St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-05-22
Aaron Might Join
BoseboIi'S 400 HiffeFS
ny RUL BROWFR
BY BILL BROWER


ing start?
Normally a slow starter at the
plate, Aaron this season is off to
really torrid pace. With the first
10 games under his belt, the wiry
Milwaukee Braves slugger was
batting a strong 800. He has
been breezing along at a better
than 500 clip most of the season.
falling under that fantastic figure
for a day or two.
For example, the highly regard
ed young outfielder started off
with IL hits, including a homer and
four doubles, in his first Fl trips
to the plate, He had two or more
hits in his first sixth games be-
fore his streak was stopped in
the seventh contest of this young
season.
Just Swinging
But nobody has ben able to put
the halter on Aaron for long. In
his first SO at bats he had 43 hits,
including eight homers.
I'm just up there swinging"
is the way Aaron explains his fast
getaway. His start is even more
remarkable because, unlike most
good hitters, Aaron gets few
walks. In the first 10 games, he
drew only six passes, four of
them in a 16-inning struggle be-
tween the Braves and the Los An
geles Dodgers.
Aaron, incidentally broke up
that game minutes before the cur
few with a ringing double, sending
Matthews home with the deciding
tally in a 3-2 victory.
Off And Running
II never have got off to such a
fast start before" Hank said. II
hope it continues. I can't exactly
put my finger on the reason. I
feel real good and I'm hitting
the ball real good"
Aaron's terrific performance so
early in the season is just the
reverse of Hanks usual behavior
at the plate. Even in 1856, when
he won the National league bat
ting title with a 1928 mark, Hank
was off with a mediocre start.
Braves Bread Winner
His worst was last year when
he was batting around .22S Men,
orial Day. He found his batting
eye, however, and with a surge
that carried him to 1926 for the
season, won the right to appear in
the leagues All-Star game for the
fourth consecutive year.
At %, Aaron is one of the
youngest veterans in the majors.
This is his sixth season and he
started the campaign with a life
time average of .316 and GA total
hits.
In 1857, he won the MI most
valuable player award with a 1922
batting mark, A home runs and
1872 runs batted in.
Hank is regarded as the money
player on the Braves. It was his
home run in the 18th inning in
late September, 1857, that gave
the Braves their long-awaited pen
nant in Milwaukee.
Star OF World Series
When the team clinched the re-
peat flag-winning last year, Aaron
contributed four hits to the VIC
tory.
He also has been a standout in
the World Series. In 1857, when
the Braves dethroned the New
York Yankees for the world title,
Aaron hit 1893, drove in seven
runs and had three home runs to
become the batting star of the
classic. Last year, the native Ala
bamian Che was born in Mobile)
batted 1893 (9-for-27) as the Yank-
ees turned the tables on Milwaukee
in the series.
Aaron has hit under 300 only
once in his big league Cor organ
lied basebalD career. That was in
1854, in his freshman season, when
his average was a respectable .2sO.
He ran a close second for rookie
of-the-year in the MI that season.
The next season Aaron batted
.314 and commented:
II should hit Is points better
next year because I know the pit
cheers better and have lots more
confidence in myself"
He lifted his average IA points
to 1928 and won the league batting
title.
Who knows now, but that Aaron
won't become basebalrs first 400
hitter since Ted Williams last ac-
complished it nearly two decades
ago or the MI first 400 hitter
since Bill Terry achieved the STRAIT
ospheric average nearly three de-
cades ago.
WONDERFUL