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01-22-2021, 11:10 AM
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#1
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C'est Tout
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Cajunland
Posts: 13,272
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Henry Hank Aaron
Gone at age 86
A huge loss
RIP Slugger
__________________
How do I work this?
-David Byrne
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01-22-2021, 11:42 AM
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#2
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Just another Facist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Now in Houston
Posts: 52,797
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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
__________________
WE ARE THE DUMBEST COUNTRY ON THE PLANET!
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01-22-2021, 12:20 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,033
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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.
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01-22-2021, 02:00 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Behind the Pine Curtain
Posts: 10,646
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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
__________________
“We’re in a situation where we have put together, and you guys did it for our administration…President Obama’s administration before this. We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics,” -Joe Biden
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01-22-2021, 02:05 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Houston , Tx.
Posts: 9,590
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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!!
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01-22-2021, 10:15 PM
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#6
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Just another Facist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Now in Houston
Posts: 52,797
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The day he hit 713. Pre game....
__________________
WE ARE THE DUMBEST COUNTRY ON THE PLANET!
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01-23-2021, 08:06 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,176
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ElKabong
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
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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.
__________________
One of the downsides of the Internet is that it allows like-minded people to form communities, and sometimes those communities are stupid.
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01-23-2021, 05:16 PM
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#8
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self medicated
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: toga
Posts: 3,088
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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.
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01-24-2021, 01:33 AM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Seattle
Posts: 3,943
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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.
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01-24-2021, 07:38 PM
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 16,487
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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.
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01-24-2021, 09:31 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 15,123
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Hank Aaron and Vin Scully. #715.
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01-24-2021, 11:28 PM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 18,962
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustRalph
The day he hit 713. Pre game....
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Hank did that naturally all before the "Steroid Era!" A Real Homer era.
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01-25-2021, 07:30 AM
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: new york
Posts: 1,631
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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
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01-25-2021, 08:19 AM
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Houston , Tx.
Posts: 9,590
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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.
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01-25-2021, 08:42 PM
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#15
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Bombardier
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,039
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Quote:
Originally Posted by burnsy
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.
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The all time RBI leader. The legit HR king. Lifetime .305 hitter. And, he never struck out 100 times in a season.
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