Assembly Resolution No. 185
BY: M. of A. Solages
MOURNING the death of Hammerin' Hank Aaron,
long-standing Home Run King for Major League
Baseball, role model and humanitarian
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
outstanding athletes who distinguish themselves through their
exceptional performance, attaining unprecedented success and the highest
level of personal achievement; and
WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Hank Aaron, noting the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, Widely regarded as one of the most significant and
celebrated sporting figures of the 20th Century, Hank Aaron died on
Friday, January 22, 2021, at his home in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of
86; and
WHEREAS, Henry Louis Aaron was born to Estella (Pritchett) and
Herbert Aaron, Sr. on February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama, and grew up
in the neighborhood of Toulminville, where he practiced his swing with
things he found on the streets; and
WHEREAS, Hank Aaron was a Boy Scout and attended Central High School
as a freshman and a sophomore, and played outfield and third base for
the Mobile Black Bears, an independent Negro league team, where he
quickly established himself as a long ball threat; and
WHEREAS, At the young age of 15, Hank Aaron tried out for the
Brooklyn Dodgers; although he did not make the team, it sparked the fire
for his later career; he went back to school and attended the Josephine
Allen Institute, followed by Central High School; during his junior
year, he played for the Pritchett Athletics, and once again, the Mobile
Black Bears; and
WHEREAS, On November 20, 1951, Hank Aaron signed with the
Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League, where he played for
three months; during this time, he recorded a .366 batting average in 26
games, with five home runs, 33 RBI, 41 hits, and nine stolen bases; and
WHEREAS, The slugger's exemplary play drew attention from two Major
League Baseball (MLB) teams, the New York Giants, and the Boston Braves,
the team he would ultimately sign with; he was assigned to the Braves'
Northern League Class-C farm team, the Eau Claire Bears, and continued
to excel at the bat and in the field; and
WHEREAS, At the end of the season, Hank Aaron was selected to the
Northern League's All-Star team and was named Rookie of the Year; in his
87 games, he logged a .336 batting average, scored 89 runs, and had 116
hits, nine home runs, and 61 RBI; and
WHEREAS, In 1953, the Braves promoted Hank Aaron to the Jacksonville
Braves, their Class-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League, and once
again, he proved his worth by helping the team win the league
championship that year; he led the league in runs (115), hits (208),
doubles (36), RBI (125), total bases (338), and batting average (.362),
and won the league's Most Valuable Player Award; and
WHEREAS, In that same year, Hank Aaron's personal life was also at a
high when he married the former Barbara Lucas on October 6th, and
together, they raised four children; on November 13, 1973, he married
his second wife, Billye Suber Williams and they had one child; and
WHEREAS, In 1954, Hank Aaron signed a major league contract with the
Milwaukee Braves and began with a rocky start; after changing his
uniform number from five to 44, his luck took a turn, and he never
looked back, hitting .314 with 27 home runs and 106 RBI in 1955; he was
named to the National League (NL) All-Star roster for the first time and
it was the first of a record 21 All-Star selections and first of a
record 25 All-Star Game appearances; and
WHEREAS, On September 23, 1957, in Milwaukee, Hank Aaron hit a
two-run walk-off home run against the St. Louis Cardinals, clinching the
pennant for the Braves; in October, he hit .393 with three homers and
seven RBI to win the World Series against the New York Yankees; and
WHEREAS, Hank Aaron's MLB career continued to flourish, and through
the years, he continued to knock balls out of the park and his hitting
average was always above 300; he was the recipient of numerous awards
and accolades including two NL batting titles, The Sporting News NL
Player of the Year, and a NL MVP Award, as well as three Gold Glove
Awards; and
WHEREAS, After the 1965 season, the Braves moved to Atlanta and
during the 1968 season, he was the first player to mark 500 home runs;
two years later, he was the first Brave to record 3,000 career hits; and
WHEREAS, On July 13, 1971, Hank Aaron hit a home run in the All-Star
Game, and hit his 40th home run of the season on August 10th, which
established a NL record for most seasons with 40 or more home runs; at
the age of 37, he hit a career-high 47 home runs and .669 slugging
percentage during the season; and
WHEREAS, 1972 was another sensational year for Hank Aaron; he
surpassed Willie Mays for second place on the career home run list in
1972, drove in the 2,000th run of his career, hit a home run in the
first All-Star game, broke the record for total stolen bases (6,134),
and hit his 673th home run; and
WHEREAS, At this point, Hank Aaron was closing in on Babe Ruth's
home run record; in front of a huge home field crowd of 53,775 fans, he
hit home run number 715 in the fourth inning to best the Great Bambino;
and
WHEREAS, Hank Aaron hit his 733rd home run in his last at bat as a
Braves player on October 2, 1974, and one month later, he was acquired
by the Milwaukee Brewers; on May 1, 1975, he broke baseball's all-time
RBI record, and that year, he played in his last and 24th All-Star Game;
and
WHEREAS, On July 20, 1976, Hank Aaron hit his 755th and final home
run at Milwaukee County Stadium, which stood as the MLB career home run
record until it was broken in 2007; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his exemplary career, Hank Aaron recorded a
batting average of .305 with 163 hits a season, while hitting an average
of just over 32 home runs a year and 99 RBI; and
WHEREAS, After his retirement from the game, Hank Aaron worked as an
executive with the Braves, and served as the corporate vice president of
community relations for TBS, a member of the company's board of
directors and the vice president of business development for The Airport
Network; in 1982, he became the Braves' vice president and director of
player development; and
WHEREAS, Always aware of the trials and tribulations he endured as a
young player, Hank Aaron was instrumental in establishing programs which
encouraged minorities to play baseball and founded the Hank Aaron Rookie
League program; and
WHEREAS, On August 1, 1982, the Hammer was inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, with 97.8 percent of the
ballots; each year, thousands of people flock to Otsego County to honor
his legacy and pay homage to this great sports icon; and
WHEREAS, Hank Aaron published his autobiography entitled I Had aHammer in 1990, and became an entrepreneur, owning various car
dealerships in Georgia and numerous restaurants throughout the country;
and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his son, Gary, Hank Aaron is survived by his
loving wife, Billye; their two sons, Hank Jr. and Lary; three daughters,
Gaie, Dorinda and Ceci, as well as numerous fans, friends and fellow
athletes who will long cherish his memory; and
WHEREAS, A gifted athlete, Hank Aaron was a renowned legend in the
sport of baseball; after more than two decades, his character and
achievements stand as a sterling example and inspiration to all who
would aspire to succeed; he will be deeply missed and truly merits the
grateful tribute of this Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Hammerin' Hank Aaron, longstanding Home Run King for
Major League Baseball, role model and humanitarian, and to express its
deepest condolences to his family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Henry Louis Aaron.
