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coxfan
06-13-2013, 01:50 PM
Hank Aaron played his final minor-league here in Columbia, SC in the early 1950's on a field still in use. Last night he came back to be honored on that same field before a crowd of more than 3,000. In the interview he gave on the pitcher's mound, he came across as articulate, intelligent, and possessed of fine personal values.

He said that today's athletes in all sports are better than the ones of his day. He talked of his charitable efforts to help children reach their dreams in life, whether that dream to become a pianist or anything else.

But he said "Life has no shortcuts", and criticized those who use PED's as seeking a shortcut that doesn't succeed in the end. He said that if a young player dreams of becoming a great player, he should seek that goal by fair and ethical means to get the most durable end outcomes. Hank's sense of humor was sharp despite his age of 79. When a fan asked him what were his favorite foods, he jokingly patted his tummy and said: "Apparently all of them" before replying more seriously that he's a seafood fan.

The most significant thing to me was to contrast the very warm reception he got last night, versus reception he received in Columbia in the early 50's. Then he was one of the first to integrate the South Atlantic League. According to his autobiography "I Had a Hammer" he nearly quit in the minors because of the incessant racism. His manager, a white man, encouraged him to stay in baseball; saying if he quit he'd let racism win.

Then he endured innumerable death threats against him and his family right on through his 715th HR. Many of those chilling threats are given verbatim in "I Had a Hammer", a reminder of how low a person can go when prejudice of any kind develops unchecked.

But in a recent phone interview he gave to a local reporter, he said: " I'm almost 80 years old. I'm focusing on forgiveness, not bitterness" about those past horrors. And last night he got the Key to the City from Columbia's current Mayor-who's an African-American.

Jags Fan Dan
06-14-2013, 06:08 AM
I always admired his anti-PED stance and his openness about it. One of my favorite t shirts I own has a black and white photo of a young Hank Aaron. The caption below the photo says: 755 homeruns - 0 steroids

camarokids
06-14-2013, 09:25 AM
Hammerin' Hank! My favorite player. Wish I could afford one of his bats....