R.I.P. Hank Aaron (5 February 1934 - 22 January 2021)

[Hepcat]

Legendary home run slugger Hank Aaron passed away earlier today in his sleep. He compiled a lifetime batting average of .305 over his 23 MLB seasons from 1954 to 1976 and retired as the lifetime home run leader with 755 a record that's still not been exceeded without the aid of drug usage. Moreover he played almost his entire career with the same Braves team:

Hank Aaron Stats

He's one of the baseball players for whom I have a particular soft spot. I was a New York Yankee hater from the start of my baseball awareness and therefore championed any player who led his team against the Yankees in the World Series. While I wasn't aware of MLB when the Milwaukee Braves took on the Yankees in 1957 and 1958 since my parents as immigrants had no interest in baseball, I didn't have any older brothers nor did our family have a TV until 1961, nonetheless some years later I was still gratified to learn that Aaron was on that team of Yankee slayers. Similarly I was happy to see Hank Aaron surpass Yankee Babe Ruth's lifetime home run record.

Here are three of Hammerin' Hank's Topps baseball cards including this one from the 1959 set which may have served as my introduction to MLB:



Plus the 1957 and 1965 cards which I find particularly attractive:

[Monster Mike]

Yeerrrrrrr Ooouuuuuuttttt!