Another legend has passed: Hank Aaron

[Vintagecatcher]

Just heard of the passing of Hank Aaron. We have lost another legend.

Remember fondly of watching him break the home run record.

Patrick

[Republicaninmass]

RIP, one of the greatest

[Seven]

Originally Posted by Vintagecatcher

Just heard of the passing of Hank Aaron. We have lost another legend.

Remember fondly of watching him break the home run record.

Patrick

God Damn, this is terrible. I thought he was in relatively good health. RIP

[marzoumanian]

What he went through as a MLB player THROUGHOUT his career boggles my mind. You can't help but ask yourself how you would have handled yourself in the same conditions. Thank you, Hammerin' Hank, for your class and courage. RIP.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

F these last 24 months. Regret never getting a chance to shake his hand. RIP to one of the greatest ever.

[MuncieNolePAZ]

Just awful news. Not just one of the greatest players ever, but an incredible human as well. He will be sorely missed. Prayers to his family and friends.

[packs]

RIP Hank

[dio]

RIP home run king. he's one of my favorite player to collect besides mantle.

[LincolnVT]

What a great player he was.

[icollectDCsports]

This is a real kick in the gut. Awful news. RIP, HR King.

[scooter729]

Truly a legend for many reasons. RIP....

[mainemule]

This hits hard, really hard. The other legends who've recently died were the best of the best. Hank was baseball royalty. This is so sad....😥😥

[Kenny Cole]

This one really hurts. It seems like we've lost more legends these last couple of years than I can ever remember happening before. RIP Mr. Aaron. I loved watching you play.

[jayshum]

RIP Hank. Amazing what a rough past 10 or so months it has been with losing HoFers. Has there ever been a stretch like this before where so many passed away in this short a time period?

[Case12]

I grew up in Atlanta. Hank was a lot like a Jackie Robinson to the South. Loved and hated. Over the years he emerged as a legend. The true home run king.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I think Joe Adcock said it. Trying to sneak a fastball past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak a sunrise past a rooster.

[sdimag]

Baseball’s TRUE home run King! Where were you when Hank broke The Babes record? I was a 14 year old watching in mom and dad’s front room. Remember Bill Buckner in left field climbing the fence as Tom House caught the ball! One of the greatest sports moments in my lifetime! RIP Henry. Thanks for all you did for baseball!

[BabyRuth]

1958 signed menu with 3,000 hit members Cobb, Aaron, Musial and Kaline

[ocjack]

Always a gentleman. RIP Mr. Aaron.

[skelly423]

The next Cooperstown induction ceremony, whenever it may be, is going to have a lot of empty chairs. RIP to another legend.

[egri]

Originally Posted by jayshum

RIP Hank. Amazing what a rough past 10 or so months it has been with losing HoFers. Has there ever been a stretch like this before where so many passed away in this short a time period?

One of the other members here did a study of HoFer deaths by year recently, and last year tied 1972 as the worst year, so I don't think there's ever been a stretch like the past 13 months.

[chadeast]

feeling like the rest of you, this one really hurts. RIP Hank.

[MVSNYC]

RIP Hank.

[SteveS]

I got to be in the presence of a king once. Back in the early-'80s when card show autograph prices were fairly reasonable. RIP to the true home-run champ.

[BCauley]

Yet another sad day for baseball that has been all too common this past year.

Read his autobiography years ago, "I Had a Hammer." Amazing and infuriating. Highly recommend.

[irv]

Great tribute here.

RIP, Hank.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article...n-dies-age-86/

[scmavl]

That’s wild. Last night around midnight, I just felt like I “needed” to own an Aaron RC. I made an offer for one on eBay (declined) and put up a WTB ad here. Now this... Very sad, as he was TRULY one of the good ones.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by sdimag

Baseball’s TRUE home run King! Where were you when Hank broke The Babes record? I was a 14 year old watching in mom and dad’s front room. Remember Bill Buckner in left field climbing the fence as Tom House caught the ball! One of the greatest sports moments in my lifetime! RIP Henry. Thanks for all you did for baseball!

When my mom passed several years ago, I brought, read and "played" the Birthday card she got me that year during her eulogy. It said that she was proud of me and that "anything is possible if you work hard enough and to follow my dreams". It was one of the first Cards that played Music or in this case the calling of the 715th homerun by Milo Hamilton. I just pulled it out and listened for old time sake as tears come down my cheeks. Like most moms, she was right. I have had more success than I probably deserve, so this one hit home particularly hard today.

