Podcast 1 opens with a glimpse into the life of Henry Aaron’s grandfather and namesake, a sharecropper leading a hardscrabble existence in Camden, Alabama. It ends with an 18-year old Aaron boarding a plane for his first minor league team in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Join us as we trace his father’s move to Mobile, Alabama, and see the meager lifestyle he and his five brothers and sisters endured. Learn how his early neighborhood games, the prevalence of amateur teams and winter barnstorming by Big Leaguers sparked his passion for baseball. Discover how Henry showed superior talent right from the beginning, from hitting bottle caps with broomsticks, to his uniquely effective but unorthodox batting style, and how this poor, shy boy believed from an early age that he would make it to the Majors. You will find out how wise advice from a mentor, who saw greatness early on, rescued Henry from obscurity and helped him reach the pinnacle of his profession. And you will hear about Henry’s stint with the Negro League’s Indianapolis clowns, forerunner to the Harlem Globetrotters, and his extraordinary feats in this, his first professional stop on the road to the Majors. “Heroes With Humble Beginnings” also tells of the childhood challenges faced by Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Roberto Clemente, Josh Gibson and the one and only Babe Ruth.
Amazon link to “Heroes with Humble Beginnings”
If you would like to contact the author, please feel free to email him at fmkail74@gmail.com.
Original music composed and performed by Ted Michalek