Hank had a monster season by all accounts in 1957.

Not only did he help lead his team to the World Series championship, but he took his game to another level - an MVP level.

The numbers:  198 hits, .322 batting average, 27 doubles, 44 home runs (league leader), 118 runs scored (league leader), and 132 RBI (league leader).  And as a 23-year youngster, he showed tremendous control at the plate – in 675 plate appearances, Hank struck out just 58 times, while walking 57 (15 intentionally).

Most baseball fans don’t confuse the term ‘slugger’ and ‘hitter’.  Hank Aaron was a hitter, he just happened to hit the ball hard and long.

In fact, he was so good at the plate, that he won two batting crowns.

In his third year in the league, Hank Aaron won the 1956 batting title.  During that season, Hank amassed 200 hits, good for a .328 batting average.  Three seasons later, in 1959, he did it again – this time collecting 223 hits en route to a .355 average.

Atta Boy Hank!!!

How many ‘sluggers’ do you know that can claim a batting crown?  Not very many, that is for sure!!!

No player has been selected as an All-Star more than Hank Aaron.

Not Ruth.

Not Mays.

Not Mantle.

Not Gehrig.

Not Ripken.

Hank Aaron stands alone and on top of the leader board with twenty-one All-Star game selections during his twenty-three season major league career.

Often overshadowed due to his lack of flare and desire to be in the spotlight, Hank Aaron was a very solid outfielder over the course of his career.

And from 1958-1960, he was celebrated as one of the best outfielders in the National League as we won three consecutive Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence.

In those three campaigns, Hank made 886 put-outs, had 37 assists, and committed just 11 errors.

Who knows, if it had not been for a spectacular right-fielder in Pittsburgh, Aaron may have won a few more of these…

Very few players have baseball cards that continue to maintain or increase in value after retirement, after Hall of Fame enshrinement, and after their lofty records fall.

Very few players can measure up to Hank Aaron and his baseball cards.

His rookie card, from the 1954 Topps baseball set, is superb.  It offers us a glimpse of a young and very talented Aaron as well as a very vintage, and politically incorrect Braves’ team logo.

Here is the card:

I wonder how may bikes found this card attached to their spokes…

Hank Aaron earned the nickname, ‘The Hammer’ for his ability to hit the baseball in a hard manner.  It has been said that hearing the ball coming off of a bat swung by Aaron sounded different from any other player.

In fact, during Spring Training of his rookie season in 1954, it has been reported that the great Ted Williams said that “the sound of his bat hitting the ball was so spectacular that I came running out from the clubhouse to see who had hit that ball”.

That’s right, today is ‘Hammerin’ Hank Aaron’s 78th birthday.

And I plan on celebrating Hank’s birthday in grand style!!  The day will be full of posts celebrating the major league career of one of the greatest to ever play the game.

It will be a fun-filled day at ’30-YOC’.

Happy Birthday Mr. Aaron!!!

Roberto Alomar celebrates his 44th birthday today!

Roberto Alomar has a lot to be thankful for as he celebrates his birthday today…

He had a fantastic career that was peppered with tons of individual and team success that includes winning World Series championships.

But today, things are a bit more special for Alomar.  He is one of the newest elected member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and was the headliner going into the 2011 class at Cooperstown.

Alomar can now be celebrated alongside the greatest baseball players of all-time!

Congratulations again Robby.  And Happy Birthday!!!

Ok everyone, the big game is tonight and it should be an entertaining one.

And at ’30-YOC’ we have a great contest running in conjunction with the game.

So, thanks to all of the entrants, and Good Luck to you.

Here is a list of the players, their picks for the winning team, and the total number of points that they think will be scored:

**I couldn’t help it – I had to put my selections into the mix too (if I win, I will still give out both prizes).

Enjoy the game!!!

I’ve got Andre Dawson on the brain tonight – most nights when I am blogging, actually….  But tonight, I am doing back-to-back Dawson posts.

I picked up this custom postcard set featuring Hall of Famer, Andre Dawson.  I had seen these being sold on Ebay for the last several years, but was never really ready to make a purchase.  Some sold low, some sold high, and some did not sell at all….

Ultimately, my patience paid off, as I paid just $0.99 for the set of postcards – A real steal, if you ask me.

From what I have been able to find out, the set was produced by Barry Colla, and must have been issued sometime around 1987, ’88, or ’89.  Considered to be ‘unofficial’, Colla did get away with using the Chicago Cubs logo, and I am thrilled that none of these have been airbrushed!!!

So, here it is – the latest addition to my memorabilia collection that pays tribute to ‘The Hawk’.

The whole set:

And now, on to the close-ups:

Thanks for reading!!