We also had watched on TV in the front room. I was fortunate enough to see one of those home runs in person on June 24th 1972 from the 4th row at Dodger Stadium with my grandfather. I was 11. He would point these guys out to me occasionally and whispered to me in my ear on that day, "That's Hank Aaron" son. Thanks for the memories Hank. You will be missed.

[ocjack]

Classic Aaron card.

[kailes2872]

When I was 8, I bought the baseball address book. I sent out probably 40 letters where I would have my 8 year old handwriting and a school picture included. It was mainly to tell the players how much I admired them. I was 8. I didn't include anything for an autograph. I received 2 notes back. One was a personalized autograph from Stan Musial. The other was a package from Hank Aaron. He didn't include letter, but he included a signed 8x10, a 3x5 index card and a Babe Ruth replica card that he signed.

He got my school picture. I was a young white kid. He didn't have to respond - the other 38 folks didn't respond (nor did I ask them to... I just wanted to tell them how much I admired them). Our elementary school library had a sports section. Since it was so recent to 74, there were probably 4-5 Hank Aaron books. I read every one of them. I read about the $2 and 2 sandwiches as he left Mobile. I read about the Sally League and how he had to endure insults and my little 8 year old brain couldn't understand why - I mean, he was Hank Aaron for goodness sakes.

Today, I have every one of his mainstream cards. I have a signed picture of the 715 homer that was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I have a signed picture of Hank & Willie that I overpaid for back in 2012 when I took the boys to the HOF in Cooperstown. I have a signed baseball from him as well. He was my favorite. As I have gotten older, I realize the grace under pressure that he possessed. I often think about how scared he must have been - after all of the hate letters - to have the 2 dudes run out on the field. But, through it all, he didn't flinch. 86 is a good number. If I am promised 86 years today, I will take it. But, it is only 38 years away. In 30 years I will be 78 and I remember 30 years ago like it was yesterday. Time marches on. So, while I am sad that he passed, it is much like what I have experienced over the past year as some of these legends like Seaver, Sutton, and Niekro have died. They have died as pretty old men - not an early death like Stargell - but they were guys that were playing when I first started watching.

That is what makes it so surreal. These are legends that were supposed to stay young forever. If they are going, then it is only a matter of time until it is my turn and that is the sobering thought of the day (not that I didn't already know that, but it reminds me of my mortality).

[doug.goodman]

Wow, a true legend.

I was lucky enough to see him hit #751 in Oakland on June 16, 1976.

And, I was extra lucky that day when I succeeded in getting his signature on my baseball before the game. There was quite a scrum when he walked over to the seats and started signing.

ANOTHER sad day for baseball, and in this case society in general.

Thank you Mr. Aaron

[DeanH3]

RIP Mr. Aaron. Sad he had to endure what he did.

[ZiggerZagger]

He played a full 9 innings in life, better than most of us ever will or could. And with a tremendous dignity.

The things he must have seen and experienced over a lifetime like his... A life worth celebrating

HankAaronCollection.jpg

[AGuinness]

Perusing some of the reactions from people about his passing shows just how expansive his influence was. Not just baseball, but greats from all corners of sports ans society, from Bill Russell to Lenny Kravitz, celebrating his dignity, grace and how inspiring he was. That is a life well-lived.

[bigfanNY]

A Great Human Being, Great Ballplayer and The 1974 Topps Subset showing His Topps cards from 1954 to 1973 did more to grow our Hobby than anything up uintil then.
I bought this early Aaron Signiture a few years ago. It was signed during Spring Training. A Game between the Braves snd Red Sox. Having heard The Ted Williams Tale of Aaron's 450 ft HR his first game March 4th 1954. I wondered if this ball was signed that day.

[samosa4u]

Ohhhhh ... this one is going to really hurt! Aaron was the MAN! And yes, "I had a Hammer" is definitely a good read! It's insane how he managed to go through all of that! RIP!

[Tao_Moko]

Sad news. I just don't believe it's possible to replace this type of royalty. There's no Bonds or Griffey that can match the challenges Aaron had to contend with. We still have Mays, but we are really closing in on an end of era for living legends. RIP

[triwak]

One of the G.O.A.T. RIP, Hammerin' Hank.

[71buc]

All of my childhood heroes are gone now. Henry Aaron was the very definition of class on and off the field. His offensive prowess is mind boggling. If he had not hit one home run in his career he still would have amassed 3000 hits. Is there any other power hitter who accomplished that?

[perezfan]

I was at Crosley Field, to see Hammerin' Hank get his 3,000th hit. A great time to be alive. As I recall, he had a few extra base hits that day including a homer (it might've been a double header).

