Hank Aaron

What better way to begin to showcase my Nat'l Baseball HoF collection than with Hammerin' Hank Aaron! As you will see, I organize my overall collection alphabetically, and I organize my individual collections chronologically (mostly), and start it with a HoF postcard.

I recall watching the game Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record with my dad, and I've held onto this SI cover ever since. Aaron hit the record breaking home run off of the Dodger's Al Downing. I don't include too many pictures such as this in my collection, but I do make exceptions, especially for some of my favorite players or for some items from my kidhood.

HoF manager Walter Alston: "More than anyone else, Hank Aaron made me wish I wasn't a manager."

From L-R, and T-B, my collection starts with a 70 Milton Bradley playing card, followed by a 70 Topps TSN (ragged, but a cool card), and a Topps 71. Middle row shows a 71 Topps IA, a 73 APBA game card, and a 72 Topps. Bottom row: 72 Topps All-Time TB Leader, followed by one of my prized collection cards - a 1974 Topps card #1 of the New All-Time Home Run King. The last item is a pic I clipped from (one of the then two) Syracuse newspapers sometime in the early 70's, back when that was how you learned who made the All-Star team.

This sheet contains Topp's 1974 card no's 2 - 6 Hank Aaron Specials (love when they did this), another newspaper clipping from the 70's, a Topps 1975 '74 Highlights card, an empty pocket (room to grow the collection without having to reposition too many cards), and a Topps 75 1957 MVP with Mantle. I tend not to include cards with another person, or people, featured on the card unless the other person/people are also in the HoF, or some other selfish reason (favorite player or otherwise interesting card).

I should note that I recently purchased a 1957 Topps Aaron error card (reverse negative, shown above in the bottom right corner of the first / top left card), but I intend to post on that, and some other error cards, separately. But mainly because I just realized I didn't provide a holding place for it, and I don't want to reposition a bunch of cards (again).

Here I have a 75 SSPC from when Aaron was back in Milwaukee, 75 Hostess (still LOVE Ho-Ho's!), and 77 TCMA Galasso. The middle row starts with a card from a set of cards I can't identify showcasing Aaron's HR #700, a 1987 (?) Baseball Immortals card (SSPC HoF), and an 82 Kmart card. The bottom row starts with an 82 Donruss HoF Heroes, followed by an 87 (?) Hygrade (?) Baseball's All-Time Greats, and then an 87 TCMA card.

This sheet starts on the top row with a clipping from a 70's magazine (one of the reasons 44 is my favorite number), 88 Pacific, and an 88 Score Great Moments mini. The middle row starts with an 88 Topps TBTC, followed by a 90 Collect-A-Books, and then a 90 Pacific. The bottom row shows a 90 Score The MVP's mini, a 91 Kellogg's 3D, and a 92 Ziploc card (I think there were only about 10 or 11 cards in the Ziploc set).

Last sheet, top row: Donruss puzzle card (on the back it says "HEY KIDS! Cut carefully along lines to form your special HANK AARON puzzle." I wonder how many of these cards, and how many kid's fingers, got butchered doing this!), a Donruss puzzle piece, and a 91 Donruss Baseball Heroes card. Middle row: A 96 Topps with Mantle, space, and a cool 2013 Worlds Worst Chewing Gum card (love the name, and the retro photo of Aaron with the Indianapolis Clowns!). Bottom row: An 02 Topps 206, space, and a 2019 Topps Grapefruit League Greats.

From my experience, there doesn't seem to be too many post-playing career cards of Aaron out there compared to others from that era. Not sure why.

Well, there you have it. My first post on a player from my Nat'l HoF collection, and I love that Aaron comes up first. Hope you enjoyed!

CinciCuse Bill