Advertisement. Advertise with us

Bronze Likeness of Baseball’s RBI King To Be Unveiled Today

COOPERSTOWN—”This statue will stand forever as a tribute to an American hero,” Jane Forbes Clark said on April 8, when she announced that a Hank Aaron statue will be unveiled at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on May 23.

Fifty years ago, on April 8, a nation cheered as Hank Aaron broke baseball’s most cherished record. As the world remembers that historic moment, the NBHoF will ensure that Aaron’s lifetime of heroics on and off the field is celebrated for all time. The bronze representation of Aaron will be installed on the first floor of the museum.

Clark, Hall of Fame chairman of the board, made the announcement during opening events for “More Than Brave: The Life of Henry Aaron,” a new exhibit at the Atlanta History Center.

“The legacy of Hank Aaron has always been about so much more than just his incredible baseball achievements,” Clark said. “His philanthropic vision, his support of youth empowerment efforts and his pioneering work as an executive have opened the doors of opportunity for millions throughout the United States and around the world. We are extremely privileged to care for and preserve his entire personal collection in Cooperstown.”

Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 following a 23-year big league career with the Braves and Brewers, Aaron launched his 715th career home run on April 8, 1974, to surpass Babe Ruth atop Major League Baseball’s home run list. A 25-time All-Star, Aaron still holds the record for most career RBI and total bases.

Remarkably, if each of his 755 career home runs were erased from his playing record, Aaron will still have totaled more than 3,000 hits.

Aaron’s Hall of Fame plaque made a rare appearance outside of the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery when it traveled to Atlanta for the April event. Aaron’s plaque was also featured at Truist Park for fans to view at that evening’s Braves game.

Made possible through a gift of Hall of Fame supporters Jane and Bob Crotty and with the guidance and support of Aaron’s widow, Billye, the new statue will debut as part of the Hall of Fame Classic celebration during Memorial Day Weekend. The May 25 Legends Game will feature more than two dozen former big leaguers at Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field.

“Henry would be as pleased and excited as I am to have his statue placed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,” Billye Aaron said. “His life and legacy reflected his high hopes and big dreams. Both inspired and propelled him to incredible accomplishments in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. He wanted to be an inspiration to young boys and girls everywhere. My heartfelt thanks to Jane Forbes Clark, and the Board of Directors, for this very fitting tribute to Henry and the sport he loved so dearly. I am profoundly grateful. My hope is that this recognition will serve as an inspiration to visitors to Cooperstown for generations to come.”

In 2009, the NBHoF dedicated “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream,” a third-floor exhibit that tells the story of a player who helped knock down the walls of segregation while thrilling generations of fans with his unrelenting consistency and class. The exhibit features dozens of artifacts, including bats and balls from record-setting hits, his locker and the uniform shirt, pants, cap, and helmet worn while he hit the record-breaking 715th homer.

In 2010, Aaron pledged his entire personal collection to the museum—and many artifacts are now on loan, including to the Atlanta History Center’s new exhibit and the Atlanta Braves.

A dozen Hall of Famers whose careers cover the pre-expansion era to the present day will return to Cooperstown May 23-26 to celebrate the history of Black baseball and the NBHoF’s groundbreaking new exhibit, “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball.”

Posted

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

In Memoriam: Edward William Stack

In Memoriam Edward William Stack1935-2023 PORT WASHINGTON—Edward William Stack, 88, beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and humanitarian, passed away on Sunday, June 4, 2023 in Port Washington, New York with his family by his side. Ed was born in Rockville Center, New York on February 1, 1935 to Edward Henry Stack and Helen (Leitner) Stack. Raised in Sea Cliff, New York, Ed graduated from North Shore High School in 1952 and obtained his BBA from Pace University in 1956. In 1967, Ed married Christina Hunt of Dahlgren, Virginia, and they settled in Glen Head, New York where they raised their…

Clark Foundation Grants Support for Continued HAB Testing by BFS

Biological Field Station Research Support Specialist Holly Waterfield conducts harmful algal bloom testing on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown. (Photo provided) Clark Foundation Grants Support forContinued HAB Testing by BFS ONEONTA Generous new grants from The Clark Foundation will allow researchers at SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station in Cooperstown to continue to monitor and study the presence of harmful algal blooms on Otsego Lake, just in time for the summer season. Earlier this spring, The Clark Foundation Board of Directors approved a grant with two components to the State University at Oneonta Foundation: a grant of $100,000.00 payable over two years…

Editorial: Coming Together—United in Celebration

Congratulations to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, just 15 years short of its 100th Induction, from “The Freeman’s Journal,” which has been around for all those ceremonies. Please be safe, friendly, thoughtful and polite, everyone, as you navigate through the widely diverse crowd of visitors, all of whom are entirely focused on celebrating the achievements of the four inductees.…