A RARE AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.
>> SWING AND FLY BALL WELL HIT
TO LEFT FIELD.
>> FOR GENERATIONS BASEBALL HAS
CAPTURED THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF
FANS.
THERE IS A PAINFUL HISTORY
BEHIND AMERICA'S FAVORITE PAST
TIME.
FOR DECADES IN THE EARLY 20th
CENTURY, ONLY WHITE PLAYERS
COULD PLAY PROFESSIONALLY UNTIL,
ON FEBRUARY 13th, 1920,
LEGENDARY BLACK PITCHER RUE
FOSTER FORMED A NEGRO LEAGUE IN
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
>> IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE
NEGRO LEAGUE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE
HAD AS MANY BLACK BASEBALL
PLAYERS AS YOU HAVE NOW.
>> HANK AARON IS WIDELY
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST
TO EVER PLAY THE GAME, BUT
BEFORE HE DONNED THAT FAMOUS
BRAVES UNIFORM, HE TOOK THE
FIELD FOR THE INDIANAPOLIS
CLOWNS OF 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 AND 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 BALL PLAYERS THAT
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 THERE WAS
IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL?
>> I WOULD NOT DOUBT IT ONE BIT.
THERE WAS SO MUCH TALENT.
>> THOUSANDS OF FANS CAME TO THE
GAMES, THE NEGRO LEAGUE PLAYERS
WERE NOT TREATED EQUALLY.
ROADSIDE RESTAURANTS BANNED
RESTAURANTS, CLOSED -- IN 1947
JACKIE ROBINSON BROKE BASEBALL'S
COLOR BARRIER.
>> WAS THERE ANY PRESSURE ON
GUYS LIKE YOU TO STAY IN THE
NEGRO LEAGUE?
>> YES, IT WAS, PRESSURE FROM
THE PLAYERS THAT WE PLAYED WITH,
WAS TELLING YOU YOU CAN'T MAKE
IT, YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT.
>> HANK AARON DID MAKE IT.
DEBUTING FOR THE MILWAUKEE
BRAVES IN 1954.
THOUGH HE MADE 25 ALL-STAR
TEAMS, AARON CONTINUOUSLY 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'RE CHASING BABE RUTH'S
RECORD, IT WASN'T.
>> IT WAS NOT.
>> WHY NOT?
>> I COULDN'T GO OUT OF THE BALL
PARK WITHOUT AN ESCORT.
I HAD TO STAY IN ANOTHER HOTEL,
RATHER THAN STAYING IN THE HOTEL
WITH MY TEAMMATES.
IT WAS THE TOUGHEST MOMENT OF MY
LIFE.
>> HERE'S THE PITCH --
>> AND THEN IT HAPPENED.
>> THE NEW HOME RUN CHAMPION OF
ALL TIME AND IT'S HENRY AARON.
>> 2,297, EXTRA BASE HITS,
1,477, YOU'RE FIRST.
YEARS WITH 30 OR MORE HOME RUNS,
15.
PRETTY GOOD ARGUMENT COULD BE
MADE THAT YOU'RE THE GREATEST
THAT'S EVER PLAYED BASEBALL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, I'M WITH YOU.
>> AT 86 YEARS OLD, 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 STILL
AMERICA'S FAVORITE PAST TIME?
>> I THINK IT'S ONE OF THEM.
I BELIEVE FOOTBALL HAS CAUGHT UP
IN SOME INSTANCES.
I BELIEVE BASEBALL IS STILL
NUMBER ONE.
>> HOW DOES HANK AARON WANT TO
BE REMEMBERED?
>> I'M FORTUNATE IN SOME WAYS.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE
REMEMBERED AS SOMEONE THAT GOD
GAVE HIM THE TALENT TO PLAY THIS
GAME, AND HE DID IT.
EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO
MAKE THE GAME THE WAY IT'S
SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYED.
>> THE NEGRO LEAGUE MUSEUM IS
REKREWE CREATING RUE FOSTER'S
SIGNING OF THE NEGRO LEAGUE.
TODAY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IS