Standing Tall: Hank Aaron statue debut brings stars to Cooperstown

Fifty years ago, on April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron changed America when he blasted his record-setting 715th career home run and sent him past Babe Ruth on the sport’s all-time list. But his life story was about a man who was a Hall of Famer in every sense.

A statue of Aaron in Cooperstown will now pay tribute to his legacy.

On May 23, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum debuted the Aaron statue, ensuring that his lifetime of heroics on and off the field is celebrated for all time. The bronze representation of Aaron – 76 inches tall and weighing about 650 pounds – is titled “Keep Swinging” and located on the first floor of the Museum near the base of the Grand Staircase. The inscription, which is a quote from Aaron, reads:

“As long as there’s a chance that maybe I can hammer out a little justice now and then, or a little opportunity here and there, I intend do to as I always have – keep swinging.”

Jane Forbes Clark, the Chairman of the Board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, set the tone at the statue debut as the evening’s first speaker.

“He always recognized the importance of this institution,” she said. “But his commitment to the Hall of Fame was never made more clear than in 2010 when he donated his entire collection of artifacts to us to preserve, to have future generations learn from forever here in Cooperstown. Many of his artifacts, incredible artifacts, are on display in the Hank Aaron Gallery on the third floor in the exhibit Chasing the Dream. Many others are on display in our new exhibit, The Souls at the Game: Voices of Black Baseball.

“Hank was a very special member of the Hall of Fame team. Honored to be a Hall of Fame member. And we know that he would be equally as honored that this fantastic statue will now welcome all of our guests as they enter this Museum. Hank’s approach, which you all know well, both on and off the field, was [to] keep swinging, which is why it’s such an appropriate name for this statue. That phrase guided his lifetime accomplishments and his incredible impact on our game and on American society.”

In his 23-year major league career with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, Aaron produced 3,771 hits, 755 home runs and 2,297 RBIs, the latter two records at the time of his retirement from baseball in 1976. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 on his first appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.

Following retirement, Aaron, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 86, engaged in many philanthropic efforts, including The Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation, which helps underprivileged children gain the opportunity to participate in activities like music and athletics that they cannot otherwise afford; sponsored the Hank Aaron Scholarship program; and was involved in a number of charity organizations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Salvation Army and Boy Scouts. He has also served as a vice president of the Atlanta Braves, launched – in conjunction with Major League Baseball – the Hank Aaron Award, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.

In introducing Aaron’s widow, Billye, Clark said: “She and Hank have made Aaron synonymous with the words grace, dignity and integrity.”

A sometimes emotional Billye Aaron began by joking about why she was running late, explaining it was a trait that would often upset her husband. She also profusely thanked the family and friends that came for the statue dedication, including the Hall of Famers in attendance, a group that included Harold Baines, Rollie Fingers, Pat Gillick, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Fred McGriff, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice, Ryne Sandberg, Bud Selig, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith, Joe Torre and Dave Winfield.

“This is truly one of the great, great honors of Henry’s and my life,” she said. “For 48 years, we walked this journey together. I came on the scene a little late, so there are many, many stories that I might have been able to tell you but I am not able to tell you because I didn’t meet Henry Aaron until late in his career…But he came across my path and I his and somewhere in the mix he asked me if I would walk this road with him. And, of course, now you know the rest of the story.

“It was 48 great, great years and in the past few years it has been extremely difficult to continue this walk without him. But I know that he knows that if it had been in our power he would be sitting here and agreeing with all of you that he was deserving of this honor.

“I am so glad that I can speak for him in some ways, and say, ‘Yes, yes, you are so deserving. You were so deserving.’ And I thank God that I had him to walk this journey with me.”

Billye Aaron ended her speech with a heartfelt message to all those in attendance.

“I will always love him. I will always be proud of the fact that he loved me and that we did a lot of good for our community,” she said. “I hope each of you will know and will come to understand that Henry Aaron gave much of his life to being a good – not only a good citizen – but to being a good person. And I will always appreciate that. And always appreciate that our paths crossed in 1971 and we were married in 1973. And since that time and from that time to Jan. 22, 2021, we were a couple.”

New York State Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, who joked about his athletic prowess as a member of the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame, reflected on the importance Aaron played in his life.

“Everybody knows how great of a baseball player Hank Aaron was, and all the records and eye popping numbers speak for themselves. And as an athlete myself,” he said with a laugh, “it’s easy to be enamored with all of his gifts on the diamond. But we are here tonight dedicating a statue in his honor not just because of the caliber of his play, but also because of the content of his character.

“He wasn’t just a great baseball player. He was a great man. He endured racism and hatred with a rarefied focus on preserving his own excellence and with unparalleled grace and dignity at every turn. He tapped into remarkable discipline and internal fortitude, no doubt grounded in the infinite power of love.

“And through that Mr. Aaron didn’t just change baseball. He changed America.”

After the ceremony was over, a pair of Aaron’s longtime friends, longtime civil rights activist and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young and former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, spoke about their thoughts on the statue dedication.

“It’s a wonderful statue,” Young said. “It looks like him. It shows his calm and his poise. This is just him showing himself. And he was a soul man, too, as well as a heavy hitter.”

Selig called it a “remarkable day for a remarkable person.”

“I often said that Henry Aaron, I thought, was the greatest player of my generation. But he was a better person off the field,” Selig added. “And for the Hall to do this, I think is wonderful. I know it is for Billye, I know it is for everybody else, but this is an extraordinary day for me. And I’m proud to be a member of the Hall. I’m proud of what they’ve done.”

The statue of Aaron was created by nationally renowned sculptor William Behrends, who also designed the permanent, life-size bronze statue of Buck O’Neil – unveiled in 2008 – on the Museum’s first floor and serves as the home for the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I’m anxious for everyone to see it, especially Billye Aaron,” said Behrends, in a recent phone interview, from his home in North Carolina. “She hasn’t seen it in person. She’s seen photographs of it. I talked with her a good bit before and she seemed excited about it, but I just wish I was there to see her reaction.”

Billye Aaron, in her speech, was sure to mention her affection for the statue, stating, “I also want to say thanks, a special thanks, to the sculptor. He done well. He done good…I am so grateful. I love it. And thank you. I think it is representative of Henry’s character and his humbleness. It seems to all be there.”

The Aaron statue dedication was the kickoff for a historic weekend celebrating the history of Black baseball and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s groundbreaking new exhibit The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball. Also part of the Memorial Day Weekend is the May 25 Hall of Fame East-West Classic: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game featuring two dozen former big league players competing on the field and 14 Hall of Famers serving as managers and coaches at Cooperstown’s historic Doubleday Field.

Bill Francis is the senior research and writing specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum