Hank Aaron has reportedly died

[nsacpi]

When I was about 9 years old, my Sunday School teacher asked me during class who my hero was (I think she was fishing for Jesus, who I do follow and admire greatly by the way). I responded "Hank Aaron." Her rejoinder was, "But will he be your hero when you're 40 years old?" I didn't know then, but when I turned 40, Hank Aaron was still my hero and, at age 67, he's still my hero today. Just an absolutely graceful presence in the game and a class act off the field. I'm right now looking at a couple of the biographies of him that are on my office library shelf and I imagine I will pick them up again in the days ahead.

I did a book report on Hank for 5th grade. And never stopped learning about him. And the more I learned, the more my admiration grew.

I tried swinging a bat cross-handed once and almost broke my wrists. The cross-handed hitting is one little piece of trivia I've always marveled at.

My favorite Hank quote: The pitcher has got only a ball. I've got a bat.