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DEL.ICIO.USNo more shadows or silence for Aaron
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
The office is still there, overlooking left-center field and sitting a pop fly from the one belonging to John Schuerholz. It’s just that, in recent years, Hank Aaron rarely has been around his designated place at Turner Field as Braves senior vice president.
That’s about to change. Sooner rather than later, this famously private soul who was the face of the franchise from Milwaukee in the early 1950s to Atlanta in the mid-1970s will leave his self-imposed stay among the shadows to flirt with the sunshine around 755 Hank Aaron Drive.
“They all want me to come back [on a regular basis], starting with [Braves president] Terry McGuirk, who has been a buddy of mine going way back, and the commissioner wants me to come back more than anybody,” said Aaron, now 73, referring to Bud Selig, his close friend since the Braves’ days in Wisconsin. “I never actually left the team, but I didn’t want to get into anybody’s way out there. I played baseball for 23 years. I don’t need it. I don’t need the money, so I’m satisfied.”
That said, Aaron wants to help his two baseball pals, and he’ll do so for at least this season. From McGuirk’s standpoint, for instance, why wouldn’t he want a living legend around as much as possible, especially one that was born and raised with the Braves? “You and I haven’t known many greater men during our lifetimes than Hank Aaron, and that’s really true when compared to some of the bums who pretend to be at that level,” said McGuirk, who likely will hold his current position when Time Warner sells the team to Liberty Media. “It’s pretty neat to know Hank personally and to have him in your presence. I want him around forever.”
So does Selig. With a more visible Aaron in public, baseball will have somebody of eternal dignity to counter the growing steroid revelations in the game and the gifted but unpopular Barry Bonds moving just months or weeks away from becoming the all-time home-run king.
In case you didn’t know, Aaron has owned the crown for 33 years. Even so, he couldn’t care less that No. 755 will lose much of its magic to No. 756. He does care about continuing as a strong voice for African-Americans in the game since Jackie Robinson relinquished that role after his death in October 1972.
Which brings us to the primary reason Aaron is returning. “I’m going to stay around long enough to raise people’s attention on some things, because there are a bunch of things that I want [baseball and the Braves] to do,” said Aaron, referring to the ridiculously low number of African-American players in the game. Until the Braves promoted Cairo’s Willie Harris from the minors this week, they were one of two teams in the majors with no African-Americans on their 40-man roster.
Yes, Aaron knows the Braves opened the Atlanta Braves Baseball Academy at the Villages of Carver YMCA on Saturday. Yes, Aaron knows clinics were held at the academy featuring Braves players, coaches and alumni for 100 youths. And, yes, Aaron knows that, according to Braves officials, the idea is to give more than 350 youths from the African-American community a chance to play at the academy throughout the year.
Aaron just has his own ideas for the Braves beyond the academy, and he’ll share them from his office — the one that he’ll actually use in the near future.
It’s the one that is as posh as the office Ted Turner gave Aaron at the CNN Center after his 13 successful seasons (Dale Murphy, Tom Glavine, David Justice, Ron Gant, Mark Lemke, among others) through 1989 as the Braves’ director of player development. “That was a great, big office, and I mean, it was absolutely huge, with three double windows and everything,” said Aaron, chuckling.
When Aaron arrived at the office the next day, the door had his name on the front, but it also had that of Bill Bartholomay, the Braves’ chairman emeritus and head of their executive committee.
McGuirk was not amused. Not only did he rip Bartholomay’s name from the door, but he confronted the guy responsible for such blasphemy. “Terry stomped his feet, and he told the person who did it, ‘This is Hank Aaron’s office. If you want to do something, you come and ask me,’ ” said Aaron, chuckling some more over his old handball partner. Soon they’ll be chuckling down the hall from each other.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Terence Moore
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By Roswell Ed
May 5, 2007 8:14 PM | Link to this
Terrence:
Maybe you could start a new negro league!
Only african-americans would be allowed to play.
Wake up dude. Baseball is a dead sport to colored Americans.
Bball and Fball are what attracts young men of color. Baseball does not.
There are a lot of reasons why that is but none of them are racism.
Move on please!!!
By Baseball is 4 Everyone
May 5, 2007 8:51 PM | Link to this
Hank Aaron - A first-class, decent human being and great baseball representative
Barry Bonds - Not so much
Terence Moore - Ditto
By Ken Stallings
May 5, 2007 10:18 PM | Link to this
Anything that involves getting Henry Aaron more into baseball today is something I fully support!
By Lurch
May 5, 2007 11:23 PM | Link to this
Good grief, not a week goes by without Terence Moore writing a race baiting, fluff piece about black this, or black that. “Not enough blacks in baseball. Not enough black head coaches. Not enough black etc, etc, etc.
Here’s one for ya, there’s not enough black sports writers who can pen a decent column without bringing up the only thing they think about, which is the mean ‘ol white man is keeping me down.
By Michael
May 5, 2007 11:34 PM | Link to this
This was a pretty good column until “the ridiculously low number of African-Americans in baseball.” Until Terence starts whining about the lack of whitey in the NBA and NFL and the overabundance of Latinos in baseball, he can keep his trap shut on the one segment of sports without skates that there are fewer black people than the national average.
Better yet, go find an instance of a black player not being promoted to the majors because of a racist GM or coach. I mean come on Terence. Dr. King said he dreamed of a world where people were judged not by the color of their skin but the content of their character.
The Braves are in and out of first place with a winning percentage over .600. Aside from your fetish with having more black (insert job) no matter what the circumstances, what good reason do you have for whining about the lack of black players on the Braves? Sheesh.
By Don
May 5, 2007 11:41 PM | Link to this
What Ken Stallings said.
A quick Hank Aaron story….
1974 at S.Dekalb Mall.
Me, a 19 year-old Marine home on leave with his 9 year-old brother. In the Pet Store. My brother and I walked around the corner to the next aisle and there you stood. The largest person I had ever seen in my life. You looked me dead in the eyes and waited for me to say something. I think something like, “unksdld” came out of my mouth. I could shoot an enemy but couldn’t say, “Hi,Hank!” and shake your ham, uh, hand. You smiled at me and walked off. A moment I will cherish, and have regretted, forever. Thanks for all the memories from the two dollar left-field seats—under the teepee. :)
Donald Savannah
By Donald
May 5, 2007 11:42 PM | Link to this
Dear Hank, 1974 at S.Dekalb Mall. Me, a 19 year-old Marine home on leave with his 9 year-old brother. In the Pet Store. My brother and I walked around the corner to the next aisle and there you stood. You looked me dead in the eyes and waited for me to say something. I think something like, “unksdld” came out of my mouth. You smiled at me and walked off. A moment I will cherish forever.