But his 3,000th was a little seeing-eye single up the middle that barely got through the infield. I was just a kid, but still remember the loud standing ovation from the crowd. A memory I will always treasure.

RIP Hank

[Santo10Fan]

It's a day all baseball fans dreaded, RIP Hammerin' Hank

[Hirbonzig]

We all want our heroes to live on forever, but the time comes to move on to the greatest hall of fame of all. I was lucky enough to see Henry as a kid in County Stadium, no home run was hit just the thrill of seeing the new home run champ was enough. Rest In Peace Henry.

[clydepepper]

This is getting to be so hard. As part of the Braves' fan base, loosing Hank was loosing a family member...and that's three in a month...Hank was voted one of the Franchise Four along with May, Bench and Koufax.

As a player, he was forever underrated, but one of the elite of the elite.

As a Man, he was more than that.

I was allowed down into the Braves dugout, prior to a game early in that first season in Atlanta- 1966. My cousin, Whitlow Wyatt, was the Braves' first pitching coach. He got the team to autograph a ball for me- including Hank and Phil. I did not appreciate it at the time and lost the ball somewhere...as a collector, I have replaced it with a ball signed by fourteen of the 1966 Braves...again including Hank. It is one of my prized possessions. I'm constantly looking for a full team-signed ball.

Mom drove us up to see a Braves game every year and, because she had to work the next day, we would leave early - and listen on the radio on the way home. I cannot tell you how often, Hank came up to bat late in the game and delivered, frequently with a homer. We were in the left-field stands and less than 100 feet from where his Home Run in the 1972 All-Star Game.

I just finished reading Tom Stanton's, 'Hank Aaron and the Home Run that Changed America'. - and it did and the book was great.

Hank went through so much - so those that followed wouldn't have to.

Mr. Aaron- I appreciate your walk on this rock and will miss you and think of you every time I look at my digital clocks when it indicates 7:14. Seared in my memory. Rest in Peace Sir.

[Buythatcard]

A sad day.

[Ricky]

I'm devastated. My all-time favorite player, both as a kid growing up and now. Such a great player... remember watching the NBC Monday Night Game of the Week and seeing him break the HR record, and I had been rooting for him for a number of years before, so that was the culmination. People forget that he was a true 5-tool player... stole 31 bases in 1963, won 3 Gold Gloves and would have won many more, except for the fact that Clemente overlapped him in RF. For me, the all-time HR king. I have a complete run of his Topps cards from 1954-76...

[Clutch-Hitter]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Vegas Cards]

Tremendous loss. As a Dodger fan especially, first losing Tommy Lasorda and Don Sutton, now Mr. Aaron.

On a somewhat separate note, days like this really bring my frustration with PSA delays to a boil. I've got five Hank Aaron cards stuck there, two of them signed. They've been there since July.

I'd really love to have them with me, set out on a shelf in my office, my own small tribute to the HR King.

[hysell]

Yes, this was my player , with Mays just behind him ! Willie is the last of the greats old time players to me

[campyfan39]

Rest in Peace Hank!

The 1956 Topps I got for my Christmas in 1995 and the rookie I got for Christmas in 1992


Autographed pic from a card show in the 90's when I got to meet him


Hank with my friend and the legendary card deal "Uncle" Dick Decourcy

[Exhibitman]

Fuck...



My childhood is dying before my eyes...

I have been a fan of Hank's ever since I was a small boy, though I never did get to see him play in person (my first game was a Mets game in 1973, second was a Yankees game in 1976). The first big run of cards I ever pursued was Willie Mays but the second was Hank Aaron. I've owned his rookie card three times. I of course remember that home run. I saw it on a black and white tv in our vacation home in Mahopac, NY. As I learned more about him and his career and life, I became a bigger fan. There are lots of good people but there are only a handful of baseball players I see as true role models: Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson. All handled themselves with grace and graciousness through genuinely horrible discrimination, and none ever lost their core of decency and kindness. I only got to meet Aaron once, at a card show signing, but he was gracious and engaging and I left an even bigger fan than I was before. There is only one player who has a solo memorabilia album on my shelf: Henry Aaron.

So, in celebration of his life rather than in mourning, here is a new piece I got recently, something I never saw before in 30+ years of collecting Hank Aaron stuff, and the back story adds a bit more to the understanding of the incredible breadth of his appeal:




This is a folded card about the size of a regular baseball card when folded. It dates to 1982 and was issued in Korea. Here is a news story that gives background:

From SABR (Patrick Bourgo)

Today, Korea is known around the world as a baseball powerhouse. Several players, such as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, have contributed to major league clubs. The nation has waged spirited campaigns in international competitions, including the World Baseball Classic.

