Happy Birthday: Hank Aaron, Greatest Baseball Player of All Time

My favorite team growing up in southern California was the Los Angeles Dodgers. As such, I have a vivid memory of Hank Aaron hitting home run #715 ... the one that pulled him ahead of Babe Ruth. He hit it during a game against the Dodgers. Al Downing was the Dodger pitcher that gave up the most famous home run in history.

These are the memories that came to mind today. I join with other villagers in wishing a blessed 77th birthday to Henry Louis Aaron. He was born on this date in 1934.

Read a great historical view of Aaron's childhood and baseball career here on the African American Registry. One aspect of his career that inspired me occurred early in his career:

After only a short time in the Negro Leagues, the Milwaukee Braves recruited Aaron. He joined the Braves' system in 1952 and was sent to the minor leagues. There he became one of the first Black players to break the color line in the Deep South; a dangerous proposition in the last, desperate days of segregation that was legally enforced by Jim Crow laws. After one season in Wisconsin, Aaron found himself playing for a Jacksonville, Florida team in the South Atlantic League. Fans insulted him constantly, and even some of his teammates hurled racial slurs at him. Hotels and restaurants were closed to him because he was Black. The situation was only tolerable because Aaron showed such talent and because he was young. Somehow the heightened tension inspired Aaron. During his year with the South Atlantic League, he led the circuit in batting average, doubles, runs scored, total bases and runs batted in. He was voted League Most Valuable Player for 1953.

Aaron retired in 1976 with record 755 home runs and 2297 runs batted in. One week later he began a new phase of his career, as director of player development for the Braves. Aaron was one of the first Blacks hired in a major league front office. Throughout his tenure with the Braves' management, he has called for more Black participation in the business end of baseball.

Hank Aaron has been a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1982.

What do you know or remember about Hammerin' Hank?

Related articles

• At the Corner of Greatness
• Baseball's Perfect Gentleman: Hank 'The Hammer' Aaron Turns 80
• Happy 80th birthday, Hank Aaron
• Happy Birthday 80th Birthday Hank Aaron!

Wordless Wednesday: Barack Obama Seeks Baseball Hall of Fame Career?

[SOURCE] Pinterest Board: 'Let The Games Begin'

Wordless Wednesday: 1941 Kansas City Monarchs

SOURCE - Pinterest: 'Baseball Field of Dreams'

Wordless Wednesday: Jackie, Rachel and Jackie, Jr. (1949)

SOURCE: Pinterest, 'OURStory: Heroes and Sheroes'

OURstory: Cincinnati / Indianapolis Clowns

Did you ever see the movie Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings? That movie opened my eyes to the old Negro Baseball Leagues.





Most Cincinnati residents can tell you about the Cincinnati Reds and their 'Big Red Machine'. But few are aware that a team known as 'The Clowns' was a professional baseball team in the American Negro League that began in Cincinnati in 1943. For a couple of years they playing in both Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

The team officially moved to Indianapolis in 1946. The most famous player on the Clowns was Hank Aaron who helped the team win the Negro League World Series in 1952.

Other baseball stars who played with The Clowns included Buster Haywood, DeWitt "Woody" Smallwood, showman Goose Tatum, and future Major Leaguers John Wyatt (A’s), Paul Cassanova (Senators), and Choo-Choo Coleman (Mets).

The Clowns also had a Black woman on the roster. Her name was Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson. She shares some oral history about her time with the Clowns in the following video:






It was great to see the Indianapolis Clowns uniform and some of the Cincinnati Clowns baseball pennants on display in the Jim Crow exhibit of the America I AM: An African Imprint collection when it came to the Cincinnati Museum Center in 2010.

What are your memories of the Negro Baseball era?

Rest in Peace: Willie Davis (1940-2010)

I used to take the bus to attend Dodgers games when I was young. Me and my buddies would pay $1.25 for general admission tickets ... then spend a few innings trying to sneak down one of the stairwells to get to the lower levels of the stadium. My three favorite Dodger players at the time were Bill Buckner, Willie Davis and Claude Osteen.

As such, I was very sad to learn that Willie Davis, the best center fielder in Dodgers' history, died this week at the age of 69.

Authorities said a neighbor, who usually brought breakfast to Davis at his home, discovered his body. The case is being handled by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, but authorities said it appears that Davis died of natural causes.

William Henry Davis was born April 15, 1940, in Mineral Springs, Ark. He was a star athlete in baseball, basketball and track at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles in the late 1950s, and signed with the Dodgers in 1958. He spent only two seasons in the minor leagues before joining the Dodgers briefly in 1960.

"He was so talented," former Dodger shortstop Maury Wills said in an interview Tuesday with the Los Angeles Times. "God really blessed him with some great tools — for any sport, really — speed, strength, agility — everything an athlete needs in order to make the big time."

Davis, known as "3-Dog" for his uniform number and his speed on the bases, was a key member of outstanding Dodger teams during the 1960s that won World Series titles in 1963 and 1965 and the National League pennant in 1966. He batted .305 or higher for three consecutive seasons beginning in 1969. And he still has more hits, extra-base hits, triples, runs scored, at-bats and total bases than any Dodger during their years in Los Angeles starting in 1958.

