Quote of the day
May 25, 2013
My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.
~Hank Aaron
Tag: Hank Aaron
This day in baseball: Hank Aaron joins the 600 home run club
April 27, 2013
On April 27, 1971, Hank Aaron hit a 350-foot home run off pitcher Gaylord Perry. It was the 600th homer of his career, making him only the third player in baseball history to accomplish this feat, behind Babe Ruth and Willie Mays. In spite of the homer, Atlanta lost to the Giants 6-5 in ten innings. Ironically, it was Willie Mays’ tenth inning single that produced the Giants’ winning run.
This day in baseball: Aaron replaces Thomson
March 13, 2013
On 13 March 1954, Braves outfielder Bobby Thomson broke his ankle sliding into third base during an exhibition game against the Pirates. Unfortunately for Thomson, this meant that he was out of the lineup until July 14. Fortunately for baseball history, this event opened up a starting spot for a young man named Hank Aaron. Nobody’s ever heard of him, have they?
“As far as I’m concerned, (Hank) Aaron is the best ball player of my era. He is to baseball of the last 15 years what Joe DiMaggio was before him. He’s never received the credit he’s due.” – Mickey Mantle in Baseball Digest (June 1970)