Earlier in Korea's baseball history, however, it was far rarer for players to be able to measure themselves against their American counterparts.

That's why a visit in 1982 by an American delegation led by the legendary Hank Aaron marked such a momentous occasion.

Baseball has existed here for over 100 years, but when Hammerin' Hank arrived, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) was still in its initial stage, having just completed its inaugural season.

Aaron, who had been retired for several years, first visited the country by himself, invited by the Samsung Lions to put on some batting clinics. His long list of accomplishments was not lost on Koreans.

These include his 755 career home runs, the major league record for 33 years. He is the all-time leader in runs batted in (2,297) and extra-base hits (1,477) and won a World Series ring in 1957.

On his solo trip, the American took in some sites and visited U.S. soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone. He also agreed to return in the fall and bring with him a team of American players for a series of exhibition games.

True to his word, Aaron returned in October with players from the Atlanta Braves minor league affiliates (AAA Richmond, AA Savannah, and two Single-A clubs). They were joined by Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and future Hall of Famer Billy Williams. The squad was helmed by Edwin Hass and John Sain. Aaron served as general manager.

Aside from the retired Banks and Williams, the Braves side did not include many names that most baseball fans would know or remember. Two players who did make it to the majors were Tony Brizzolara and Milt Thompson. Hank Aaron's son, Lary, a minor leaguer in the Braves organization, was also on the team.

On the other hand, the KBO side featured a number of well-known players including Baek In-cheon, who played in Japan's professional baseball league and is the only player ever to hit over .400 in the KBO.

Ex-Samsung catcher and current SK Wyverns manager Lee Man-soo also played in the series. Lee has the distinction of getting the first hit and first home run in Korean pro baseball. He also won a World Series ring in 2005 as a coach with the Chicago White Sox. Other players who took part in the series were Kim Jae-bak, Ha Gi-ryong, Lee Gil-hwan and Yoon Dong-gyun.

Eight games were played between October 16 and 27, split between Jamsil Stadium in Seoul and Citizen Stadium in Daegu (the home park of the Samsung Lions).

The Braves minor leaguers, plus Banks and Williams, faced off against the inaugural KBO champion OB Bears (now Doosan Bears), MBC Blue Dragons (now LG Twins), Samsung Lions and a KBO All-Star team. They played one game each against OB and MBC, three games against Samsung and three against the KBO All-Stars.

There was also a home run contest before the first game. Hank Aaron and Billy Williams represented the Braves side, and Yoon Dong-gyun and Shin Kyong-shik participated for the OB Bears.

The Braves minor leaguers got off to a slow start in the series. They tied their first game against the Bears, the reigning KBO champs, and then lost their second game 3-5 against MBC. In the second game, Ron Grout hit a two-run home run for the Braves, but it was Kim Jae-bak who drove in the winning runs for the Blue Dragons.

The Braves did not get their first win until moving from Seoul to Daegu. The change of venue seemed to do the Braves wonders, as they crushed the Lions 13-5 and 9-0 in their two-game set in Daegu.

But the impressive offensive display -- highlighted by a total of six homers in the two games -- was not the highlight of their trip to Daegu.

The biggest story happened in the first inning of the first game. A long-since-retired Ernie Banks crushed a grand slam against the Lions pitcher. After circling the bases, the 51-year-old was greeted by his son Joey.

Moreover, with Hank's son Lary having entered the game in the sixth inning, and Joey replacing Steve Curry in the eighth, this game also holds the distinction of being the first (and possibly only) time the sons of the two hall-of-famers played together.

Overall, the Korean teams edged out the Braves' minor leaguers with a record of four wins, three losses, and one tie, despite scoring only 22 runs compared to the Americans' 43.

After returning to Seoul and losing two of three to the Korean All-stars, including a game in which Dragon's third baseman Lee Kwang-un pitched a six-hit complete game, the Braves team played their final game against the Samsung Lions at Jamsil Stadium. A three-run fourth inning by Samsung was enough to avenge the defeats in Daegu with a final score of 4-2. For the Braves, the loss brought an end to their two-week goodwill tour.

There were three shutouts, two by the Braves and one by the Korean All-Star team. Ron Grout stood out for the Braves, hitting at a .333 clip with three home runs and 10 RBIs. All in all, it was an impressive showing for the newly formed Korean professional baseball league and the beginning of many exchanges between the KBO and MLB.

The card itself as you can see functions as a minor league score card as well as a souvenir of Aaron's visit to Korea.