Hank Aaron played 23 leagues and was one of the greatest all-around players in baseball history. He also faced racism after beating Babe Ruth's record.
Major League Baseball (MLB) legend Hank Aaron, who crossed Babe Ruth's record as home run king, passed away recently at the age of 86. The Atlanta Braves, his team of many years, confirmed his death in a message from its chairman, Terry McGuirk.
He played 23 leagues, except his final two years with the Braves in Milwaukee and then Atlanta, and was one of the greatest all-around players in baseball history. He had faced racism after eclipsing Ruth's record as well, as per The New York Times.
When he hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, he received hate mail and even death threats from those who were furious that a Black man could replace a white baseball icon.
Hank Aaron converted to Catholicism in 1959 and would read The Imitation of Christ before games. pic.twitter.com/EmQunyqDxG
— Matthew Michael (@inter_ruinas) January 24, 2021
On January 5, 2021, the star player and other African American leaders took the COVID-19 immunization shots and invited reporters for it since they wanted to help spread the word that the vaccine is safe, according to AJC. "It felt good," Aaron said. Unfortunately, he died on January 22, 2021, and people worry that his death casts doubt on the vaccine.
"[Getting vaccinated] makes me feel wonderful," the baseball player told The Associated Press. "I don’t have any qualms about it at all, you know. I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this. ... It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country."
The baseball player had grown up in Alabama amid rigid segregation and the struggles that came with it, as per The New York Times. He faced abuse from his audiences even as he played in the South as a minor leaguer. However, the thing that he was passionate about also brought him unhappiness. On the 20th anniversary of his home run record, he told the sports columnist William C. Rhoden of The New York Times, "April 8, 1974, really led up to turning me off on baseball."
Al Downing, the pitcher who gave up Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, appreciates their shared legacy https://t.co/Cab2AO6RZY
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 24, 2021
"It really made me see for the first time a clear picture of what this country is about," he said. "My kids had to live like they were in prison because of kidnap threats, and I had to live like a pig in a slaughter camp. I had to duck. I had to go out the back door of the ball parks. I had to have a police escort with me all the time. I was getting threatening letters every single day. All of these things have put a bad taste in my mouth, and it won’t go away. They carved a piece of my heart away."
The legendary player was a lot more than his record. He was a two-time National League batting champion and had a career batting average of .305. But, more importantly, he was a dad to three sons and three daughters. He was also a humanitarian who wanted to help other children.
Hank Aaron played for the @Brewers in the final two years of his career in 1975 and 1976.
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) January 23, 2021
Gotta love the old slide in Milwaukee! pic.twitter.com/PXhLSFERbD
After retiring, he became a philanthropist and helped children achieve their dreams. In 1994, Aaron and his wife Billye founded the Chasing the Dream Foundation with the original goal of helping 755 children to match his career home runs. Once the foundation met that number, they didn't look back. "Such philanthropists, and not only did they give of their money, but their kindness," said Sharmen Gowens, CEO of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, to 11Alive.
Gowens said Aaron and Billye were always willing to give back to the community. "Countless, countless children out there who are now adults - I'm sure that are where they're now because of Hank Aaron," Gowens said. "When you think of Hank Aaron, you think of a priceless individual," added Frank Sanchez, the National Vice President of Sports, Entertainment & Alumni Relations with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "He is one of the most iconic figures in the history of America, but for Boys and Girls Clubs, he is just Hank, and our hero," Sanchez said.
RIP, legend.
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/sports/baseball/hank-aaron-dead.html
