobby Darwin was scheduled

Hank's turn comes up. People are RAMPED UP bigtime....Everyone is expecting a show. .. I think he only sent 1 over the wall. Maybe 2. Most didn't get anywhere near the warning track. After the 10th pitch he walked back to the dugout, disgusted that he had to even be there. He rec'd polite applause, the fans appreciated his career but felt his embarrassment

Why he was asked to do that contest, at age 40+ is beyond me. He should have declined. No doubt each contestant got a coupla hundred bucks, but his pride was hurt and we all felt for him.

Sadly, that's my memory of him. Great player tho. RIP

Sad. Never thought he got the respect from the sports world he so deserved. It wasn't color, but the state of baseball since he retired. Hank understood this well...and that to me is somewhat refreshing to know.
RIP tough guy!!

The day he hit 713. Pre game....

I have a similar story with a different outcome. The summer of 74, Hank was making his last appearance in Philly as a Brave. I went to see him with my then pregnant wife.

Before that game, Hank faced three old timers, Robin Roberts, Bobby Shantz and Curt Simmons, all three were close friends of my BIL, and Hank took them deep three or four times with five pitches from each. Supposedly, Hank owned HOFamer, Roberts during his career, but Bobby who was an MVP, not so much. Both Curt, 91 and Bobby, 95 are still around. Robin passed away two months before my BIL
I have 35 mm pics of Hank connecting on a few pics that day. They're pretty faded now. RIP to a class guy.

Everyone knows about the home runs . The truth is the guy was one of the best hitters ever. Getting a hit in baseball is one of the hardest feats in sports. Some of us are old. He was a childhood legend to me. I played baseball, was an ok player. Never made it far. My mother was a nurse wouldn’t let me play football. He’s in the top of the top of hitters to play that game. Class act kind of athlete. It’s the guys like this that are role models. People bitch but many of these guys are good people. Unfortunately, these days the Jack offs garner too much attention. RIP Sir.

Great man.

Great baseball player. One of the giants of my youth. 714 off Billingham on opening day. 715 made it to the front page of the Seattle Times, follow through frozen in time, Downing with his push-off leg still in the air. I'll never forget the picture. Being a HUGE baseball fan, and a statistic junkie, I was in awe of the whole thing. I'm sure it made many front pages.

NBC was very fortunate to nationally televise the game the night he hit 715. Back then you basically have one game on Saturday and one night during the week for national TV.

Hank Aaron and Vin Scully. #715.

Hank did that naturally all before the "Steroid Era!" A Real Homer era.

hank arron was one class act. he played the cards he was dealt in life and didn't complain or blame others for the obstacles he no doubt had to face.
rip big guy

Al Downing was no shabby pitcher either. He was a starter on the a couple of the last great Yankee teams of the 60's. He went on to be successful with the Dodgers and a 20 game winner.

The all time RBI leader. The legit HR king. Lifetime .305 hitter. And, he never struck out 100 times in a season.