Baseball's Hank Aaron

 “Play ball” is the call of the season but it is also a good time to learn more about the history of baseball and its players. Of course you can always attend a ball game and visit Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame but there are other interesting things for baseball aficionados to do. 

Did you know that Syracuse has its own Baseball Wall of Fame? It was established in 1998 in conjunction with the 140th anniversary of the first organized baseball team in Syracuse, New York. It is located at NBT Bank Stadium, home of the Syracuse Mets Triple-A baseball team.

I like it when I can learn about the life and struggles of people who

became successful. When John and I were in Mobile, Alabama we visited the home of Hank Aaron which is now next to the Hank Aaron Stadium. It is a place to relive Aaron's early life and baseball career.

I would have loved to have met Hank’s mother, Estella, who died in 2008 at the age of 96.  When a scout first approached the Aarons requesting that Hank play in a local league his mom refused.  He was still in school. 

She finally relented but laid down the law: no night games when there was school the next day and no skipping school to play. Later when he went to play in the Negro League for the Indianapolis Clowns his mom insisted his older brother and sister go along to take care of him.  When Hank Aaron had enough money he bought his mom a new home on the water as a surprise.  The conversation went something like this. “Hank, what is this?” “Mom, it’s your new house.” “I’m not moving.  I like my

house and it is where all my friends are.”  And, of course, she didn’t move and lived in the house until she died.  I have a lot of respect for a mom like that. Hank had a large family room added to the house.  After she died Hank donated the house and it was moved to a place of honor next to the stadium.  The seven-room museum showcases the inspiring life and historic baseball career of Hank Aaron.

Aaron is best remembered for breaking Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs with his 715th on April 8, 1974.  Not all the stories are so wonderful.  When it was obvious that Babe Ruth’s record was about to be broken Aaron received many death threats and hate mail because some people did not want to see a black man break Ruth’s record.  The docent told us, “Most of the threats came from the North.” Interesting!

Aaron played 23 years as an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves. His record of 755 career home runs was the most of any other baseball player and a record that stood for more than two decades until it was broken by Barry Bonds.  After Bonds hit his record-breaking 756th home run on August 7, 2007, Aaron made a surprise appearance on the huge video screen at the ball park in San Francisco to congratulate Bonds on his accomplishment.  The museum has a plethora of memorabilia but I love the personal stories. 

Aaron was held in high regard by all those who played ball with

him. Aaron is quoted as saying, upon being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, “I have had great things happen to me, but today is the greatest day I have ever had in my entire life."  

Zoos are the best places to watch animals

I, like many people, enjoy seeing animals in their natural habitat and have done so in many places. John and I went on safari in Kenya where we saw thousands of wildebeests and zebras migrating. I was most impressed with the height of the giraffes. When I tell people that we have spent a lot of time over

the years in the rainforest I always add that we have more wildlife in our backyard than we ever saw in the jungle.  John saw a snake once in Costa Rice and we had to pay for a tour to see a sloth. The best place to really see and observe animals is in a zoo. We have been to many zoos in the United States and in several countries. There is always something new and interesting to see and learn. 


One of the best zoos is in Syracuse, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo,

and it is open 362 days a year. They have lions, and tigers and bears and more. One of the most unique primates at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is the Golden Lion Tamarin from the coastal forests of Brazil. They are on the endangered species list with an estimated wild population of about 3,200 and less than 500 in zoos. They are small with beautiful red manes hence the “lion” name. The zoo offers a variety of programs for all ages. 

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, a 183-acre zoo in Cleveland, is another all-season zoo. The Zoo is divided into several areas: Australian Adventure; African Savanna; Northern Trek; The Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building; The RainForest; and Waterfowl Lake. Along with gorillas, big cats, and all the expected zoo animals, the Australian Adventure is a fascinating eight-acre exhibit. A train ride takes visitors past kangaroos and wallabies that roam freely in Wallaby Walkabout and by Kookaburra Station. The Reinberger Homestead is fashioned after a traditional 19th century sheep station offering a peek into Australian home life. Cleveland is always a good destination choice with many museums and attractions.

