TALKED ABOUT HIS RISE THROUGH THE NEGRO LEAGUES, HIS HOME RUN
CHASE TO HOW HE WANTS TO BE
REMEMBERED.
REMEMBERED. >> WHEN I PLAYED THE GAME, I
PLAYED IT FOR 23 YEARS, EVERY
SINGLE DAY PLAYING THE WAY IT’S
SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYED.
>> HANK AARON IS WIDELY
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST
TO EVER PLAY BASEBALL, BUT
BEFORE HE DONNED THAT FAMOUS
BRAVES UNIFORM, AARON TOOK THE
FIELD IN THE NEGRO LEAGUE.
>> 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.
>> IT IS TRUE THAT THERE WAS
PERHAPS MORE TALENT IN THE NEGRO
LEAGUE BACK THEN THAN THERE WAS
IN MEEB BASEBALL?
>> I WOULD NOT DOUBT IT ONE BIT.
THERE WAS SO MUCH TALENT.
>> IN 1954 AARON MADE HIS DEBUT
POUR THE MILWAUKEE WAVES.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING A
BLACK BASEBALL PLAYER, ONE OF
JUST A HANDFUL IN MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL BACK THEN?
>> IT WAS TOUGH, NO QUESTION
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. >> I’M GOING TO READ SOME STATS
THAT MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE.
RUNS BATTED IN 2,297, YOU’RE
FIRST.
FIRST. EXTRA BASE HITS, 1,477, YOU’RE
FIRST.
FIRST. YEARS WITH 30 OR MORE HOME RUNS,
15.
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.
[ LAUGHTER ].
>> HERE’S THE PITCH BY DOWNING,
SWINGING.
SWINGING. >> IN 1974 HANK AARON BATTLED
THROUGH DEATH THREATS AND PUBLIC
SCRUTINY TO SHATTER BABE RUTH’S
LONGTIME CAREER HOME RUN RECORD.
IN 2007 BARRY BONDS BROKE THAT
RECORD IN CONTROVERSIAL FASHION,
HELPED BY STEROIDS.
>> YOU SAID IN THE PAST THAT
DESPITE THE FACT HE HAS ADMITTED
TO CHEATING, YOU STILL CONSIDER
HIM THE HOME RUN KING.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. >> HOW CAN THAT BE?
>> I KNEW BARRY’S FATHER VERY
WELL AND I GOT TO KNOW BARRY A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. IT’S KIND OF HARD FOR ME TO
DIGEST AND COME TO REALIZE THAT
BARRY CHEATED IN THE HOME RUNS,
CHEATED WITH THIS AND THAT.
>> BARRY BONDS AND SOME OF THESE
OTHER GUYS WHO ADMITTED TO
JUICING, DO YOU THINK THEY
BELONG IN THE HALL OF FAME?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> REALLY?
>> REALLY? >> YES.
>> YES. >> EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ON
STEROIDS?
STEROIDS? >> WE’VE HAD SO MANY CHEATERS
THAT HAVE MADE THE HALL OF FAME,
AND I DON’T SEE ANY REASON WHY
BARRY OR ANY OF THE REST OF THEM
SHOULDN’T MAKE IT.
>> DID YOU CHEAT?
>> I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO DO
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO HOLD A
BAT STRAIGHT.
BAT STRAIGHT. >> IF HANK AARON DIDN’T HAVE TO
CHEAT --
CHEAT -- >> WELL, THAT’S TRUE.
BARRY WAS A TERRIFIC BALL
PLAYER.
PLAYER. >> PETE ROSE, SHOULD HE BE IN
THE HALL?
THE HALL? >> NO.
>> NO. >> IF YOU BET ON THE GAME, YOU
DON’T DESERVE TO BE IN?
>> NO.
>> NO. >> BUT IF YOU USE DRUGS TO
ENHANCE YOUR PERFORMANCE?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> AT 86 HANK IS STILL PART OF
THE GAVE HE LOVES WITH THE
ATLANTA BRAVES AND LIVING HIS
LEGACY.
LEGACY. >> YOU’RE ONE OF THE FEW LIVING
LEGENDS SCANDAL-FREE.
LEGENDS SCANDAL-FREE. HOW DOES HANK AARON WANT TO BE
REMEMBERED.
REMEMBERED. >> I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE AND LUCKY
IN SOME WAYS.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED AS
SOMEONE WHO SAID GOD GAVE HIM
THE TALENT TO PLAY THIS GAME,
AND HE DID EVERYTHING HUMANLY
POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE GAME THE
WAIT’S SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYED.
>> HAMMERING HANK AARON WAS ON
MY LIST OF PEOPLE THAT I’VE
ALWAYS WANTED TO SIT DOWN WITH.
I DID NOT FULLY GRASP HIS
DISTINCTION BETWEEN STEROID USE
AND BETTING ON THE GAME.
WE’LL LEAVE THAT FOR OTHER FOLKS
TO DECIDE.
TO DECIDE. >> I WILL TELL YOU, HAVING GROWN
UP -- HE WAS IN BASEBALL FOR MY
ENTIRE TIME ALIVE ON THE EARTH.
HE RETIRED IN ’74, OR HIT THE
HOME RUN.
HOME RUN. HIS SHADOW ON BASEBALL, HOW HE
COVERS THE GAME IS REALLY
UNBELIEVABLE.
UNBELIEVABLE. >> HE DOESN’T DO A LOT.
WHY DON’T YOU DO MORE, WHY
AREN’T YOU OUT THERE SELLING THE
GAME?
GAME? HE SAYS MY GRANDKIDS.
>> WHEN HE HIT THAT HOME RUN, WE
KNEW HOW GREAT IT WAS, BUT WE
HEARD ABOUT THE RACISM AND
EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE MOMENT
FOR SO MANY REASONS.
>> AS OPPOSED TO READING IT IN A
HISTORY BOOK, HAVING A CHANCE TO
TALK WITH HIM.
>> TERRIFIC.
>> TERRIFIC. THANK YOU, MR. AARON.
>>> COMING UP, OUR PRODUCERS --
I DIDN’T KNOW THIS, DID YOU KNOW
THIS?
THIS? >> THAT’S WHY IT’S CALLED A