In addition to the pressures that Aaron faced in crashing a racial barrier as a black man chasing a white icon, he was also plagued by sciatic nerve problems, said Dusty Baker, but had the ability to “think away the pain and to condition himself like no other baseball player of his time.”
Baker, the Cincinnati Reds’ manager, was a protégé of Aaron’s and was in the Atlanta Braves’ on-deck circle when Aaron hit No. 715 off the Dodgers’ Al Downing in 1974. “Ralph Garr and I went to work out with Hank during the off-season, and we thought that meant playing a little basketball,” he said. “We saw him run, run, run with that medicine ball, play racquetball and tennis, eat his meals at the same time every day. “And then, nobody had concentration like he did, sitting there in the dugout, looking at the pitcher through the little hole in his cap to focus on the release point. Never saw anyone do that before Hank.”
Ever have sciatic nerve issues? Crusader AXE did...I used hypnosis to get through the pain. When it was acting up, legs just stopped working. How the hell do you play baseball like that?
Why am I even thinking about this? Baseball appeals in part because although the players are better conditioned and trained than ever before, they still look like normal human beings. Guys like Jamie Moyer are fascinating -- he's what, 75 and uses a walker to get to the mound every five days and throw 7 innings of quality ball? On a diet of milk, wheaties, and cookies? Then there are existential tragedies like Ken Griffey -- by being arguably the best player of his time while stuck on the concrete nightmare of the Kingdom, he sacrificed being statistically the best player of his time. The list of injuries just kept growing, to where he began to look like a one man emergency room. His departure from the Mariners this year was just sad...no bat speed, which means no legs. This from the guy who put the Mariners on the map by going from First to Home to win in 95. The Mariners exist in Seattle today as opposed to Tulsa or some goddamn place because of Ken Griffey Junior.
OK, then there's Alex Rodriguez . The smarmy Eddie Haskell of shortstops at Seattle and Texas, he morphed into EGOMAN by joining the Yankees, and despite throwing up great numbers, has been kind of a mystery. Well, actually not so much a mystery as a lone eagle. He's irritating -- Madonna? Really? Who's next, Miley Cyrus? Lady GAGA? How about an orgy with Lady GAGA, Elizabeth Hasselback, Candy Crowley and LeBron James, along with a manatee, on South Beach. Alex really should be playing for the Nets as far as the Zeitgeist goes...and then there's the whole steroids thing.
The whole steroids thing. I think the easiest way to decide whether or not Bonds, Sosa, McGuire et al should be eligible for the Hall is simple...take a look at their stats before and after they started using performance enhancing drugs. For example, Barry Bonds was a great player with Pittsburgh and he was whippet thing and rangy. When he went bizzaro with his stats, so did his size...including his headsize. Seriously, the size of the skull does not increase with physical conditioning, especially for grown men who suddenly turn into Mr Universe clones in their 30s. Bonds would probably be a first or second year electee. McGuire, Sosa, Palmero -- probably not so much; before juice, Big Mac was on his way out, done at 30. Sosa had damn near no power until he found chemistry. Palmero was a doubles hitter who morphed via juice to being consistent home run guy. Roger Clemens, first year before we realized he juiced; second or third year now. Alex -- probably will deserve a first time selection. The HOF voters will reflect the fans, and penalize these guys and perhaps they should.
The lack of hype about Alex's 600 home run shows how silly this has become, makes the physical breakdown of Ken Griffey sadder, since Junior is known to have played clean during his best years...but really highlights Hank Aaron's accomplishment. In small market teams, during the death throes of Jim Crow, Aaron spent close to 30 years including his brief period in the Negro Leagues getting up, going to park and performing at the highest possible level. He was doing what he loved and getting paid for it -- he played extraordinarily well, and when he was done, he continued to live and perform as a man, baseball executive and human being at the highest level. Playing for small market teams -- Milwaukee in both leagues, Atlanta -- he didn't get the attention that Willie, Micky and the Duke got. Shame he didn't play for Boston, or Philadelphia or LA. But, he fit in where he played -- normal guy, getting up and going to the park, making a good living in small town America. Alex will probably pass him, barring injury...who cares about Bonds final numbers? Alex may pass Bonds numbers too -- but, for dignity, class, worth and honor, Hank Aaron remains at the top of the heap. Where he belongs.
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