One of the largest and most progressive zoos in the world is the

famous San Diego Zoo in California with more than 4,000 animals and 800 species. The Skyfari aerial trip offers spectacular views of the zoo but it is just one way to tour the zoo. There is also a miniature train and guided bus tour. There are many programs and unique things to do such enjoying a buffet breakfast while watching the koala colony in their home, the Australian Outback. Watch the keeper feed the koalas their breakfast while you enjoy yours. 

The Alabama Golf Coast Zoo is called “The Little Zoo that Could” because is the only zoo in recorded US history that has ever staged a full scale evacuation for a natural disaster (they actually completed three zoo evacuations - for Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Katrina). During our visit to the zoo I loved the close encounters with the baby white Bengal Tigers and playing in the enclosure with lemurs.  They really are “leaping lemurs.” You can’t do that in the wild. 


When we were in Nebraska we visited the Lincoln’s Children’s Zoo. I don’t think there is any such thing as a children’s only zoo. In fact, sometimes places that promote to children offer the best learning opportunities. They let visitors pet critters like turtles and lizards plus there are usually animal feeding stations.

Getting wild in Lower Alabama

“LA” is actually a marketing tag for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in Alabama. It is basically the area of beautiful beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. When John and I were there last month the weather was perfect and the expansive beach was awesome.  I could have spent all day on the beach but I didn’t want to miss the other things to see and do in the area.

The area along the Gulf Coast is very unique as I learned during a walking tour at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. “Bon Secour” loosely translated means “Safe Harbor.” The area is diverse making it a great habitat for birds, the endangered sea turtle and a wide variety of plants.  It is one of Alabama’s Ten Natural Wonders. With Brittany as our guide we walked the Jeff Friend Trail which was only one mile long; it is wheelchair accessible. The Trail went through a maritime forest and by Little Lagoon with lotus blossoms. The purplish Beauty Berries were everywhere.  I love learning about traditional uses for plants and wonder what should or could we be using today.  Various parts of the Beauty Berry plant were used to treat malarial fevers, rheumatism, colic, itchy skin, and stomach aches.  And, that is just one plant. It seems that everything had a use at one time. Brittney said thousands of monarch butterfly use Bon Secour as a rest stop on their long migratory flight across the Gulf.  We saw a few early arrivals. 

There were so many things to see and do that one morning John went out with Sailaway Charters to learn about oystering, crabbing and shrimping. They even caught a few.  But, one of the other interesting phenomena he learned about was a Jubilee. A Jubilee is a natural occurring event that happens – usually about dawn during the summer – when flounders, eels and other fish swarm in large numbers to the shallow water of Mobile Bay making for easy catching and picking. That would be something to see, too. Locals have systems whereby they notify each other… “It’s a Jubilee.”  Similar events have been reported elsewhere but Mobile is the only place where it occurs on a regular basis.  It has been studied and most agree that the wind has to come from the east on a rising tide. It seems to have some connection with the mixing of the salt and fresh water. 

While John was out on the water I headed for the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, dubbed “The Little Zoo that Could.” Have you heard the term “leaping lemurs”?  Well, I now know exactly what that means.  I had an up close and personal interaction with them at the zoo.  Oh, my, what fun! I was in the ruffled lemur’s play pen and they jumped, leaped and scampered all over me and everyone else.  Natalie, the caregiver, was expert with the pan to catch any droppings that occurred with amazing frequency.  They were beautiful and had the most delicate human-like hands.  That wasn’t my only animal encounter.  In another enclosure I met beautiful Serena, a white Bengal Tiger. At 8 weeks old she was curious and like all cats loved her tummy scratched. John and I also learned more about dolphins on the Cetacean Dolphin Cruise with Captain Bill Mitchell.  We even had time to enjoy the beach.  

