The Tom Johnson Lecture Series presents a conversation with Hank Aaron at the LBJ Presidential Library on January 22, 2014. Photo by Lauren Gerson.
At The American Conservative, Casey Chalk examines the Main Street conservatism of baseball legend Hank Aaron. Chalk notes Aaron’s post-baseball success as well, explaining that it relied on “his work ethic, his deep sense of patriotism, and his religious beliefs.” Chalk writes (abridged):
Reading selected quotations from Aaron (baseball legend Hank), I was struck by how well he understood many of the truths of Main Street conservatism (even if he has a history of strongly criticizing the GOP!).
Aaron appreciated the value of tradition in both American history and baseball.
In reference to Ruth (Babe), he once declared: “I don’t want them to forget Ruth; I just want them to remember me.” This is a remarkable statement of humility coming from a man who in 1973 received a plaque from the U.S. Postal Service for receiving more mail (930,000 pieces) than any other person excluding politicians. Much of it was hate-filled, castigating a black man for attempting to break a white man’s record.
Aaron also understands the central role of virtue in a life well-lived.
One of his most famous quotations is “Consistency is what counts; you have to be able to do things over and over again.” He certainly exemplified that consistency with his 24-time all-star appearances, 15 seasons with at least 30 home runs, and an incredible lifetime .305 batting average. As Aaron explained: “I came to the Braves on business, and I intended to see that business was good as long as I could.”
After his baseball career, Aaron had other great successes, both as a businessman—owning many car dealerships and a chain of restaurants—and as a philanthropist. This stemmed from his work ethic, his deep sense of patriotism, and his religious beliefs.
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