Hank Aaron remembered for setting ‘standard of greatness’

Baseball’s all-time RBIs leader dies at 86
Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, and Willie Mays were announced as the all-time Major League Baseball Franchise Four before the start of the All-Star game held at Great American Ballpark, Tuesday, July 14, 2015. GREG LYNCH / STAFF

Credit: Greg Lynch

Credit: Greg Lynch

Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, and Willie Mays were announced as the all-time Major League Baseball Franchise Four before the start of the All-Star game held at Great American Ballpark, Tuesday, July 14, 2015. GREG LYNCH / STAFF
Sports
By David Jablonski – Staff Writer
Jan 22, 2021
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People across baseball and around the country remembered baseball legend Hank Aaron on Friday after his death at 86.

“I can’t imagine what Hank Aaron went through in his lifetime,” former Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones wrote on Twitter about the most famous Brave of all time. “He had every right to be angry or militant.....but never was! He spread his grace on everything and every one he came in contact with. Epitome of class and integrity. RIP Henry Aaron!”

Aaron finished his career in 1976 as baseball’s all-time home run leader with 755. He remains the game’s all-time leader in RBIs (2,297).

According to a statement by the Atlanta Braves, Aaron died in his sleep.

“Hank Aaron is near the top of everyone’s list of all-time great players,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. His monumental achievements as a player were surpassed only by his dignity and integrity as a person. Hank symbolized the very best of our game, and his all-around excellence provided Americans and fans across the world with an example to which to aspire. His career demonstrates that a person who goes to work with humility every day can hammer his way into history — and find a way to shine like no other.”

“Hank eagerly supported our efforts to celebrate the game’s best and to find its next generation of stars, including through the Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes offensive excellence by Major League players, and the Hank Aaron Invitational, which provides exposure to elite young players. He became a close friend to me in recent years as result of his annual visit to the World Series. That friendship is one of the greatest honors of my life. I am forever grateful for Hank’s impact on our sport and the society it represents, and he will always occupy a special place in the history of our game. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Hank’s wife, Billye, their family, the fans of Atlanta and Milwaukee, and the millions of admirers earned by one of the pillars of our game.”

Here’s a roundup of other reactions:

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David Jablonski covers the Dayton Flyers and other sports for the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal News.