FOR 33 YEARS, HENRY AARON
OWNED BASEBALL'S MOST
STORIED RECORD.
BUT ALLEGATIONS THAT
BOND'S RUN WAS FUELED BY
STEROIDS ONLY ADDED TO
AARON'S ACHIEVEMENT AND
LEGEND.
NOW ESPN'S SENIOR RIDER
HOWARD BRYANT HAS WRITTEN
AN EXHAUSTIVE PORTRAIT AND
AARON.
THE BOOK IS CALLED "THE
LAST HERO, THE LIFE OF
HENRY AARON."
THIS IS EXHAUSTIVE.
IT TOOK FOUR YEARS?
>> IT TOOK FOUR YEARS.
WHEN I HANDED MY EDITOR
THE MANUSCRIPT, HE SAID
THIS BOOK NEEDS A DIET.
I THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING
WITH -- A SUBJECT LIKE
HENRY AARON, HOW DO YOU
SLIM HIM DOWN.
>> Rooney: IS HE STILL
ALIVE?
>> HE IS 76 YEARS OLD.
>> Rooney: DID HE
COOPERATE?
>> IT TOOK ME 18 MONTHS TO
GET HIM TO TALK TO ME.
AND FOR ONE REASON AND ONE
REASON ONLY, THE BARRY
BONDS' POSITION.
HE THOUGHT THE PUBLIC WAS
ONLY INTERESTED IN BARRY
BONDS.
>> Rooney: AND BONDS IS
IN A CHAPTER, BUT IT IS
CERTAINLY NOT THE ESSENCE
OF IT.
I WAS CURIOUS RIGHT OFF
THE BAT.
YOU SAY HENRY AARON AND
HANK AARON ARE TWO
DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND HANK WASN'T HIS NAME?
>> YES.
AND HENRY IS WHAT HIS
FRIENDS CALLED HIM.
AND HANK WAS A CREATION OF
HIS FAME.
ESPECIALLY IN A TOWN LIKE
BOSTON, WHERE YOU HAVE
THESE OUTSIDE SUPER STARS,
THE MANNY RAMIREZES, AND
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU
GET.
HENRY AARON WAS NOT VERY
COMFORTABLE WITH HIS FAME.
A GUY LIKE REGGIE JACKSON,
PRETTY MUCH THE PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE ARE THE SAME
PERSON.
WITH HENRY AARON, HE IS
THAT INTROVERT WHO WAS
PLACED IN THE EXTROVERT'S
LAW.
>> Rooney: YOU TALK
ABOUT HOW HE WAS ONE OF
THE BLACK PLAYERS THAT
CAME UP.
>> DON NEWCOMBE, ROY
CAMPINELLA, AND THEN BY
1952, THE LEAGUES -- THE
TEAMS WENT DIRECTLY TO
SCOUT THE PLAYERS
THEMSELVES, AND THEY SENT
THEM TO THE MINOR LEAGUES.
>> Rooney: HE PLAYED ON
A TEAM CALLED THE CLOWNS.
>> THE CLOWNS THAT NEVER
PLAYED IN INDIANAPOLIS.
THEY WERE KIND OF A
TRAVELLING SHOW TEAM.
IT IS REALLY INTERESTING
BECAUSE ONE THING THAT
HENRY REALLY DID SIGNIFY,
NOT ONLY WITH THE
BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER,
BUT THE END OF THE NEGRO
LEAGUE BECAUSE THE NEGRO
LEAGUE WAS NEVER GOING TO
DEVELOP THAT MAJOR A
TALENT AGAIN E.
>> Rooney: YOU HAD THIS
POINT OF HOW PEOPLE KNEW
BY EITHER WITNESS OR
VIDEOTAPE, THAT LOUAL
SINDER COULD PLAY
BASKETBALL, BUT HENRY
AARON WAS ANOMALY BECAUSE
NO ONE WAS TAPING HIM.
IT WAS ALL BY WORD OF
MOUTH.
I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT
WAY.
SO THERE WAS THIS HUGE
BUZZ WHEN HE WENT TO PLAY
FOR MILWAUKEE.