Learning about the USS Alabama

On our recent trip to Mobile, John and I visited the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park and it turned out to be much more than we expected.  Besides the battleship there is also the USS Drum submarine, 24 combat aircraft that were used during and since WW II, tanks, a Vietnam River Patrol Boat and more.

The USS Alabama saw 37 months of active duty during World War II, earning her nine Battle Stars. Battle Stars were commendations awarded to Navy warships for meritorious participation in battle or for suffering damage during a battle. The “Mighty A” as she came to be known, safely carried her crew throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean campaigns, and never suffered any casualties or significant damage due to enemy fire. She shot down 22 enemy planes during WW II. In 1947 she was mothballed on Puget Sound in the state of Washington. In 1964 she was berthed in Mobile Bay and became a museum ship sharing her heritage with visitors. There are three self-guided tour routes that explore various parts of the ship.  The Yellow Tour begins in the Main Exhibit Area where there is a 15-minute video about life on the ship during the war. Amazingly, it took 140 sailors to man the turret which had a range of 21 miles. It is hard to believe so many lived together in such close quarters. I get claustrophobic walking through the narrow corridors of battleships and submarines and can’t imagine what it would be like when it was fully manned with all the necessary provisions especially during battle conditions. 

The USS Drum has been at the museum since it opened in 1969 and is America’s oldest WW II submarine. She earned 12 battle stars for her service and claimed to have sunk 27 enemy vessels. The Drum made 13 war patrols in WWII, nine of which were deemed "successful". The crew claimed to have sunk 27 enemy vessels, but the Joint Army Navy Assessment Committee officially credits the Drum with the sinking of 15 enemy vessels. Every submariner onboard for each "successful" patrol earned his submarine combat insignia pin or else earned another star for their submarine combat insignia pin. They like to say, “The Drum can’t be beat.”

Also on display is the “Mary Alice II,” a B-25 which is currently being restored and will represent a member of the 5th Air Force's, 345th Bomb Group, 499th Squadron, "Bats Outa Hell."  The B-25s were the most heavily armed aircraft of WWII. The 345th Bomb Group had bounties on their crews and aircraft, as they were feared by the Japanese due to their relentless attacks on Japanese shipping, aircraft, and troops.  The 345th also flew long range missions.

It is one thing to imagine what it was like for those who served in any war – on land or at sea - but it really comes alive when talking to a veteran who shares his experience. While we were there Col. Glenn D. Frazier, a WW II veteran who spent over three years in Japanese POW camps, was there promoting his book, “Hell’s Guest.” Even though he never served on the USS Alabama, he was a survivor of the 62-mile Bataan Death March in the Philippines.

The USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park was much more extensive than we expected so we didn’t have nearly enough time.    

Mobile - the Azalea City

 Recently John and I visited Mobile, a great city with a lot to see and experience. Located on the Mobile River it is one of the largest cities on the Gulf Coast plus the first capital of French Louisiana. Our hotel, The Battle House, was in an excellent location and very historic.  The current building, and second hotel on the site, was built in 1908 on the site where Andrew Jackson had his military headquarters during the War of 1812.  In the lobby, above a circular banquette, is a beautiful domed Tiffany skylight.  The corners of the ornate molding have portraits of the four leaders who ruled over Mobile: Louis XIV of France, George III of England, Ferdinand V of Spain, and George Washington. The hotel has had many noted personalities as guests including President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 who announced that the United States would never again wage a war of aggression! If only it were true.

We started our visit at the Museum of Mobile housed in Old City Hall, a National Historic Landmark. It was the perfect place to learn about Mobile’s 300-year history from the first inhabitants to the present. From “Old Days to New Ways” the museum makes history come alive with hands-on and interactive exhibits.  We learned what Mobile was like before Europeans arrived. Relive the journey of the African Americans and see how they influenced art, sports and leadership. Listened to stories of Civil War Soldiers. Their special exhibit dealt with comic books. Comic books may seem like an unusual subject for a history museum but it was enlightening how superheroes are a mirror of American society. It was fascinating how the superheroes changed to include current events and a changing society.

