On the eve of the 40th anniversary of his record-breaking 715th home run, Hank Aaron sounded downright chipper about being honored Tuesday night before the Braves’ home opener.
Just two months ago, “The Hammer” turned 80 years old. He suffered a broken hip, slipping on the ice near his house on his way to put clothes in the laundry. “I promise you that I was not out trying to ice dance or anything like that,” Aaron said.
He underwent a partial hip replacement operation a little more than a week later. When asked during a teleconference Monday afternoon, if he thought he was going to be limited in any way during the ceremony, Aaron said: “I don’t think so.”
Then he changed his mind.
“Yes, I take that back,” Aaron said. “It probably will limit me from doing some things that I would like to do. No. 1 is that I certainly wouldn’t be able to throw a baseball. No. 2 I wouldn’t be able to swing a bat. Other than that…I think that I’m going to be able to walk. I’m going to enjoy myself as much as I can.”
That’s something Aaron didn’t have much of a chance to do during the early part of the 1974 season, when he caught and then passed Babe Ruth’s home run record. He described the experience then as more of a relief. But now, and on nights like Tuesday, he can sit back and savor the moment with friends, family and Braves fans.
“The moment itself has passed, the home run was hit,” Aaron said. “It’s just enjoying some moments with friends.”
As for the last time he picked up a bat? Aaron said that was 15, 16 years ago.
“It happened to be in my way and I picked it up,” said Aaron, who works out regularly at Turner Field as part of his early-morning routine, and visits spring training as well. “(I) just was curious and thought ‘Hey, why don’t you just swing it?’ Little did I know how much it was going to hurt me.”
Aaron laughed at the thought. On Tuesday night, he’d rather just sit back and enjoy watching some of the Braves young hitters like Freddie Freeman go to work. Aaron singled out the 24-year-old first baseman, along with Jason Heyward and Andrelton Simmons, when asked about current Braves he likes to watch play.
“This kid is not only a great first baseman,” Aaron said of Freeman. “But I can tell his determination once he gets to the plate, that he defies anybody to continue to get him out on certain pitches. He’s one that I really enjoy seeing.”
For an in-depth look back at the chase for No. 715, read Steve Hummer's Sunday feature on myajc.com by clicking here.