>> THAT'S WHAT MAKES
BASEBALL DIFFERENT.
EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU IS
WORD OF MOUTH.
EVEN WITH STEVEN STRAUSS
BURG, YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW
IF HE WAS GOING TO BE A
GREAT PLAYER.
>> Rooney: HOW ABOUT
WITH DAISUKE MATSUZAKA.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE?
>> OR NOMAR.
AND HENRY HAS ALWAYS BEEN
THIS UNDERSTATED PLAYER IN
THE SHADOWS OF WILLIE
MAYS.
BUT BY 1962 WHEN HE CAME
UP, EVERYBODY KNEW HE WAS
GOING TO BE A GREAT
PLAYER.
WHEN HE CAME INTO THE
SHADOW, WHEN HIS TEAM, THE
MILWAUKEE BRAVES, THEY
FELL IN THE STANDING, AND
WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO
ASSERT BABE RUTH'S RECORD.
>> Rooney: HE WAS THE
HIGHEST PAID BASEBALL
PLAYER AT $600,000.
>> $600,000 FOR THREE
YEARS.
THE MINIMUM TODAY IS
$350 MILLION.
THE STORY THE THING I LOVE
MOST ABOUT HENRY AARON IS
HE IS A PERSON WHO LIVES
IN THIS TIMETABLE.
HE PROVIDES THIS TIMETABLE
FOR US IN TERMS OF WHERE
THE GAME HAS GONE.
WHERE THE COUNTRY HAS
GONE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE
WAY THE NEWSPAPERS COVERED
HIM BACK IN THE PAST.
>> Rooney: I LOVED THAT,
THAT YOU HAD ALL THOSE
NEWSPAPERS CLIPS THAT
YOUFOLLOWED, AND THE THINGS
THAT THEY SAY.
NOT THAT YOU SPORTS GUYS
AREN'T PRETTY BOLD NOW AND
SAY AWFUL THINGS ABOUT THE
PLAYERS, BUT THE
CHARACTERIZATIONS WERE
DOWNRIGHT RACIST.
>> AND THEN WHEN YOU GET
INTO THE '70s, IT
CHANGED A LITTLE.
AND TODAY WHEN BARRY BONDS
IS ABOUT TO BREAK HIS
RECORD, AND THE COUNTRY IS
SO FED UP WITH THE
STEROIDS, AND THEY GO BACK
TO HENRY AARON, AND THEY
WANT HENRY AARON TO BE THE
CONSCIENCE FOR THE GAME.
HE WAS THE LAST HOMERUN
RECORD THAT WASN'T TAINTED
BY DRUGS.
>> Rooney: HE KEPT TO
HIMSELF, AND HE WAS SORT
OF AWKWARD WITH THE MAJOR
LEAGUE PLAYERS.
HE KEPT PROVING HIMSELF
THAT HE FELT APPROVED OF.
>> THAT HAPPENS WITH
ANYONE WITH IMMENSE
TALENT.
THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU
REALIZE YOUR IDOLS ARE NOW
PEERS, AND YOU'VE
SURPASSED THEM.
THERE WAS THIS CONSTANT
LEVEL OF RACIST COVERAGE.
IT CREATED A GREAT WALL.
AND THEN WHEN IT CAME TIME
FOR HIM TO BREAK BABE
RUTH'S RECORD, THAT IS WHY
HE IS SUCH A RETICENT
PERSON.
>> Rooney: BECAUSE
PEOPLE RESENTED HIM
BREAKING BABE RUTH'S
RECORD?
>> YES, FOR BREAKING BABE
RUTH'S RECORD.
AND HE ATTITUDE IS ALL I
WAS DOING WAS DOING MY
JOB.
>> Rooney: I WASN'T A
BASEBALL FAN BACK THEN.
I WASN'T A FOLLOWER.
I AM NOW.
EVERYBODY KNEW HENRY AARON
WAS.
MAYBE I WAS TOO YOUNG TO
REMEMBER, BUT I REMEMBER
THE ENTHUSIASM OF HIM
BREAKING THE RECORD.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE
FLIPSIDE.
