RIP Hammerin' Hank. Hank Aaron Dead at 86

I met Henry Aaron at a record store in west L.A., CA either 24 or 27 or 30 years ago. We were standing next to each other. I said to him, "You look like Hank Aaron." He confirmed he was Hank Aaron. Henry Aaron verifies the quote by Yogi Berra: Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.

The all time leader in home runs will ALWAYS be Hank Aaron.

It will NEVER be Barry Bonds.

RIP Hammerin Hank. It was my privilege to see you play at Fenway Park for Milwaukee in 1975.

An interesting cross section with me, as I was born the day he hit #715. That's almost 47 years ago now, and that event is what eventually got me into baseball as a fan for all those years of my youth.

Anyone else old enough to have watched him hit home run number 715? What a moment back then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjqYThEVoSQ

met him 24 or 27 or 30 years ago wrote:

I met Henry Aaron at a record store in west L.A., CA either 24 or 27 or 30 years ago. We were standing next to each other. I said to him, "You look like Hank Aaron." He confirmed he was Hank Aaron. Henry Aaron verifies the quote by Yogi Berra: Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.

It's depressing that all these star players that I watched when I was a kid are dying off.

I don't what you mean by the Yogi quote, but Aaron had incredibly strong wrists. For whatever reason, he batted cross handed, meaning left hand on top. until he was in late teens and somehow hit 400 foot homers with that grip. He later said that rather than changing his grip, he should have batted left-handed

My parents met Hank Aaron back in 1971, before he had the record. They said he was an incredibly friendly and humble person. I have 2 autographed baseballs by Mr. Aaron. He was everything an athlete should be, both on and off the field. Very sorry to hear of his passing.

I have said this more than once on these message boards, but I have long believed and still believe Hank Aaron was the greatest baseball player ever.

.305 batting average (for a power hitter, that is terrific)

3771 hits (3rd all time)

2297 RBI (most ever)

755 HRs (most ever by a non-cheater)

6856 Total Bases (most ever)

By all accounts too, a humble and likeable man.

RIP Mr. Aaron.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

met him 24 or 27 or 30 years ago wrote:

I met Henry Aaron at a record store in west L.A., CA either 24 or 27 or 30 years ago. We were standing next to each other. I said to him, "You look like Hank Aaron." He confirmed he was Hank Aaron. Henry Aaron verifies the quote by Yogi Berra: Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.

It's depressing that all these star players that I watched when I was a kid are dying off.

I don't what you mean by the Yogi quote, but Aaron had incredibly strong wrists. For whatever reason, he batted cross handed, meaning left hand on top. until he was in late teens and somehow hit 400 foot homers with that grip. He later said that rather than changing his grip, he should have batted left-handed

I'm 5'11". At the time Henry Aaron and I were the same height. He was not a large man like many home run hitters. O.P. mentioned what Aaron had to go throw in his career. Wrists? Obviously Aaron had outstanding neuromuscular coordination. Aaron was strong mentally.

To the skies Mr. 44. Bless your soul.

Hank just got the COVID vaccine... deader than a box of nails.

DanM wrote:

The all time leader in home runs will ALWAYS be Hank Aaron.

It will NEVER be Barry Bonds.

^^^^This X1000000

RIP

I saw him in 1974, hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and no one out in the bottom of the twelfth to beat the Houston Astros.

Is it just coincidence that he got the vaccine two weeks ago to the day.

old braves fan wrote:

I saw him in 1974, hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and no one out in the bottom of the twelfth to beat the Houston Astros.

Is it just coincidence that he got the vaccine two weeks ago to the day.

Coincidence or not, that should sure get the attention of the public.

A class Gentlemen and an ambassador for the game of baseball rest in peace Hank

Gillgan wrote:

A class Gentlemen and an ambassador for the game of baseball rest in peace Hank

Well said.

As a NYer I liked Mays, Mantle, Dimaggio and Ruth more but I always admired him.

Flagpole wrote:

I have said this more than once on these message boards, but I have long believed and still believe Hank Aaron was the greatest baseball player ever.

.305 batting average (for a power hitter, that is terrific)

3771 hits (3rd all time)

2297 RBI (most ever)

755 HRs (most ever by a non-cheater)

6856 Total Bases (most ever)

By all accounts too, a humble and likeable man.

RIP Mr. Aaron.

Willie Mays was a better all-around player and had a higher career WAR total than Aaron. Aaron never had a 10+ WAR season while Mays accomplished it 6 times. Mays was a better base runner and defender.

Aaron had better career numbers than Mays because he didn't start tailing off until age 39 compared to Mays doing so at 36.

This is no critisim of Aaron. He was indeed a fantastic ballplayer.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Willie Mays was a better all-around player and had a higher career WAR total than Aaron. Aaron never had a 10+ WAR season while Mays accomplished it 6 times. Mays was a better base runner and defender.

Aaron had better career numbers than Mays because he didn't start tailing off until age 39 compared to Mays doing so at 36.

This is no critisim of Aaron. He was indeed a fantastic ballplayer.

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Willie Mays also played much of his career at Candlestick Park. The place was a wind tunnel. His home run total would have been higher had he played anywhere else. Being a San Francisco native, and Giants fan, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda were my favorite players just ahead of Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

I have said this more than once on these message boards, but I have long believed and still believe Hank Aaron was the greatest baseball player ever.

.305 batting average (for a power hitter, that is terrific)

3771 hits (3rd all time)

2297 RBI (most ever)

755 HRs (most ever by a non-cheater)

6856 Total Bases (most ever)

By all accounts too, a humble and likeable man.

RIP Mr. Aaron.

Willie Mays was a better all-around player and had a higher career WAR total than Aaron. Aaron never had a 10+ WAR season while Mays accomplished it 6 times. Mays was a better base runner and defender.

Aaron had better career numbers than Mays because he didn't start tailing off until age 39 compared to Mays doing so at 36.

This is no critisim of Aaron. He was indeed a fantastic ballplayer.

I agree that Mays > Aaron but it's not like they were far apart. Mike Trout is on pace to be in their league.

Bonds at the height of his powers was the greatest hitter of all time.