Thread by @JoePompliano

No catchy headline or attention-grabbing joke, I wrote this thread with one single intention:

To provide context around why Hank Aaron is not only one of the most important athletes of all time but a generational figure in American history.

Time for a thread 👇👇👇

1) To truly understand the multi-generational impact of Hank Aaron, we must first understand his past.

Growing up in the '30s & '40s in Mobile, Alabama — a town in the heart of the segregated South — Hank Aaron experienced racism his entire adolescent life.

2) With African Americans unable to participate in organized baseball leagues, Hank Aaron, who idolized Jackie Robinson throughout childhood, was left without the necessary fields or equipment to chase his baseball dreams.

His solution?

"I would hit bottle caps with a stick."

3) Even more unfortunate?

While Hank Aaron played outside, his mother frequently interrupted — demanding he went inside & hide under the bed.

Why?

"The KKK would march by, burn a cross, and go on about their business — Can you imagine what this would do to the average person?"

4) Despite an inability to access proper fields & equipment, an obsession with baseball dominated Hank Aaron's life.

He was kicked out of HS after continuously cutting class to listen to Dodgers games on the radio.

He idolized Jackie Robinson.

Why?

"He gave us our dreams."

5) In 1951, at the age of 17, the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League signed Hank Aaron to a $200/month contract.

The interesting part?

He dominated.

After hitting .366, 5 HRs, and 33 RBIs in just 26 games, Aaron's contract was purchased by the MLBs Boston Braves.

6) While his time with the Indianapolis Clowns was short-lived, Hank Aaron never forgot the racism he experienced.

After eating in Washington, D.C., Aaron recalls the staff breaking their plates in the kitchen.

"If dogs had eaten off those plates, they would have washed them."

7) Despite continuously confronting racism, from his rookie season in 1954 until his retirement in 1976, Hank Aaron had a tremendous career.

— 25x All-Star
— 2,297 RBIs
— 1,477 XBHs
— 6,856 TBs

The craziest part?

He ranks 1st all-time in every single one of those categories.

8) While his statistical achievements live on long past his playing days, Hank Aaron's chase of Babe Ruth's home run record is what most remember — for good or bad.

Why?

Because of his incredible ability to block out racism and unite a segregated city through sports.

9) In the early 1970s, as Hank Aaron approached Babe Ruth's HR record, the racism he faced intensified.

He had armed guards with him at all times, people attempted to kidnap his kids, and he received a record 1M pieces of mail annually — mostly hate mail.

Here are two examples.

10) Furthermore, here's what Hank Aaron told the NYT in 1990:

“My kids had to live like they were in prison because of kidnap threats, and I had to live like a pig in a slaughter camp...I was getting threatening letters every single day... They carved a piece of my heart away.”

11) Despite receiving mail with death threats and racist rage, Hank Aaron did what he always did — used baseball—specifically the long ball—to unite fans in Atlanta.

"I had to do it for Jackie (Robinson), my people, myself, and for everybody who ever called me a ******."

12) On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th career HR, breaking Babe Ruth's record.

The amazing part?

The same Atlanta fans that had thrown rocks & threatened Hank Aaron when he arrived a decade earlier were now giving him a standing ovation.

That's the power of sports.

13) Here is @TheVinScully's call that night:

"What a marvelous moment for Atlanta & the state of Georgia; what a marvelous moment for the country & the world. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol."

14) While Hank Aaron's MLB achievements didn't solve the racism problem in America, he played an important role.

President Carter says Hank Aaron "played a huge role in advancing the cause of civil rights" & "became the first black man for whom white fans in the South cheered."

15) With Hank Aaron passing away this weekend, most will revert their memory to his amazing athletic ability.

Instead, people should focus on his ability to confront racism and discrimination with calmness, grace, and optimism.

To me, that's what makes him a legend.

16) It only feels right to end this with my favorite Hank Aaron quote:

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.

Now that's a quote we can all live by.

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