Happy 84th Birthday to MR. Henry Louis Aaron
 

Mmmmm...... "how he treats others" . . . .seems like a number of people on this board have had very crappy experiences meeting him.

Humble? Lol far from it. But happy birthday to Mr. Aaron

Wow! I sure didn't expect that kind of negative reaction.

I'm glad HE was always treated politely.

We should all walk a mile in someone's shoes before passing judgement.

Walk a mile in his shoes? C'mon. He's a famous athlete who will never have a financial issue in his life. I'm not saying he's Satan, but I've heard lousy things about him FOR YEARS. Is he bitter about all the racist crap he had to endure? Maybe. Was it horrible what he endured. Absolutely. Undeniable. But I can imagine millions of poor seniors would trade places with him in a minute.

Ok...back to celebrating one of the greatest of all time.

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ron%20num1.jpg

Man, tough crowd. Endure death threats and see how you feel about racism. Is he supposed to be a saint, or eternally grateful because he has earned a good living?

No. He is supposed to be grateful that he is able to earn decent living selling his autograph. If he can't be civil and an ambassador to the game, he should only do private signings.

+1. No one has to go to shows. If the whole thing makes you uncomfortable don't do it. But if you do it with a chip on your shoulder and look down at or belittle people paying $$ to meet you I can't excuse that.

Man, you guys could make Lemons out of Lemonade ;-)

jeff

Sorry, but I have 3 friends who met him at different shows over the years and all found him incredibly rude and dismissive.

His importance in baseball and American History is undeniable. Doesn't make him humble or other things the OP said.

Aaron
 

I do not know him. Never met him. Do not do not do autographs. I am glad I saw him play in person. Great ball player.

Trying to sneak a fastball by Hank Aaron was like trying to sneak a sunrise past a rooster. Such a great quote.

Another favorite of mine is, "Henry did not shuffle." I forget who said it, but the context was that according to the speaker anyhow when the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 there was still a segment of the population that expected blacks to behave a certain deferential way.

I'm named after him
 

Happy birthday!

My dad grew up just outside of Milwaukee in the 40's & 50's. Hank was his favorite player. He was the bravest of the Braves.

I was at a card show 20ish years ago in a suburb of Detroit and Hank was doing autos for $20 each. I got signed photos for all my aunts & uncles and while he was signing I told him that I was named after him. He looked me in the eyes and smiled. A great moment in my life I will always cherish.

Thanks Hank!

Your name's not Hank.

Aaron "Hammerin" Seefeldt, I like it. Your dad did a great job !

Three friends over years doesn't seem like a large enough sampling for me to adopt a negative opinion of the man. By "incredibly rude," what is meant, exactly?

Perhaps the OP had a different experience altogether with the man, and so his opinion is as valid as another's.

Here's my Hank with a nice vintage sig. I don't care what people have to say about meeting him at a card show. The amount of hate he endured in his lifetime pales in comparison to the one minute or two minutes you had to stand in front of him while he didn't look at you or something:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4704/...d03a81e338.jpg

I would have asked him to sign as follows

To AARON S from H AARON

Aaron charity
 

Hank Aaron has the "Chasing the Dream" Foundation to donate charity scholarships to under priveleged youth. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

Hank Aaron's philanthropic efforts extend to medicine - has donated $3. Million to the School of Medicine in Atlanta. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

Hank Aaron's generosity extends to Cooperstown as well. Aaron has pledged his entire collection of baseball artifacts to the museum. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

During the holiday season, Aaron and other HOFers lead the pack in making contributions to communities and individuals across the country. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

Hank Aaron with other sluggers from around the world helps promote baseball for young people as a way of advancing their lives. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

Hank Aaron has teamed with MLB to raise awareness, support and donations for charity endeavors. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

Hank aaron has charity tennis event to raise money for medical students. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

Hank Aaron has used his money to fund a multitude of philanthropic endeavors ranging from the environment to nuclear disarmament. Working with Ted Turner, $1. Billion was donated to the United Nations. Thank you Mr. Aaron.

Very nice. Again, Thank you Mr. Aaron

awesome!

Thank you Mr Backstroke

This thread made me think. Imagine being able to sign your name.....and a $100 bill appearing. It's almost like printing money. Hank Aaron and others have the ability to simply sign their name and money appears. It's like the proverbial "money growing on trees"....

Just look at the thread, " Best & Worst Experience Meeting an Athlete." Any player making that list more than 2 or 3 times, either best or worst, likely deserves to be placed in that category. The reviews are not good.

Check reviews of a random movie. Find a 1 star movie, watch it and let me know what you think of it. Some may like it. Most will not. Meeting Hank Aaron, for me, was a 1 star experience and a HUGE let down. I am still sad almost 20 years later that someone I Idolized as a child was so unfriendly to everyone. Many collectors have had a similar 1 star experience.

How much "hate he endured" may explain his poor behavior, but it is not an excuse for it IMO. Lot's of athletes experience racism and hatred. Most of them are very friendly and love spending time with the fans. If not, they should at least figure out a way to put on a fake smile for a couple of hours while they are earning thousands of dollars greeting and signing for the people who make it possible for them to earn a living.

Almost 30 years on and off in this hobby and there are a few common themes I hear over and over, again and again and again. Brooks Robinson is AWESOME! Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron are not nice in that order. I am sure a few people have had a different experience meeting these players, but many that have met these 3 players say they are miserable. Where there there is smoke, there is fire.

I am going to bow out of this thread now. The only reason I replied was the OP stated or implied Hank Aaron is humble, treats others well, and respectful. You folks are not going to convince those of us who have been treated poorly by Hank Aaron and observed him treating others poorly any more than we are going to convince you that he shouldn't be nominated for sainthood.

All I have to say to that is the very same people standing in line for Hank's autograph threatened his life for years: fans. I do not blame him for not wanting to be around fans or being skeptical of people. I think that was certainly more valid in the early days after his retirement but people get set in their ways and even though society has changed some, the faces may look the same to him.

Young Hank..........
 

A 19 year old Hank Aaron about to board the train in Mobile, Alabama to join the Indianapolis Clowns (1953). So much lied ahead of him. The second photo is just one year later......1954 rookie (#5).

Happy 84th Hank. I was lucky enough to see you play a few times at Dodger Stadium in the late 60's. You didn't disappoint......I saw a couple of your 755.