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Hank Aaron’s talent, courage built a bridge for future Black stars – Sportsnet.ca

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In the spring of 1974, one conversation dominated the streets of Crawfordville, Ga. The town wasn’t blatantly segregated like many areas in the South, but pass by one corner and you may see a group of older white men sitting together. Just down the road you might see a gathering of older Black men. Still, though, each group would likely be covering the same ground — having that discussion.

Bob Kendrick was almost 12 years old in April of that year and vividly remembers the ongoing debate in his hometown.

“People were so divided about the possibility of this Black man in the South about to break this white man’s record that everybody thought would never be broken,” Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, told me during an interview in 2019.

He’s of course talking about Henry “Hank” Aaron’s pursuit of Babe Ruth’s fabled record, which he surpassed on April 8, 1974, to become baseball’s home run king.

Aaron, who stands as one of the sport’s most cherished and storied players, passed away Friday at the age of 86. He was famously given the nickname Hammerin’ Hank for his ability to consistently make hard contact, but the lessons Aaron left behind to Kendrick and countless others extended much further than just the ballpark.

Kendrick was a mere child when Aaron chased Ruth’s record — he observed what was happening, but it wasn’t until years later that he fully grasped the hardship his favourite player endured.

With each home run bringing Aaron closer to history, the racist death threats intensified. He received hate-filled letters from across the country; sent his children to private school; hired a bodyguard; and stayed in a different hotel than the rest of his team.

On some nights, Aaron even slept in the ballpark by himself. All because people were mad he was going to eclipse a record.

“You don’t really understand it,” said Kendrick. “But what I admired as I got older was the grace, class, dignity with which he handled that set of circumstances. You gotta think that would have broke a lot of people. It would have broke them down and, somehow, he was able to persevere and then rise above the hate.

“To me, those are the qualities that are so exemplary.”

Aaron’s 715th homer, which toppled Ruth, was the highlight of a career filled with enough achievements to fill a textbook. The Mobile, Ala., native retired after the 1976 season as the all-time home run king with 755 long balls, a mark that was broken by Barry Bonds in 2007.

Over his 23-year MLB career with the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, Aaron won two batting titles, led the league in homers four times and secured an all-star selection in 21 straight seasons. He collected his only MVP award in 1957, the same year he won his lone World Series ring.

His 2,297 RBIs are the most ever, as are his total bases (6,856). Meanwhile, his 3,771 career hits are third in MLB history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 and worked for decades in the Braves front office following the end of his playing days.

Aaron made many friends during his lifetime in baseball. One of them was Cito Gaston, a former Braves teammate and roomie. Though, as Gaston has said in the past, Aaron was almost a father figure as much as he was a good friend.

“What’s a sad story is I was so amazed and just absolutely crazy about being his roommate, because he’s my childhood hero,” Gaston, former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, told me in 2019. “So I never bothered him about hitting, which was just the absolutely biggest mistake I ever made in my life.”

Gaston, an outfielder who played in parts of 11 big-league seasons, was called up to the majors for the first time in 1967 and was assigned to room with Aaron.

“If I had asked him (about hitting), he would have been happy to talk about that,” he says. “It took me six more years to learn [how to hit]. I wasted my time there.

“I tell you what he did (teach) me,” adds Gaston. “He (taught) me how to stand on my own two feet. (Taught) me that whatever you do today, don’t bring it back tomorrow, because you have to keep going. You can’t live on what happened yesterday.

“He also taught me how to tie a tie.”

Kendrick also had the chance to spend time with his boyhood idol, at one point guiding him on a tour through the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Kendrick’s work at the Kansas City institution was informed in no small way by what he saw Aaron live through in the ’70s.

“More times than not, we celebrate the people who cross over the bridge,” says Kendrick. “But here at the Negro Leagues Museum, we celebrate the people who built the bridge that allowed the Mookie Betts and the CC Sabathias and the Adam Joneses and the Ozzie Smiths and all the great, Black stars to make a living in this game crossing over the bridge.

“We shouldn’t forget the bridge builders.”

Aaron, with a mighty bat acting as his hammer, was one such craftsman. And for that, he’ll never be forgotten.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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November 8, 2024

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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