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Hank Aaron: becoming a power hitter

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@ New Georgia Encyclopedia

WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)

Description

In this 1978 WSB-TV newsfilm clip from Atlanta, Georgia, baseball player Hank Aaron speaks about his decision to step up and become a power hitter after Eddie Mathews's decision to retire. He states that, as a senior member of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, he felt it was his duty to become a strong hitter. He notes his move to Atlanta after the Milwaukee Braves ball club became the Atlanta Braves, and he states that the Atlanta ballpark is "conducive to [his] type of hitting." He asserts that he is most successful when at bat, and he refutes the notion that he is focused only on hitting home runs. He discusses his twenty-year batting average, which is over .300, and he declares that he feels prouder of that accomplishment than of the number of home runs he has hit. He finishes by stating that he began concentrating on hitting long distances five or six years prior to the time of the interview.

Record Contributed By

New Georgia Encyclopedia

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia