Rep. Roy issues statement on the passing of Hank Aaron

In response to Friday's news of baseball great Hank Aaron's passing, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement:

Today we mourn the passing, but celebrate the life of Henry Louis Aaron — an icon and a leader on and off the baseball field. "Hammerin' Hank" was and will always be the home run king — not just for his famous 715th blast in which he was engulfed at Fulton County Stadium as he rounded second having surpassed Babe Ruth in 1974, nor just for setting the indelible 755 as the marker we all marveled at as young kids and dreamed of passing ourselves one day — but because Hank Aaron did it the right way.

He played for over 20 years for a Braves organization that moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Atlanta in the South all spanning from the mid 1950's to the mid 1970's through the Civil Rights Movement. Through this, he averaged over 37 home runs and a .305 batting average — all while ignoring racist insults for chasing down the great Babe Ruth and without enlisting the help of performance-enhancing drugs of a later generation who wanted instant gratification. Such is the hard work of change pursued through a life well lived.

God bless you, sir. The Babe set the mark, and you passed it. You remain my son's home run king.

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