"Henry"

Rest in peace 🙏

My favorite player since I was old enough to have a favorite player. The most underrated player of all time. As other have said, the breaking of Babe Ruth's HR record overshadowed how good of a baseball player he was.

https://www.mlb.com/news/hank-...-and-accomplishments

Legend - and I agree underrated.  Rest in Peace.

One of the best thing about baseball is the stories that are full of charm. One of my favorites involved Henry Aaron. A college teammate from the Rio Grande Valley was the most fierce competitor I ever saw. His name is James Gibson, but he went by “Hoot”. Hoot was a cowboy by choice, but when not riding bulls he was a dominant LHP. He threw over 90 mph and was an All American in 1976. The problem was that Hoot is 5’-11” and weighed 165 lbs dripping wet, so he went undrafted in spite of a spectacular college career. He continued to play after graduating and actually got better.  He was convinced to attend an Atlanta Braves tryout camp under an alias and a fake age - which he pulled off due to his baby face. The Braves were blown away and signed him on the spot. Hoot tore up Rookie League, A, and AA ball and got an invite to big league spring training camp for the next season. Over the winter the Braves front office figured out who he was and called him on the carpet - literally. In a meeting at the GMs office Hoot was getting an earful and was asked how he could justify his actions. Before he could answer, Henry Aaron said, “Don’t be mad at him. The whole thing was my idea and I put him up to it because you sorry m...........s wouldn’t sign him after me telling you 6 times to do it.  So you have yourselves to blame.”

It’s amazing someone as great is Hank Aaron was underrated most of his career. It’s because he didn’t start in the same city as Willie, Mickey and the Duke.

One of my all time favorites. Rest in peace Hank.

In Aaron's book "I Got a Hammer" he relates that the 1955 Willie's Mays travel team may have been the best in baseball. Our 3b played "short LF"!

He was not going to get any closer to the hitters. No one needed a radar gun to determine "bat speed".  The "sound" of the bat. Final score 6-2 and 5,000 spectators.

Bob

One of my idols growing up, forever in my heart hammer!