Hank Aaron passed away today at 86. By all accounts he passed peacefully in his sleep. That seems like the ideal way to go out for such a great person.

Hank Aaron is, and always will be, the home run king in my eyes. In fact, I am sure he’s the home run king in most people’s eyes. Aaron did it without the help of PED’s, he had to do it in a very racist filled era, he had the longevity to do it and he did it with class. Hank Aaron was the epitome of class. I will always remember the video I saw when he broke Babe Ruth’s record, and that guy ran on the field to congratulate him, Aaron didn’t push him away or try to get him removed, he patted him on the back. He was just such a good guy.

Aaron was also never this “home run” hitter. I mentioned his longevity, he played for 22 years. He hit 40 plus home runs only six times. He had plenty of seasons with 30 or more, but nothing like we saw in the steroid era, or since. He was a solid average hitter too. He was pretty much a .300 plus hitter every season until his last two. He got on base a lot. He was a solid fielder. He played the entire game, and he played it great. He is a well deserved hall of fame player. He more than earned it. He never won a World Series, but he did win an MVP in 1957. He was a 19 time all star. He won two batting titles. He led the league in home runs and RBI’s four times. And he was a two time gold glove winner. That’s one hell of a resume.

When you separate the person from the game, Aaron was a complete class act. He did everything with grace. He never crossed the line with celebrations. He would hit a home run and just simply run the bases. He was a consummate teammate. He was honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was asked by countless people, including my Wolverines football, to come and speak or be an honorary captain or just pass down some wisdom. He’s an icon to old and new players. It’s clear he was so loved, and that he loved baseball. Hank Aaron was one of the good ones. This was a guy that my dad would show me because he wanted me to conduct myself like Aaron did on the field. My dad does not have a bad thing to say about him. My mom adored him. RD was a fan, as were my other brothers. This, and everything I wrote about above, are why I respect and admire and look up to Hank Aaron.

Hand Aaron will be forever remembered. He will be forever loved. Now he gets to rest. I’ll miss him, and so will many others. At least we have the memories and the old sports clips. Rest In Peace Hank Aaron.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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