We remember Henry Aaron (1934-2021)

We remember Hank Aaron who was born on this day in 1934 and died January 2021.  Sadly, 2021 was the year that the commissioner went woke and moved the All Star Game from Atlanta to Denver.  What a horrible way to remember Hank.

Back in the spring of 1970, I was in high school, and our family lived in Wisconsin.  We were all following the news that baseball would return to Milwaukee.  All of my friends were still heartbroken that their beloved Braves had packed to Atlanta a few years before.  Our family arrived in Wisconsin as the move was happening, but I was aware of the players on that team, especially Hank Aaron and Eddie Matthews.  What baseball fan of my generation did not know those two: #41 and #44?  In fact, Aaron and Matthews hit 863 home runs while teammates, breaking the record held by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

The big news finally came a few days before the season opener: the Seattle Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers.  It all happened so fast that they barely had time to change the letters on the uniforms.  I also recall hearing that the team supplies truck was told to leave spring training and check for a destination around Kansas City.  In other words, you’re either going west to Seattle or north to Milwaukee.

To make matters wonderful, opening day had more kids skipping school than any other part of the fan base.  I was there to watch Lew Krause pitch to Sandy Alomar to get Brewers history underway.

For my friends, the party was not complete.  The fans started a campaign to get the Braves to play an exhibition game in Milwaukee.  It was a long shot because they played in different leagues.  It finally happened, and the aforementioned gang of high school kids got to the ball park to watch Henry Aaron.  It was the thrill of a lifetime to watch the one player that we all grew up loving.

Aaron’s career was full of highlights.  For example, he hit #1 April 1954 after making the team in a most unusual way:

The 20-year-old Aaron had cracked the Braves’ lineup during the spring when Bobby Thomson, who was slated to be Milwaukee’s regular left fielder, broke his ankle. In the Braves’ first six games that year, Aaron played three in left and three in right field — going 5-for-23 (.217) with no RBI. 

But in Game 7, Aaron — batting sixth and playing right field against the Cardinals — went 3-for-7.  In the first inning, Aaron singled to drive in Danny O’Connell, the first of a record 2,297 RBI that Aaron would post. Then with one out in the top of the sixth, Aaron belted his first career home run against St. Louis’ Vic Raschi — the same pitcher who surrendered Aaron’s first big league hit on April 15, 1954.

He hit #755 in 1976, now a member of the Brewers.  The Braves traded him to Milwaukee after 1974 for Dave May.  There is your trivia question of the day.  His record was eventually “broken” by Barry Bonds in 2007. 

Between #1 and #756, Aaron still holds the records for most career RBI (2,297), most career total bases (6,856), and most career extra base hits (1,477).  He was the N.L. MVP in 1957 and hit a walk off H.R. that season to win the pennant.  Then they beat the Yankees in the World Series.

After retiring as a player, Aaron became one of baseball’s first black executives, with the Atlanta Braves.  He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Best of all, I got to see him play one night in Milwaukee in 1971.  Who cared that it was an exhibition game?