OT R.I.P. Hank Aaron

[ABM]

What a legend.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30759123/long-home-run-king-hank-aaron-dies-86

 

[Chris Craig]

Lost a baseball giant. A legend. RIP Hank

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Growing up, the family business had a longtime dispatcher who had a lengthy career as a minor league ball player. He grew up in Slabtown, went to Commerce HS (now Cleveland) and was one of the last of the “Vaughn Street Boys”. He was pretty much a journeyman but towards the end of his career he was actually slated to start in the outfield for the old Milwaukee Braves. Unfortunately, his rookie roommate in the minors exploded in spring training and Dick never made the majors. The roommate was named Hank Aaron. And as disappointed as Dick was, he always took great delight in telling that story. He was also proud that Aaron named his oldest daughter after Dick’s oldest daughter. (Johnny Pesky....another Slabtown boy....gave Dick’s eulogy and included both those stories). Dick was a crusty old fart but he loved Aaron like a brother and it broke his heart to see and hear all that Aaron went though on his way to surpassing Babe Ruth. One of the favorite parts of my adolescence was listening to Dick’s baseball stories, but especially the ones about Aaron. Hank Aaron was truly a class act and he did so much to keep baseball relevant. And he did it all without the taint of performance enhancing drugs. It sucks that so many of the baseball heroes I grew up with have passed in the last year. RIP Hank.

 

[ABM]

Growing up, the family business had a longtime dispatcher who had a lengthy career as a minor league ball player. He grew up in Slabtown, went to Commerce HS (now Cleveland) and was one of the last of the “Vaughn Street Boys”. He was pretty much a journeyman but towards the end of his career he was actually slated to start in the outfield for the old Milwaukee Braves. Unfortunately, his rookie roommate in the minors exploded in spring training and Dick never made the majors. The roommate was named Hank Aaron. And as disappointed as Dick was, he always took great delight in telling that story. He was also proud that Aaron named his oldest daughter after Dick’s oldest daughter. (Johnny Pesky....another Slabtown boy....gave Dick’s eulogy and included both those stories). Dick was a crusty old fart but he loved Aaron like a brother and it broke his heart to see and hear all that Aaron went though on his way to surpassing Babe Ruth. One of the favorite parts of my adolescence was listening to Dick’s baseball stories, but especially the ones about Aaron. Hank Aaron was truly a class act and he did so much to keep baseball relevant. And he did it all without the taint of performance enhancing drugs. It sucks that so many of the baseball heroes I grew up with have passed in the last year. RIP Hank.

Great story. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[Minstrel]

Oddly underrated. I think he should be more in the conversation for best player ever than he is. From the conversations I hear, he's considered maybe a top-ten guy but nowhere near guys like Ruth or Mays (or Bonds, for those that don't disqualify him).

 

[Shaboid]

He'll always be the home run king to me. RIP