| Monday, August 21, 2006 |
| I HAD A HAMMER - Hank Aaron |
I HAD A HAMMER
Hank Aaron with Lonnie Wheeler
1991 (333 pages)
Autobiography
THE SCOOP From Amazon.com: Aaron's autobiography is much more than a collection of baseball memories. It is the first-hand account of the prejudice faced by Aaron and his contemporaries who followed Jackie Robinson into the big leagues. The narrative is modest yet supremely confident; from it emerges a picture of an incredibly talented man who fought for the opportunities he deserved. During the 23 years he played the game, Aaron became the best hitter of all time, surpassing even Ted Williams and Willie Mays. Readers will enjoy this inside look at his life and career.
A SHORT REVIEW: I finished I Had A Hammer about two weeks ago, in preparation for a new screenplay I'll be starting soon. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read! Even for research.
The book takes place in such an interesting time in American history; it's hard not to marvel at Hank Aaron's accomplishments.
Just some of his records:
-All-time home run leader: 755
-All-time RBI leader: 2,297
-All-time total bases leader: 6,856
-All-time extra-base hits leader: 1,477
-NL MVP: 1957
-Gold Glove award: 1958 – 1960
-Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame: 1982
-24 All-Star appearances
Just some of his obstacles:
-More than 3,000 letters a day. (More than any American outside of politics.)
-Many of these letters were hate mail and viable death threats.
-A city that didn't like him or his race.
-No steroids. (Take that Barry Bonds!)
All-in all, I Had A Hammer is an eloquent testimonial from a sports legend who did nothing but love and play the game. If any of this subject matter interests you, I recommend this book.
Some of my favorite Hank Aaron trivia:
-Hank Aaron hit the first home run in Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium*.
-Hank Aaron hit home run 714 (to tie Babe Ruth) in Riverfront Stadium.
-Hank Aaron's played his first organized baseball, outside his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, in Winston-Salem, NC.
*Riverfront Stadium was razed in 2002. I saw many a Reds game in Riverfront and loved each one.
So, by now, you're now asking yourself, "Chris, what's this new script about if you were reading Hank Aaron's bio?"
All in good time. All in good time.
That is for another entry.
Until then, enjoy!
--CJW |
posted by CJW @ 8/21/2006 07:25:00 PM   |
|
|
|
|
|