Over 25 years ago, on April 8, 1974, lefthander Al Downing threw a 1-0 fastball that he hoped would catch the outside of the plate. Instead, the fastball caught air and eventually ended up in the stiff glove of Atlanta reliever Tom House who then had in his mitt the baseball that was the symbolic end of a dream for Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron.
Yes, Aaron's 715th blast eclipsed the long-standing home run record of Babe Ruth. But the shot that ended up in the left-field bullpen not only proved a domination of the opposing pitchers, but also signified the triumph of Aaron over the hate mail, racism, and death threats that stood as obstacles to his career and the record. The events leading up to that night in Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium, and perhaps Aaron's entire career and life have been coalesced into a single phrase -- "Chasing the Dream."
The TV-movie about Aaron's pursuit of the record despite fetters on and off the field shares that same title. The "Chasing the Dream" foundation created by Aaron and his wife Billye, helps children in the Atlanta area aged 9-12 achieve their goals.
But Aaron's impact as a man has always surpassed the Atlanta city limits and on June 11, the Hammer will bring a part of his dream to Hanover when he will be honored with a doctor of humane letters from the College during this year's Commencement.
"I can't even begin to tell you what it means to me to be receiving the degree from Dartmouth," Aaron said from his office in Atlanta.
He will join Commencement speaker and theoretical physicist Shirley Ann Jackson, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin and author of the "Harry Potter" book series J.K. Rowling as recipients of the honorary degrees. The other recipients will be Audrey Stone Geisel, widow of Theodore Seuss Geisel '25 and the president of the Dr. Seuss Foundation, Hallmark Cards Chairman Donald Hall '50; and Norman E. "Sandy" McCulloch '50, Chairman of The Rhode Island Foundation, one of the nation's largest community foundations.
"I am ecstatic and proud and I can't even wait for that day to come," Aaron said of his day with the many other distinguished honorees.
Aaron played in 3,298 games in 23 seasons in the majors and finished his career with a lifetime .305 average along with 755 home runs and 2,297 runs batted in. Perhaps more impressively, the all-time home run champ averaged 33 long balls a season and hit between 24 and 45 for 19 consecutive seasons.
Aaron is currently the Senior Vice President and assistant to the president of the Atlanta Braves. In this role, he has helped to develop the talent of players who have emerged into stardom out of the team's farm system. His team involvement has allowed him to keep a firm handle on many of the nuances of the changing game of baseball, including the recent offensive explosion.
"I can't give you just one reason," Aaron said. "It may be as simple as the pitching not being as good as it once was and the hitters just constantly getting better."
While baseball still makes up a large part of Aaron's life, today he wears a lot more hats than just the blue and white helmet that he donned for 23 years.
Aaron serves as the Vice President of Business Development for the CNN Airport Network, the service that provides customized news and information programming at airports around the United States. The slugger also sits on the Steering Committee of Morehouse College, is a former Honorary Chairman of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, and has received countless awards, including U.S. Congressional resolutions recognizing him as one of the greatest baseball players ever.
But, there are few players who evoke the same type of memories in Atlanta and across the nation than Aaron does. Hammerin' Hank said that Dodger great Sandy Koufax was the toughest pitcher he had ever faced and yet Aaron still hit seven of his 755 home runs off the legend.
As for players on the field today Aaron could see following his lead and becoming one of the true legends of the game, the Hammer believes there are a couple potential candidates.
"There are several great players today in baseball," Aaron said. "It would be hard to name just one."
But, there is only one Aaron, whose 360-foot jog around the bases on that April night will not be long be forgotten by anyone who remembers it or who has seen it countless times on television. But, more importantly, Aaron's legacy of consistency, a true baseball talent, and triumph over hardship lives on by its side.
While Aaron was an All-Star in all 23 seasons that he played, he also desegregated the Braves in 1954 after Bobby Thomson broke a leg in spring training, opening up a spot. With his hiring, Aaron continued the pursuit for racial equality that Robinson had made a giant dent in years earlier. Since Aaron retired, he has also been one of the outspoken leaders in a campaign to open up more managerial and upper-level positions in Major League Baseball organizations to minorities.
One of the greatest and well-known baseball stories has the two legends -- Aaron and Robinson -- meeting in a contest early on in Aaron's career. Aaron is at bat as the Braves are playing the Dodgers. Jackie Robinson is patrolling third base and despite Aaron twice faking bunts, Robinson did not move. After the game, when Aaron asked him why he did not creep in, Robinson told him that they would give him first base anytime he wanted it.
