in our clinical trials.
>>> WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS IN THE
WORLD OF SPORTS.
LEGENDARY OUTFIELDER HANK AARON
HAS DIED.
HE WAS 86.
HAMMERING HANK SLIPPED AWAY
PEACEFULLY IN HIS SLEEP.
HANK AARON WAS AN ICON OF THE
GAME OF BASEBALL, WITH A CAREER
THAT SPANNED 23 YEARS.
HE FAMOUSLY BROKE BABE RUTH’S
RECORD OF 714 HOME RUNS BACK IN
1974.
IT WAS A RECORD THAT HE HELD FOR
MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
HE RETIRED IN 1976 WITH A CAREER
TOTAL OF 755 HOME RUNS.
HANK AARON MADE HIS MAJOR LEAGUE
DEBUT AT THE AGE OF 20.
HE STARTED HIS CAREER LIKE SO
MANY OTHERS BACK THEN IN THE
NEGRO LEAGUES.
I HAD THE GREAT HONOR OF
INTERVIEWING HANK AARON FOR
"TODAY" IN EARLY 2020.
HANK AARON IS WIDELY CONSIDERED
ONE OF THE GREATEST TO EVER PLAY
THE GAME.
BUT BEFORE HE DONNED THE FAMOUS
BRAVES UNIFORM, TOOK THE FIELD
FOR THE NEGRO LEAGUE LEAVING HIS
ALABAMA HOME IN THE EARLY ’50s.
>> I REMEMBER SO WELL MY FIRST
YEAR THAT I LEFT MOBILE,
ALABAMA, ONE LITTLE COAT, $2.50
IN MY POCKET.
MY MOTHER TOLD ME THAT WAS ALL
SHE HAD TO GIVE ME AND BE VERY
CAREFUL WITH IT.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE PLAYING FOR
THE INDIANAPOLIS CLOWNS?
>> TO PLAY IN THAT LEAGUE AND TO
PLAY WITH THE BALLPLAYERS I
PLAYED WITH GAVE ME AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME THINGS
THAT I WANTED TO DO.
>> IS IT TRUE THAT THERE WAS
PERHAPS MORE TALENT IN THE NEGRO
LEAGUE BACK THEN THAN MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALL?
>> I WOULD NOT DOUBT IT ONE BIT.
THERE WAS SO MUCH TALENT.
>> THOUSANDS OF FANS CAME TO
THEIR GAMES.
THE NEGRO LEAGUE PLAYERS WERE
NOT TREATED EQUALLY.
RESTAURANTS BANNED BLACKS IN
THEIR DINING ROOM, GAS STATIONS
CLOSED REST ROOMS.
WHITE HOTELS SHUT THEIR DOORS.
IN 1947, JACKIE ROBINSON BROKE
THE BLACK BASEBALL BARRIER.
WAS THERE PRESSURE TO STAY IN
THE NEGRO LEAGUE?
>> YES.
PRESSURE FROM PLAYERS YOU PLAYED
WITH WAS TELLING YOU, YOU CAN’T
MAKE IT.
YOU WILL NEVER MAKE IT.
>> HANK AARON DID MAKE IT.
DEBUTING FOR THE MILWAUKEE
BRAVES IN 1954.
THOUGH HE MADE 25 ALL STAR
TEAMS, AARON CONTINUALLY FACED
OBSTACLES WHITE PLAYERS DID NOT,
INCLUDING DEATH THREATS WHILE
APPROACHING BABE RUTH’S CAREER
HOME RUN RECORD.
I WAS SURPRISED TO READ IN WHAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST
EXCITING PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE,
YOU ARE CHASING BABE RUTH’S
RECORD, IT WASN’T.
>> IT WAS NOT.
>> WHY NOT?
>> I COULDN’T GO OUT OF THE
BALLPARK WITHOUT AN ESCORT.
I HAD TO STAY IN ANOTHER HOTEL
RATHER THAN STAYING IN A HOTEL
WITH MY TEAMMATES.
IT WAS THE TOUGHEST MOMENT OF MY
LIFE.
>> HERE IS THE PITCH.
>> THEN IT HAPPENED.
>> THERE’S A NEW HOME RUN
CHAMPION OF ALL TIME!
IT’S HENRY AARON.
>> RUNS BATTED IN, 2, 297.
EXTRA BASE HITS, 1,477.
YEARS WITH 30 OR MORE HOME RUNS,
15.
GOOD ARGUMENT COULD BE MADE YOU
ARE THE GREATEST THAT EVER
PLAYED BASEBALL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, I’M WITH YOU.
>> AT 86, AARON STILL SERVES AS
A SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
ATLANTA BRAVES, MORE CONCERNED
WITH THE FUTURE OF THE GAME THAN
HIS OWN LEGACY.
YOU THINK IT’S AMERICA’S
FAVORITE PASTIME?
>> I THINK IT’S ONE OF THEM.
I BELIEVE FOOTBALL HAS CAUGHT
UP.
I BELIEVE BASEBALL IS STILL
NUMBER ONE.
>> HOW DOES HANK AARON WANT TO
BE REMEMBERED?
>> I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE AND LUCKY
IN SOME WAYS.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED AT
SOMEONE THAT GOD GAVE HIM A
TALENT TO PLAY THIS GAME, AND HE