"The thing about Willie Davis that left the greatest impression on you was the sight of him running," said Dodger coach and former teammate Manny Mota. "Once in spring training, I saw him score from second base on a fly ball to center field. He was the only person I ever saw do that."

Davis hit .279 over his career, with 398 stolen bases, including a career-high 42 in 1964.

Willie Davis was one of my childhood sports heroes. Who was your favorite baseball player back in the day?

Worst First Pitch in the History of Baseball * John Wall vs. Mariah Carey vs. Mayor Mallory

John Wall was the #1 pick in the NBA draft last year. He is a world-class basketball player. I guess he didn't fully realize that throwing a first pitch at a baseball game is not the same as throwing a bounce pass in a NBA game.   This pitch was thrown on June 17, 2011.







I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. As such, I'm very proud of our city's mayor. Mayor Mallory is a young brother with a strong family legacy in local and state politics. So, we were surprised, shamed and humiliated when Mayor Mallory made the first pitch last year at a major league baseball game. Take 35 seconds to relive the horror of it all:







Fast forward to May 2008. Someone thinks it is a bright idea for Mariah Carey to throw out the first pitch at a major league game in Japan. Mariah Carey has many skills ... throwing a baseball ain't one of them ... especially when you are wearing 5-inch heels to do so:







John's pitch may have been picture-perfect on the fast break of a basketball game ... Mariah's pitch had better direction ... Mayor Mallory's pitch had more distance. I dunno. Which one do you think earns the honor of being the 'Worst First Pitch in the History of Baseball'?

Wordless Wednesday: What It Looks Like to Fail

Good News Tuesday: Postal Service Honors Negro Baseball League

I purchased a set of stamps from my local post office last week that paid homage to the Negro Baseball League.

The Negro Leagues, established in 1920, contributed in its own way to the struggle for equality by allowing Black men, barred from major league baseball, to display their athletic prowess on the field. The players, with their trademark uniforms and regular exhibitions of exciting play, garnered a sizable multi-racial fan following as they traveled to rural and urban areas throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America.

Gregory D. Baker, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, told the Associated Press, "Make no mistake about it. All these athletes were trailblazers on and off the field. Through their unsung civic endeavors, the (Negro) Leagues and their players raised awareness and started a conversation about the standards of social justice in our country for all people regardless of race or gender." [SOURCE]

Players such as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and "Cool Papa" Bell were just a few of the standout performers in the Negro Leagues' heyday. Attendance and interest waned for the Negro Leagues after the majors were integrated, and young sluggers like Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks and Willie Mays opted to sign major league contracts. The Leagues remaining teams folded in the early '60s, leaving a legacy that still inspires many people.

Both stamps, designed by NAACP Image Award recipient, Kadir Nelson, were put through a grueling process before they were approved by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee's 14 members, one of which is Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., and selected by the Postmaster General.

One stamp depicts a "bang-bang play" at home plate in which a runner slides in and is called "safe" by the umpire whose arms are emphatically outstretched. The other stamp has an image of Andrew "Rube" Foster superimposed over a background that features a ballpark.

Foster, a former player, manager and businessman, is regarded by many as the "father" of the Negro Leagues as he and a group of other Black entrepreneurs joined to form the Negro National League, which spawned the formation of rival leagues.

Roy Betts, a USPS spokesman, said that public write-in submissions are typically how stamps are decided each year. He added, from there, they are then sent to the committee, where they are evaluated and measured by set criteria.

"There was a groundswell of support from many different people for the Negro Leagues to be honored," said Betts. "For years, fans, the museum and politicians have asked for the stamps and now they're available. If your local post office runs out, you can ask them to re-order more."

I encourage all villagers to support this set of Afrocentric stamps. Buy a pack of these stamps next time you go to the post office!

Did You Notice Barack Obama's Jeans at the All-Star Game?

Soul clap to Booker Rising for pointing me to this funny video clip from recent late night television show. Frankly, I'm not much on current fashion ... so the jeans didn't bother me.

Check it out tell me what you think:




I figure that President Obama was focused on getting his first pitch to the plate. He didn't want to be included in the debate about who threw the worst first pitch in the history of baseball.

Is Barry Bonds a Fallen Hero?

One of the top sports stories of 2007 will be Barry Bonds breaking the all-time home-run record. However, a bigger story is likely to be the 4-count indictment of Barry Bonds for perjury and obstruction of justice. Bonds is facing many years of imprisonment if the government case is strong enough. You be the judge. Villagers are encouraged to download or read the indictment yourself.

Click here for copy of Barry Bonds indictment
What do you think? Should his baseball records be erased? Should there be an asterisk next to his records? Should his records be left alone? Are there any Barry Bonds' fans outside of the San Francisco area?

