Wanna know what’s worse? Until I heard people on the radio talking about him yesterday, I didn’t know Hank Aaron was black.
Random fun fact: Rapper M.C. Hammer was once the clubhouse attendant for the Oakland Athletics. Players nicknamed him “Hammer” because of his resemblance to Hank Aaron, and fronted him seed money to record his first album because they thought he had talent.
Me, too. 
That’s a big part of why it was such a big deal when he broke Babe Ruth’s “sacrosanct” home run record.
He finished the 1973 season one home run short of Babe Ruth’s record and received tons of death threats and hate mail throughout the off-season and he said his biggest fear was that he wouldn’t live to see the 1974 season.
Obviously he did live to see the 1974 season and beyond, thank goodness. But the fear was very real.
he truly thought the two fans running out on the field intended him harm
I remember him breaking the record. It was really exciting. I may have known he was Black at the time, but i don’t recall that. Black athletes were unremarkable by then… Or so i thought.
I was a pretty sheltered child, though.
The 70s were a different time. 2 fans tried that today they’d be taken down by security. I still remember the crazy scene at Yankee stadium when Chris Chambliss hit a series winning walk off HR and the fans stormed the field before he could circle the bases. Another thing that hopefully would never happen today. Of course with no fans due to covid there is no one to storm the field but separate issue there.
remember that game
Cicely Tyson. wonderful actress, predominantly TV, miniseries
Sonny Fox. Original Host of children’s TV show Wonderama
I remember when the Mets clinched the NL East in '86 the fans ransacked the field. They ramped up their police presence during the playoffs of course.
I believe it was '73 when the field was very ripped up, they took some sod from around the warning track. One of the Mets misplayed a fly not realizing he had more room
John Chaney - Temple BB Coach
another HOFer gone
RIP, Sir Tom.
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(RN awaiting…)
“Another COVID-related DEATH.”
Hal Holbrook 95
Unhappily, the reports of his death are not greatly exaggerated. RIP to a great actor and Mark Twain impersonator.
I always think of him as the bad guy cop in Magnum Force, and secondarily as the straightlaced old timer trader in Wall Street. Actually, I was a little surprised to see that he was still alive up until this week.
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