Remembering Hank Aaron, a trailblazer for equality on the baseball diamond.

     On Friday, January 22, baseball legend Hank Aaron was pronounced dead due to natural causes and this shocked the baseball world as multiple teams including the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, and New York Yankees all took to social media to mourn the loss of “Hammerin’ Hank” with superstars such as David Ortiz, Magic Johnson, and even Barry Bonds also taking their thoughts to social media to express the loss of the Hall of Famer. 

     A few tweets read “Rest in Peace to an American hero, icon, and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. I still remember where I was back in the day when he set the record, at that time, to become the home run all-time leader. While a legendary athlete, Hank Aaron was also an extraordinary businessman…” stated Earvin “Magic” Johnson, another read “A legend on and off the ball field… the best to ever do it… RIP Mr. Hank Aaron #44” by baseball legend David Ortiz.

     Hank Aaron was not only shown respect by his peers, but students and teachers of Harford County have also spoken on the legacy of Hank Aaron as well. Junior Zack Rives (Harford Technical) used words such as “powerful” and “brave” when describing the “Hammer” while teacher Douglas Heeter (North Harford) claimed, “As a baseball fan, of course, one would know about Hank Aaron as the player who was a tremendous talent. “

     Mr. Heeter spoke on Aaron’s legacy on the field claiming “Most notable of his career stats being the home run record he held (and some think he still should be recognized as the present record holder) since he eclipsed Babe Ruth’s total of 714 in 1974.  Other key marks include a .305 career batting average, 3,771 hits, and he still tops for career total bases well beyond the runner-up player, and RBI with 2,297 total.”

    Mr. Heeter also spoke on the hall of Famer’s legacy off the field stating “Beyond his on the field accomplishments, he was an ambassador for the game and a voice for equality.  He grew up in the south and came into the Major Leagues at a time of segregation and dealt with aspects of racism throughout his playing days.  As a player and personality, he paved the way for many in the modern game.  He used his notoriety to push for more minority hires to leadership positions in coaching and front office roles in the majors.”

     Hank Aaron holds multiple records to this day in almost every major category for a hitter however Aaron’s legacy was much deeper than a stat sheet, he was a statistically dominant force on the baseball field during a time when Jim Crow laws were still being upheld and enforced. Fans often threw rocks, wore mops on their heads to mock African American players, and even threw black cats onto the field according to CNN. Hank was frequently a victim of racism during his play meanwhile still maintaining an immense 25 all-star selections in only 23 seasons.