Most of the things to see and do were a short walk from the hotel on Dauphin Street and around Cathedral Square. I love parks like Cathedral Square because I can rest but also people watch.  Watching people while sitting in a park is a great way to get a feel for a city.  Everyone seemed so relaxed and enjoying one another’s company.  There are two small but interesting museums on the square.  The Portier House, a Greek Revival Creole dwelling, was home to the first Catholic bishop of Mobile and on the other side of the square is the Mobile Police Museum which has many interesting displays including one that deals with the city’s connection to Patricia Krenwinkel, a member of the Manson gang, who was arrested in Mobile.

I am not much of shopper but Dauphin Street with some of Mobile’s most unique specialty shops, boutiques, and galleries. There is everything from soup (at the Spot of Tea) to nuts (at the A&M Peanut Company).  Spot of Tea is a local favorite and there is a good reason for that.  The food was excellent.  I really liked the eclectic articles for sale in Artology, a co-op of eight local female artists.  At A&M Peanuts I knew the peanuts were fresh because they are roasted right in the store.

Many of the buildings along Dauphin Street have lacy wrought iron decorations.  I picked up a Dauphin Street Historic District Walking Tour but there just wasn’t time to do it all… could be just one more reason to return. And, they have free a minibus called The Wave that connects most of the downtown sites.

Hank Aaron's Boyhood Home

On a recent trip to Mobile, Alabama John and I visited the Hank Aaron Childhood Home. It was built by his father, Herbert, in 1942 and is located next to the Hank Aaron Stadium. We were lucky Mike Callahan, the stadium’s assistant general manager, was available to give us a tour because he is an encyclopedia of Hank Aaron stories. 

I would have loved to have met Hank’s mother, Estella, who died in 2008 at the age of 96.  I can picture her in the lovely light mauve dress with matching hat and shoes that are on display but what I like best are the stories about her.  When a scout first approached the Aarons requesting that Hank play in a local league his mom refused.  He was still in school.  She finally relented but laid down the law: no night games when there was school the next day and no skipping school to play. Later when he went to play in the Negro Leagues for the Indianapolis Clowns his mom insisted his older brother and sister go along to take care of him.  When Hank Aaron had enough money he bought his mom a new home on the water as a surprise.  The conversation went something like this. “Hank, what is this?” “Mom, it’s your new house.” “I’m not moving.  I like my house and it is where all my friends are.”  And, of course, she didn’t move and lived in the house until she died.  Hank did have a large family room added to the house.  I have a lot of respect for a mom like that. After she died Hank donated the house and it was moved to a place of honor next to the stadium. 

Aaron was held in high regard by all those who played ball with him.  At the museum opening there was a long list of VIP guests including Willie Mays, Bob Feller, Rickey Henderson, Bruce Sutter, Reggie Jackson and Ozzie Smith. Aaron is quoted as saying, “I have had great things happen to me, but today is the greatest day I have ever had in my entire life."  The seven-room museum showcases the inspiring life and historic baseball career of Hank Aaron.

I am sure Mrs. Aaron was proud of all her eight children and especially her famous ball-playing sons, Hank and Tommy.  But, it was Hank who garnered most of baseball’s distinguished honors.

Aaron is best remembered for breaking Babe Ruth’s record of 714 homeruns with his 715th on April 8, 1974.  Not all the stories are so wonderful.  When it was obvious that Babe Ruth’s record was about to be broken Aaron received many death threats and hate mail because some people did not want to see a black man break Ruth’s record.  Mike Callahan shared this, “Most of the threats came from the North.” Interesting.

Aaron played 23 years as an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves. His record of 755 career home runs was the most of any other baseball player and a record that stood for more than two decades until it was broken by Barry Bonds.  After Bonds hit his record-breaking 756th home run on August 7, 2007, Aaron made a surprise appearance on the huge video screen at the ball park in San Francisco to congratulate Bonds on his accomplishment.  The museum has a plethora of memorabilia but I love the personal stories.