Remembering Hank Aaron Hank Aaron died yesterday at the age of 86. Aaron is second on the all-time home run list behind only Barry Bonds, who used steroids. Aaron is baseball’s all-time leader in total bases, far ahead of Stan Musial, who is second place.
In terms of WAR (a measure of player value that estimates wins above a hypothetical replacement player), Aaron ranks seventh. The only players ahead of him are Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Barry Bonds, Ty Cobb, and Willie Mays, in that order.
A huge amount has been written about Aaron in the day and a half since his death. Today’s Washington Post sports section contained six articles about him,
“It was just Henry Aaron being Henry Aaron,” House said. “I remember in Cincinnati when he opened up there, kind of being this pushing him, ‘What if you hit the tying home run Friday? Are you going to play Saturday or Sunday? What happens this? What happens that?’ And he was like, ‘Look, I’m here to play baseball. I’m going to play baseball, and what happens, happens.’ Unflappable. He may have been really nervous inside or frustrated, or whatever. He never showed us as teammates.”
House had met Aaron years before after signing with Atlanta as a minor leaguer in 1967.
Dec 31, 2020
It’s likely that you lost a cultural icon who meant something to you during 2020, whether from the world of politics, art or sports.
We again were reminded the importance a single person can make on the lives of everyone through the losses of a couple of giants from the world of politics.
On July 17, for instance, we learned of the death of John Lewis. Lewis, who was 80, was an icon of the civil rights movement. His bloody beating by Alabama state troopers helped to strengthen opposition to racial segregation. He would go on to have a long and celebrated career as a member of Congress.
MLB Legend Phil Niekro Dead at 81 After Painful Battle With Cancer
Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro has passed away at the age of 81 following his lengthy battle with cancer.
The devastating news was announced by his former team, the Atlanta Braves, stating that the iconic athlete died in his sleep at his home in the Atlanta suburb of Flowery Branch. We are heartbroken on the passing of our treasured friend, Phil Niekro, the statement said, adding: Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities. It was during those community and fan activities where he would communicate with fans as if they were long lost friends.
For the Intelligencer
FILE - In this March 29, 2007, file photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro holds a knuckleball at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Atlanta Braves, has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. He was 81. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Ohio Valley native and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro passed away Saturday night at home during his sleep in suburban Atlanta. Affectionately known as ‘Knucksie,’ he was 81 years old.