Page 16 - aruba-today-20210123

A16 SPORTS
Saturday 23 January 2021
Hank Aaron, baseball's one-time home run king, dies at 86

ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Clinton credited Aaron with Six-feet tall and listed at 180
Aaron, who endured rac- helping carve a path of ra- pounds during the prime
ist threats with stoic dignity cial tolerance that made of his career, Aaron was
during his pursuit of Babe Obama's victory possible. hardly an imposing play-
Ruth's home run record "We're a different country er physically. But he was
and gracefully left his mark now," Clinton said at a 75th blessed with powerful wrists
as one of baseball's great- birthday celebration for that made him one of the
est all-around players, died Aaron. "You've given us far game's most feared hitters.
Friday. He was 86. more than we'll ever give Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt
The Atlanta Braves, Aaron's you." described Aaron as "an un-
longtime team, said he Aaron spent 21 of his 23 sea- assuming, easygoing man,
died peacefully in his sleep. sons with the Braves, first in a quiet superstar, that a '70s
No cause was given. Milwaukee, then in Atlanta player like me emulated."
Aaron made his last pub- after the franchise moved "He was one of my heroes
lic appearance just 2 1/2 to the Deep South in 1966. as a kid, and will always be
weeks ago, when he re- He finished his career back an icon of the baby boom-
ceived the COVID-19 vac- in Milwaukee, traded to er generation," Schmidt
cine. He said he wanted the Brewers after the 1974 said. "In fact, if you weigh
to help spread the to Black season when he refused to all the elements involved
Americans that the vac- take a front-office job that and compare the game
cine was safe. would have required a big fairly, his career will never
"Hammerin' Hank" set a pay cut. be topped."
wide array of career hitting While knocking the ball Aaron hit 733 homers with
records during a 23-year over the fence became his the Braves, the last in his fi-
career spent mostly with signature accomplishment, nal plate appearance with
the Milwaukee and Atlan- the Hammer was hardly the team, a liner down the
ta Braves, including RBIs, a one-dimensional star. left field line off Cincinnati's
extra-base hits and total In fact, he never hit more Rawley Eastwick on Oct. 2,
bases. than 47 homers in a season 1974. Exactly one month
But the Hall of Famer will be (though he did have eight later, he was dealt to the
remembered for one swing years with at least 40 ding- Brewers for outfielder Dave
above all others, the one ers). May and minor league
that made him baseball's In this April 8, 1974, file photo, Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron holds But it can be argued that pitcher Roger Alexander.
home-run king. aloft the ball he hit for his 715th career home in Atlanta. no one was so good, for so The Braves made it clear
It was a title he would Associated Press long, at so many facets of they no longer wanted
be hold for more than 33 the national pastime. Aaron, then 40, returning
years, a period in which the his legacy. hate mail as he closed in The long ball was only part for another season on the
Hammer slowly but surely "I just tried to play the game on Ruth's cherished record of his arsenal. field. They offered him a
claimed his rightful place the way it was supposed of 714, much of it sparked Aaron was a true five-tool front office job for $50,000
as one of America's most to be played," Aaron said, by the fact Ruth was white star. a year, about $150,000 less
iconic sporting figures, a summing it up better than and Aaron was black. He posted 14 seasons with than his playing salary.
true national treasure wor- anyone. "If I was white, all America a .300 average — the last "Titles?" he said at the time.
thy of mention in the same He wasn't on hand when would be proud of me," of them at age 39 — and "Can you spend titles at the
breath with Ruth or Ali or Bonds hit No. 756, but he Aaron said almost a year claimed two National grocery store? Executive
Jordan. did tape a congratulatory before he passed Ruth. "But League batting titles. He vice president, assistant to
Before a sellout crowd at message that was shown I am black." finished with a career aver- the executive vice presi-
Atlanta Stadium and a na- on the video board in San Aaron was shadowed con- age of .305. dent, what does it mean if it
tional television audience, Francisco shortly after the stantly by bodyguards and Aaron also was a gifted doesn't pay good money? I
Aaron broke Ruth's home new record-holder went forced to distance him- outfielder with a power- might become a janitor for
run record with No. 715 off deep. While saddened by self from teammates. He ful arm, something often big money."
Al Downing of the Los An- claims of rampant steroid kept all those hateful let- overlooked because of Aaron became a designat-
geles Dodgers. use in baseball in the late ters, a bitter reminder of a smooth, effortless stride ed hitter with the Brewers,
The Hall of Famer finished 1990s and early 2000s, Aar- the abuse he endured and that his critics — with un- but hardly closed his ca-
his career with 755, a total on never challenged those never forgot. doubtedly racist overtones reer with a flourish. He man-
surpassed by Barry Bonds in marks set by players who "It's very offensive," he once — mistook for noncha- aged just 22 homers over
2007 — though many con- may have taken pharma- said. "They call me 'nigger' lance. He was a three-time his last two seasons, going
tinued to call the Hammer ceutical short cuts. and every other bad word Gold Glove winner. out with a .229 average in
the true home run king be- Besides, he always had that you can come up with. You Then there was his work 1976.
cause of allegations that April night in 1974. can't ignore them. They are on the base paths. Aaron Even so, his career num-
Bonds used performance- "Downing was more of a here. But this is just the way posted seven seasons with bers largely stood the test
enhancing drugs. finesse pitcher," Aaron re- things are for black people more than 20 stolen bases, of time.
Bonds finished his tarnished membered shortly before in America. It's something including a career-best of Aaron still has more RBIs
career with 762, though the 30th anniversary of the you battle all of your life." 31 in 1963 when became (2,297), extra-base hits
Aaron never begrudged landmark homer. "I guess After retiring in 1976, Aar- only the third member of (1,477) and total bases
someone eclipsing his he was trying to throw me on became a revered, the 30-30 club — players (6,856) than anyone in
mark. a screwball or something. almost mythical figure, who have totaled at least baseball history. He ranks
His common refrain: More Whatever it was, I got even though he never pur- 30 homers and 30 steals in second in at-bats (12,354),
than three decades as the enough of it." sued the spotlight. He was a season. third in games played
king was long enough. It Aaron's journey to that thrilled when the U.S. elect- To that point, the feat had (3,298) and hits (3,771),
was time for someone else memorable homer was ed its first African-American only been accomplished fourth in runs scored (tied
to hold the record. hardly pleasant. He was president, Barack Obama, by Ken Williams (1922) and with Ruth at 2,174) and 13th
No one could take away the target of extensive in 2008. Former President Bill Willie Mays (1956 and '57). in doubles (624).q