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When Hank Gets Riled,
He Really Hammers ‘Em
y by FM, Williams
TLANTA—Hank Aaron is no shrinking violet.” He
speaks his piece on issues concerning him, or
baseball, but he has a way of doing it that avoids per-
sonalities.
He is by far the most accessible of all the so-called
Super Stars in baseball. He has a keen sense of humor, |
inn easily at his own expense, and is possessed |
wi © much talent that almost everything he does
appears effortless, sometimes lazy.
here are those who say his major league career |
is being prolonged by such firm. control of his emo- |
tions, and there are others who say lack of fire in i
Aaron's makeup deprives the Atlanta Braves of the
on-the-field leadership so vital to championship ath-
letic teams. 5
So it was with somewhat mixed feelings that peo-
se here greeted the news last week that Henry (The
ammer) had his dander up over some remarks
made at a booster club banquet by Milo Hamilton, |
the Atlanta radio announcer. i
MANAGER BILLY HITCHCOCK, rushing quickly
to Aaron’s defense, could not help but be secretly
happy over the controversy.
In two games thereafter, Hank
had seven hits in ee times at |
bat, plus two walks, and he |
showed more aggressiveness
than anyone in these parts has
_ ever seen him display.
It was in jest, but with
some semblance of truth, that
a wag commented after Sun-,
day's tremendous exhibition by
Aaron that it would be a good
investment to hire a hand to |
visit Henry each day with just
one remark: ‘“‘Roberto Cle-
mente’s a better outfielder than
you are.”
. Aetially tae is nebewhet
Hamilton said, nor what Aaron
pi aes Sei got angry about. Milo's re-—
mark was to the effect that last year, in the All-Star
game, Aaorn was shifted to left field to make room
or Clemente in right, implying that baseball players
favored Clemente.
AARON’S DISPLEASURE was in being brought
into verbal testimonial to Clemente, in the first place,
and to Hamilton's ignorance of the facts. Aaron got
more votes for outficlder in the All-Star game than
did Glemente a yearago,,and coutd-heave-started in
right if he had insisted upon it. He shifted to left at
the request of All-Star Manager Walter Alston.
*~ * ”
Durecher Set Off Controversy
A vear ago down here there was a big contro-
versy going over whether Aaron was as good an out-)
fielder as Willie ee Leo Durocher set that one
off, and coincidéntally, he did it in a speech at an-
other Atlanta Booster meeting. Leo took Mays, of
course. ; ;
“Actually, I’m flattered to be mentioned with
Willie Mays or Clemente when people get to talking
about who's the best nenes, playing today,’’ said
Hank. “I'm perfectly willing for my record to speak
jor me.”
_ The record speaks loudly. He has a lifetime bat-
ting average of .317. To date he has hit 453 home
runs, has batted in 1,461 men. He is regarded, with
Mays, as the very best base runner in the National
League, not because of the bases he steals, but be-
cause he seldom ever gets thrown out taking an ex-
tra base. He has a great arm, he has more than ade-
Aue speed. And when he gets mad, he’s vicious at
the right place—at home plate, with a baseball bat
in his hand, The problem 1s keeping him mad.
ae
lt Takes Homers To Draw Fans
The Braves, who open a three-game series
against the St. Louis Cardinals here tonight, have
Played 20 dates at home and have drawn 367,520 peo-
ple. That's some 22,000 less than at a corresponding
time dtring their first season in the South. Almost
an the difference can be traced right back to
v.
faron and Joe Torre are the main reasons that
fans are flocking through the turnstiles in such great
numbers. They hit home runs, stil the greatest at-
traction baseball has to_o i 5 Torrg
Almost anyone who has ever seen a baseball
ame knows that Atlanta cannot win the National
League pennant—yet it is an interesting team and
exciting.
@ Injuries an sen that &
him of his two best pitchers, Tony Cloninger and Ken
Johnson, for much of the early going, Manager Hitch-
eock has the club playing at a much better pace than
# year ago. With a record of 18-16, the Braves are
two games above the .500 mark. A year ago they were
two games under the break-even point.
a
Unpopular Walker on Way Out?
_ ._ Harry Walker, the talkative Alabaman manag-
ing the Pittsburgh Pirates. is as unpopular with his
players as was Bobby Bragan with the Braves a year _
ago. Sources close to the Pirates say only a pennant
can save Walker's job, and they add, the pennant
will never be won with him as manager. |
Admittedly, Walker is one of baseball's keenest
stueentis, especially in the art of hitting. His prob-
lem with the players, it seems, is that he never knows
when to leave them alone. Harry is a stickler for per-
ction, he ddesn’t even like raeplay around the
atting cage. He says it tends to break concentration
ot a time when the hitters should be practicing that,
as kell as their ep deer
One report circulating in the lobby of the hotel
where the Pirates lived during their four games with
the Braves had Walker enforcing a bed check on Ver-
non Law, a deacon in the Mormon Church and per-
haps the most devout baseball player in the major
leagues.
True or not, it makes th int of why his pl v
da not like him. Ph tak era