HANK AARON WAS A TRUE CHAMPION ON & OFF THE FIELD

The Cheats Movement mourns the loss of a true hero. “Hammerin” Hank Aaron passed away yesterday at the age of 86.

It’s hard to place in proper context what Hank Aaron, born in Mobile Alabama, meant to our country. I’ve long believed that Hank Aaron, one of the greatest players of all-time, and to many still the reigning all-time home run king, was probably historically underrated.

Underrated? How can that be? Well, Aaron played with other baseball giants, primarily Wilie Mays and Mickey Mantle, both of whom played in New York and possessed more swag and public savvy than Aaron. While Mays would time a fly ball just right to make his catch look spectacular, Aaron would routinely glide under the ball and wait for it to drop in his glove. While Mantle hit towering, tape-measure home runs, most of Aarons would barely clear the wall. At the end of the day, a catch is a catch and a home run is a home run, but Aaron’s business-like approach didn’t win the media like some of his contemporaries. And because of that, I feel, he was slightly underrated as a player.

That is until a home run isn’t just a home run. While Aaron was approaching the all-time home run record, then held by Babe Ruth, he was receiving nearly 3,000 death threats a day, all racist in nature. He blocked out insurmountable pressure to break Ruth’s home run record in 1974.

Aaron’s stats are unreal. 25x all-star. League MVP (1957), World Series Champ (1957), 3x Gold Glove, 2x NL batting champ, 4x NL home run leader, 4x NL RBI leader.

Following his playing days, Aaron was an executive for the Braves and an ambassador for MLB. He was often a voice for justice and equality.

Personally, I learned most of my Aaron knowledge from Howard Bryant’s 2011 book, “The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron.” I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Hammerin Hank.

A great man. A true hero. He will be missed. #WESEEIT