1954 Washington Redskins season

Transcription

Welcome to Portrait in a Minute. I'm Brig Owens, former defensive captain at the Washington Redskins. One of my favorite portraits at the National Portrait Gallery is this old painting of Henry Aaron by Ross Rossin. I played baseball in high school, and Aaron's performance captivated me just as it captivated a generation of baseball lovers. Like the rest of the nation, I was glued to the television set that April day when he broke the home run record. Atlanta Braves’ outfielder Hank Aaron finished the 1970th season with a clear total of 713 home runs, only two blasts shy of breaking Babe Ruth’s career total. Aaron's batting had been at a torrid pace, and although he showed no signs of slowing down, his time in baseball was coming to an end. Breaking Babe Ruth's record would be one of the most significant milestones not only in Aaron's career, but in the history of the game. On his path to breaking the home-run record, Aaron was forced to tolerate insults and hatred from those who did not once see a black man at the pinnacle of America's pastime. In a September 2013 interview, Aaron stated, “I had many, many, many death threats. At his finest hour, Aaron was distracted from reflecting on his accomplishments because of the potential danger to him and his family. This did not stop his performance, however. Aaron tied Bruce Marcus 714 home-runs during the Braves' 1974 opening series with Cincinnati. The braves then returned to Atlanta to host a Los Angeles Dodgers. On April, 8th, Al Downing through a fast ball that Aaron crushed 400 feet for home run number 715. Fans everywhere celebrated the new home-run king. Aaron just put the chase aside and returned to the business of baseball. Shortly there after Aaron ended his career with the Braves, he returned to the place where he started: Milwaukee He played his remaining years in baseball with the Brewers. Although numbers do not define the man, they do go a long way towards defining one of the best baseball careers ever. Aaron remains among the top ten players in many batting categories, first he runs batted in and extra base hits, second in home runs and third in overall hits. He also won three Gold Gloves from 1958 through 1960. Then, on August 1st, 1982, Aaron was formally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was recognized by the sport again in 1999, when Major League Baseball created the Hank Aaron Award to annually honor the best hitters from both of the major leagues. In 2002, Aaron received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Born in Mobile, Alabama on February 5th, 1934, Aaron at an early age spent his entire life on baseball. According to (inaudible), Aaron never had a backup plan because he never thought he needed one. He had single-mindedly determined to become a professional baseball player without a role model or encouragement from his elders. He had to teach himself to play baseball, and he taught himself well. He became the last negro league baseball player on a major league roster. In spite of all the disadvantages he faced, he proved himself talented enough to reach the hall of fame. Way to go Henry Aaron! This has been portrait in a minute.