|
New USPS Issue on July 31:
Hank Aaron
We are particularly excited about this one...
A giant both on and off the field, Hank Aaron (1934–2021) rose from humble beginnings to rewrite the record books while prevailing in the face of racism. The stamp art features a portrait of Aaron as a member of the Atlanta Braves, based on a 1968 photo, showing Aaron’s famous right-handed batting stance from the waist up.
The Forever stamp was designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS and will be issued in panes of 20.
Hank Aaron - What a Story!
On January 22, 2021, baseball lost one of its very best both on and off the field.
The iconic slugger displayed not just a powerful bat, but lightning sharp wrists and Gold Glove-worthy defense -- all while battling racism throughout his career, as well as death threats as he approached Babe Ruth's then-home run record.
Did you know?
He hit 755 home runs in his career
Aaron began his career as a shortstop in the Negro Leagues
Before Aaron was the Hall of Fame outfielder we know today, he was a scrawny 17-year-old infielder from Mobile, Ala., who signed with the nearby semi-pro Mobile Black Bears in 1951. Being so young, Aaron's mother didn't want him traveling far from home and so he played in the local home games. Still, that was enough for Bunny Downs, a scout for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League, to sign Aaron to a contract for $200 a month.
After spending the 1953 season in the Minors -- hitting .362 with 22 home runs -- Aaron broke into the Major Leagues with the Braves the next season as the team's starting left fielder. But he only got that opportunity because the team's original left fielder, Bobby Thomson -- who famously won the pennant for the New York Giants with his "Shot Heard Round the World" in 1951 -- broke his ankle while sliding into second base during a Spring Training game. The next day, Aaron went 2-for-4 and the job was his.
The GOATs: Aaron and Mays
There's an extremely short list of players who can be considered the greatest outfielder of all-time, and Mays and Aaron are both on it. Unbelievably, the two were nearly teammates. Two teams made offers to sign Aaron from the Indianapolis Clowns in 1952 -- the Boston Braves and the New York Giants. But the Braves offered Aaron $50 more a month, so the choice was easy: Sign with them.
“Imagine,” Aaron said years later, “for the difference of $100 a month I could have been in the same outfield with Willie Mays.”
Brotherly Love
Eight years after Hank made his big league debut, his younger brother Tommie broke in with the Braves in 1962. Playing mostly first base, Tommie hit eight home runs that year and finished his career with 13. That gave the duo the record for the most home runs by brothers with 768, though Hank hit 98 percent of the dingers between them. Though Tommie didn't hit many home runs, he did hit one in the same inning as his older brother. On July 12, 1962, the Braves scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Cardinals, 8-6. Tommie started the scoring with a solo home run, while Hank finished it off with a walk-off grand slam.
After his career ended, Tommie became a coach for the Braves organization until he passed away from leukemia in 1984.
The first pennant-winning walk-off home run in the regular season. Because of the current postseason rules and regulations, this one can't even happen any longer. The Braves held a six-game lead over the Cardinals -- the only team that could catch them -- when the two teams played on September 23, 1957. With the score tied at 2 in the bottom of the 11th, Aaron came to the plate with one on and two out to face Cardinals right-hander Billy Muffett. He blasted the pitch over the center-field fence to win the pennant and Aaron's teammates carried him on their shoulders to celebrate the victory.
Doyle Getter wrote in the Milwaukee Journal that "hats and scorecards and streamers and torn-up paper were thrown into the air. The din was so loud you couldn’t hear the person standing next to you. Fans jumped up and down and screamed. The entire Braves’ dugout poured out onto the field and mobbed Aaron as he reached home plate. He was swallowed in a swirling, pounding mass of delirious players and coaches.”
He was an Eagle Scout
Aaron achieved the rank of Eagle Scout -- the highest rank in the Boy Scouts -- while also starting his pro baseball career at 17. Talk about a GOAT! Aaron fondly remembered directing traffic as a scout down the busy main thoroughfare in Mobile and even recorded a commercial for the Scouts in the 1970s.
Aaron holds the record for most All-Star Game appearances
He was on the roster for 21 midseason All-Star Games -- missing out only in his rookie season and in his final season with the Brewers when he played in only 85 games. That’s one more than Willie Mays and Stan Musial. However, Aaron also made it into four more All-Star Games. That's because from 1959-62, there were two All-Star Games played every year to help raise money for the player's pension. Sure enough, Aaron made it to each of those, as well, meaning that he not only holds the record, but that his record will almost certainly never be surpassed.
| 
