Baseball legends remembered
Because this past year has proven itself to be a downer in so many ways, it feels like piling on to point out anything else. But those of us who call ourselves baseball fans can attest to the fact that the last 12 months have been particularly sad, as some of the most prominent legends of the game have died. Joe Morgan, Phil Niekro, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Al Kaline, and Tom Seaver: all Hall of Famers who shaped and even transformed the game. More recently, Tommy Lasorda, Don Sutton, and Hank Aaron have passed. For me, the loss of Hank Aaron struck a particular chord. One of my favorite heroes of baseball’s past, Aaron’s unparalleled career and his incredible fortitude off the field make him not only one of the top 5 greatest players of all time, but a true American hero.
When Aaron was making a name for himself as one of the best in the game, he built a legion of loyal followers, none as devoted as those in Milwaukee and Atlanta, where he played for his twenty-three year career. He also faced immense backlash. As a Black man in a predominantly white sport at a time of deep hostility toward African Americans, he heard racist taunts and felt the sting of bigotry many times over. He even famously held onto the hate mail he received over the years, which became especially vitriolic as he closed in on Babe Ruth’s home run record. He said it kept him grounded and reminded him to be humble, even when he was achieving so much on the baseball diamond. Despite the racism he encountered, he maintained an optimistic attitude about American society and worked hard to bring greater equity to the game in later roles as a baseball executive. He was an advocate for civil rights and promoted and supported greater opportunities for children of all backgrounds through his various charities and foundations.
Like many baseball fans, I love the statistics of the game. As a kid, I kept track of box scores and learned a lot of math by calculating ERAs and batting averages. Aaron’s statistics are mind-boggling. Most people know about his home runs (755 total, which puts him just behind Barry Bonds for most all-time), but what about these numbers?
- 2297 RBIs (most all-time), including 11 seasons with over 100 RBIs
- 1477 extra-base hits (doubles, triples, home runs combined ; most all-time)
- 20 consecutive years hitting more than 20 home runs (no one has come close to that level of consistency)
- Career batting average of .308
For those of you who don’t follow baseball, I can tell you that many of these numbers are so phenomenal that they may never be matched. And Aaron played in a much earlier era when a lot of these stats were harder to achieve. One other pair of numbers I admire about Aaron as a hitter: over his career he had more walks than strikeouts, which is unheard of in baseball today. And he never struck out more than 97 times in a season.
When I started collecting baseball cards in the mid-'70s, Hank Aaron’s career was winding down. I am happy to say I ended up with several of his cards just by happenstance—back then I had no idea that collecting cards would be a good investment! One card features an image that brings me right back to the night he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record against the LA Dodgers on Monday Night Baseball. The Atlanta crowd went wild as soon as the ball left the bat, and soon there was Aaron trotting casually around the bases, looking as if 715 was much like 400, or 500, or just another home run. Two crazy fans met up with him as he rounded second base and “escorted” him for a while, then a mob scene awaited him as he reached home plate. Finally, he broke out in a smile; the look of relief on his face was remarkable.
Fellow baseball fan and longtime Colorado Academy math teacher Steven Hammer joined me recently in reminiscing about some of these great players. When I told him I planned to write a blog on baseball, he volunteered to add some of his own thoughts.
The Passing of Legends –
Baseball is in my blood. It was the sport growing up—and I recall countless stories of the greats of the past. The last 12 months saw the passing of 10 baseball Hall of Famers. Each one tinged a memory from my youth, or a story my father shared with me. For, despite the incredible and vast on the field accomplishments of Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Joe Morgan, Phil Niekro, Tommy Lasorda, Don Sutton, and Hank Aaron, it’s the lesser known stories which have always piqued my interest. They show the human side—the classiness—of these greats.
Al Kaline, Mr. Tiger, who went straight from high school to the major leagues, turned down a $95,000-$100,000 raise in 1970, because he said he didn’t deserve it after hitting .278 with only 16 home runs. Bob Gibson, whom many consider one of the nastiest competitors ever on the mound, was instrumental in desegregation inside the major leagues. In 1961, when he was playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, they were the first sports team in which all players shared the same clubhouse and locker room. This was before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
At the 1967 All-Star Game, a wide-eyed rookie pitcher, Tom Seaver, (perhaps the greatest gentleman of the game) wanted to ask for an autograph from the great Hank Aaron, who was at the time in his prime. Seaver felt the need to introduce himself to his idol, as he doubted Aaron would know who he was. “Kid, I know who you are,” replied Aaron, “and before your career is over, I guarantee you everyone in this stadium will too.” Their friendship stood for decades, just like that of Hank Greenberg and Jackie Robinson, both of whom withstood and overcame slurs, discrimination, and hatred. But we’ll save that one for another article.
There are countless other not-so-known stories of each of the greats . . . stories I wish not to be forgotten.
Ah, the memories! By the way, next week, pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training 2021, and another baseball season will begin.
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