Manic Monday: Bat

Manic Monday word for the week is "Bat". It is October ... time for the World Series and my thoughts turned to baseball. I'm proud to know that my ancestors have been playing professional baseball since right after the Civil War. In 1867, the National Association of Base Ball Players rejected a request for membership by the all-Black Philadelphia Pythians baseball club. However, on September 18, 1869, the Pythians did become the first all-Black team to play an exhibition game against an all-white team, the City Items. The Pythians won 27-17. Despite refusal to enter the professional leagues, African Americans fielded their own amateur and professional teams. On of the best known all-Black professional teams were the Cuban Giants.

One of the greatest African American players of the 19th century may have been Frank Grant who played second base for the Buffalo Bisons of the International Association. By the age of 20, he led the International League in hitting, but he was also subjected to constant harassment from opposing teams.

Moses Fleetwood Walker studied at Oberlin College where he started a varsity baseball team with the help of his younger brother. In 1884, Moses Fleetwood Walker was the first Black to play in the major leagues. He played as a catcher for the American Association Toledo Blue Stockings. His own teammates refused to play with him. Threatening letters called for the removal of Walker from the team.

In 1887, Fleetwood Walker, Bud Fowler, Frank Grant, Robert Higgins, George Stovey, and three other Black players went to play in the newly organized International League. Playing in the International League was also difficult for Blacks. Teams were comprised of both white and Black players and the Black players were often treated unkindly by the white players.

Racism in the International League continued to grow. One umpire said he would make calls against the team with Black players. In an effort to avoid the constant confrontation, major league owners made an agreement to no longer sign Black players. The minor leagues followed suite and declared that Black players would no longer be welcome on their teams. Teams stopped recruiting Black players, and they soon disappeared from organized white baseball. Black players would not return to white organized baseball for over sixty years. During the late 19th century at least 70 Black players played some level of organized baseball. Beyond this involvement, Blacks were on the outside looking in on the game of professional baseball.

Andrew "Rube" Foster was one of the most prominent individuals in the history of Black baseball. Born in 1879 in Calvert Texas, Foster pitched for several other teams throughout his career and was considered one of the best of his era.

Following his spectacular playing career, Foster became a manager, at which he greatly excelled; utilizing the bunt, stealing, and the hit-and-run. In 1920, he created the National Association of Professional Baseball Clubs, also known as the Negro League which was comprised of teams from Chicago (Giants and American Giants), Detroit (Stars), St. Louis (Giants), Dayton (Marcos), Indianapolis (ABCs) and the Cuban Giants. There was one exception however, the Kansas City Monarchs - founded in 1920 and controlled by white businessman J.L. Wilkinson. The league was disbanded in 1931 after the death of Rube Foster.

Other great Black ballplayers that you may know include Hall of Fame players Martin Dihigo, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Judy Johnson, Josh Gibson (shown in photo), and Buck Leonard.

Sometimes we think that Blacks in baseball began with Jackie Robinson. I hope that you've enjoyed the journey back into the original heroes of the game. Who are you rooting for in this year's World Series?

Pete Rose: 'It Was 20 Years Ago'

Yesterday was an interesting day. Over 40 business owners and service providers attended the monthly Lunch'n'Learn seminar hosted at my incubator. The presentation and Q&A session were focused on learning how we can do business with the city government. I anticipate that most of my incubator clients will take steps to register as a Small Business Enterprise in the near future.

Later in the day I attended the 78th annual meeting of the Allied Construction Industries. My incubator strives to build the capacity of MBE/WBE companies in the architecture, engineering and construction industries. So, networking with ACI is important. Frankly, it is impressive when any organization can do something for 78 years in a row ... so, I looked forward to this meeting over at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. There were over 1,000 folks in attendance. The keynoter was baseball's 'hit king' -- Pete Rose.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles. As such, I used to truly dislike Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan and the rest of the so-called Big Red Machine. That's how things are when you are a kid. You love your team and you pretty much hate all the other teams. I used to hate the Cincinnati Reds.

So, I wasn't all googly-eyed about hearing from Pete Rose. However, I must admit that he was hilarious and a perfect match for his hometown audience. He had me and the others in the audience rolling with laughter at least half a dozen times during the course of his speech and Q&A session.

His discussion ranged from his childhood on the west end of Cincinnati to his years in baseball beginning as a minor-leaguer in 1960 to his son's continuing quest as a 36-year old to play pro baseball to his 16-1 record as a member of the National League all-star team to his gambling addiction to his relationship with the current baseball commissioner to his interactions with Joe DiMaggio, Priscilla Presley and others.

Pete is 65 years old ... and his life revolves around his career as a baseball player. He clearly expressed a dream of becoming a major league manager again in his future.

The most compelling moment of his speech for me was simple. When asked a question about his suspension from baseball as a result of his betting on the games ... he said simply, 'It was 20 years ago...' I must admit that in today's baseball when it is acknowledged that huge numbers of players were cheating with steroids and when drug fiends, wife-beaters and drunks are still accepted into baseball's Hall of Fame and are still managing or playing ... you have to wonder why they don't cut this guy a break.

It was 20 years ago. What do you think? Is it time for baseball to bring Pete Rose back from purgatory?