R.I.P. Hank Aaron

[Vanimal46]

Hank Aaron passed away this morning. He was 86 years old. Feels like we're losing MLB legends every week, unfortunately. 

[ashbury]

RIP, Hammer. I've lost another boyhood hero.

[mikelink45]

As a boy I attended Milwaukee County Stadium to watch him play in the 1950s.  Wow was he a great player.  I am saddened by the loss of another childhood hero.  

[Rigby]

Sad day. I had the pleasure of seeing Hank play in old Fulton County Stadium several times. Quite a team being assembled in heaven the last year. Hall of Famers - 

 

Tom Seaver

Whitey Ford

Bob Gibson

Don Sutton

Phil Niekro

Joe Morgan

Al Kaline

Lou Brock

Hammerin' Hank

Tommy Lasorda

 

Other memorable players from my earlier years we have lost in the last year :

 

Ron Perranoski

Jimmy Wynn

Dick Allen

Phil Linz

Dennis Menke

Lindy McDaniel

Mike McCormick

Bob Miller

Claudell Washington

Bob Watson

Ed Napoleon

Glenn Beckert

Ed Farmer

Eddie Kasko

Don Pavletich

Johnny Antonelli

Bob Oliver

Tony Fernandez

Mike Ryan

Horace Clarke

Jay Johnstone

Lou Johnson

among many others......

 

Rest In Peace to all of my childhood (and later) heroes....

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

It has been a brutal 12 months for Cooperstown.

[nicksaviking]

Dang, he was such a historic figure and a great baseball ambassador.

 

It seems really odd to say, but the all-time HR champ was somehow vastly under-appreciated.

[jjswol]

So sad to lose Henry Aaron. Aaron was my favorite all-time player who played for my favorite team at the time and a player that I have followed since 1957. A true legend and a hero and in my mind one of thee greatest baseball players of all time. RIP Henry, you earned it.

[AceWrigley]

 

RIP, Hammer. I've lost another boyhood hero.

Ditto that.

[rdehring]

Certainly one of the top handful of players to ever play the game. I understand he was also a true gentleman. Very special person who will be missed.

 

Wish we had tv back then with Braves games every day so I could have seen him more than once a year.

 

May he spend eternity playing right field along side Willie Mays in heaven.

[Nine of twelve]

 

Certainly one of the top handful of players to ever play the game. I understand he was also a true gentleman. Very special person who will be missed.

 

Wish we had tv back then with Braves games every day so I could have seen him more than once a year.

 

May he spend eternity playing right field along side Willie Mays in heaven.

Willie may think you're jumping the gun on this a little.

[Nine of twelve]

Warning: math approaching.

 

I enjoy the YouTube channel Numberphile. Sometime during the last month I found this video. I think it's worth watching, even for non-mathematicians. Watch it all the way to the end.

 

[ashbury]

 

Warning: math approaching.

 

I enjoy the YouTube channel Numberphile. Sometime during the last month I found this video. I think it's worth watching, even for non-mathematicians. Watch it all the way to the end.

Outstanding! The Ruth-Aaron Pair is the best number theory observation I have seen in a long time. (Because I don't dabble much in number theory, but whatev.)
 

[Craig Arko]

More than a great ballplayer; a great human being. Hit one for me, Hammer.

[rdehring]

 

Willie may think you're jumping the gun on this a little.

I thought about that after writing it. Expect Willie would be looking forward to it. What an outfield for the NL all-stars many of those years, Mays, Aaron and Clemente.

[ashbury]

What an outfield for the NL all-stars many of those years, Mays, Aaron and Clemente.

Whom do you "demote" to LF?

 

For those who find bbref.com WAR and its relatives a reasonable rule of thumb, let me throw this out there additionally: if you sort NL outfielders by single-season Wins Above Average for the years 1951 through 1975, thirteen of the top fourteen seasons belong to these three gentlemen, with only Duke Snider "intruding" at #12. Or, 28 of the top 50 - from just 3 guys. Incredible dominance.

[rdehring]

 

Whom do you "demote" to LF?
 

If memory serves, and someone may know where to find this and correct me, I believe Aaron started out of position in left several years.

[ashbury]

If memory serves, and someone may know where to find this and correct me, I believe Aaron started out of position in left several years.

Sure, and I expect Bad Henry would have willingly vacated in favor of Roberto. Just an interesting note that someone would have to give way.

 

"Mister Aaron? The manager wants to talk to you in his office."

 

[Nine of twelve]

 

I thought about that after writing it. Expect Willie would be looking forward to it. What an outfield for the NL all-stars many of those years, Mays, Aaron and Clemente.

Check out the outfielders on the NL roster of the 1965 ASG. The starters were Stargell in LF, Mays in CF, and Aaron in RF. The reserves were Callison, Clemente, Frank Robinson and Billy Williams. Now picture Gene Mauch, who managed the NL team, telling those four players this: Sorry, guys, have a seat on the bench. You're not good enough to start.

[Seth Stohs]

Hank Aaron was my dad's favorite player... Was pretty cool when Steve Buhr found the below tweet. 

 

Reuben Stohs is my dad's dad's cousin. He was proud to have given up a homer to Aaron. I didn't realize the homer he gave up to Aaron was his first as an affiliated player. Pretty cool!

 

 

[gunnarthor]

An immortal of the game

[biggentleben]

 

If memory serves, and someone may know where to find this and correct me, I believe Aaron started out of position in left several years.

He requested this two different times, so it wouldn't surprise if the change was made from that point simply because Aaron made it known that he was willing to defer.

[biggentleben]

I wrote a piece about a baseball and pheasant hunting festival that was held yearly here in the 1940s and referenced the fact that Aaron used to own land in South Dakota for the purpose of pheasant hunting each year. He would hunt and then spend time at the Redfield development center that housed adults and youth with developmental disabilities, often having to be "kicked out" by staff so residents could go to bed after spending hours with the residents playing ball, reading to residents, and simply spending time with them. He was a genuinely great human being that happened to be a tremendous baseball player.

[AceWrigley]

As you can see in the photo, the ballpark was located in one of the more populated areas of Fargo.