>> THAT'S ONE OF THE
THINGS PEOPLE WONDER ABOUT
WITH HIM.
THEY LOOK AT HIM AND SAY
HE IS THIS BITTER OLD GUY
WHO ONLY HEARD THE BOOS.
WE ALWAYS HEAR WHAT
SOMEBODY SAYS ABOUT US
THAT IS BAD.
>> Rooney: SO THERE
COULD HAVE BEEN SOME TRUTH
TO IT?
>> THERE COULD HAVE BEEN
SOME TRUTH TO IT.
IT IS MORE A MEASURE OF
RESPECT.
I THINK TODAY HE IS MORE
COMFORTABLE THAN EVER.
HERE IS AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN BORN IN
1934 IN MOBILE, BLAM BLAM.
WHENEVER HIS DAD WENT TO
THE GROCERY STORE, HE HAD
TO GIVE UP HIS PLACE TO A
WHITE MAN IN LINE.
AND NOW HE'S SLEPT IN THE
WHITE HOUSE.
AND HE IS MORE COMFORTABLE
AND ONE OF THE REASONS
PEOPLE HAVE REDISCOVERED
HIM IS THEIR
DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE
STEROID ERA.
AND I THINK HIS LEGEND
GROWS EVERY DAY.
>> Rooney: JUST AT THAT
POINT ON THE WHITE
HOUSE -- I NEVER THOUGHT
OF THIS.
WHEN HE WAS IN SPRING
TRAINING, HE DIDN'T SLEEP
IN THE SAME AREAS AS THE
WHITE PLAYERS.
THEY WERE AT THESE POSH
HOTELS, AND HE WAS ABOVE A
FUNERAL HOME.
>> YES.
BUT THAT'S HOW THE BLACK
PLAYERS WERE.
EVEN BACK THEN, WE EXPECT
THESE ATHLETES TO HAVE
THIS POLISH.
HERE IS A 23-YEAR-OLD KID
WHO DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
AND WE'RE ASKING HIM TO
EXPLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN THIS LIFE, AND WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN THE LARGER
FORCES AROUND HIM.
AND THEN ALL OF THESE
DIFFERENT PLAYERS ARE
EXPECTED TO PERFORM AND BE
A TEAM WHEN THEY'RE NOT
EVEN ALLOWED TO SPEND TIME
AG OUTSIDE OF THE
BALLPARK.
>> Rooney: WHEN YOU
FINALLY GOT TO THE
QUESTION OF BARRY BONDS,
DID HE ANSWER YOU?
DID HE FEEL ROBBED BY THE
RECORD?
>> I THINK HE IS
COMFORTABLE WITH HIMSELF.
I THINK WHEN IT WAS TIME
FOR BONDS TO BREAK THE
RECORD, THERE WAS A GREAT
DEAL OF CONCERNATION,
WHETHER HE WOULD BE THERE
AND WHETHER HE WOULD
TRAVEL.
I THINK WHAT HE SAID WAS,
LISTEN, IT'S A NO-WIN
SITUATION FOR ME.
IF I COME OUT AND SAY I'M
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT BARRY
BONDS BREAKING THE RECORD,
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK
AT ME AS IF I CONDONE
STEROIDS, WHICH I DON'T.
IF I TALK OUT AGAINST
THIS, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
LOOK AT ME AS A BITTER OLD
MAN WHO DOESN'T WANT TO
SEE HIS RECORD BROKEN.
SO I'M GOING TO STEP ASIDE
AND LET HISTORY DETERMINE
IT.
>> Rooney: HE DID DO
SOMETHING ON THE JUMTRON.
JUMTRON -- JUMBO TRON.
>> AND VERY PEOPLE EVEN
KNOW WHAT THE ALL-TIME
RECORD NUMBER IS.
AND NUMBER REALLY CARES.
>> Rooney: WHY WAS HENRY
AARON SO GOOD?
>> WELL, HE HAD A LOT OF
TALENT.
HE HAD SO MUCH TALENT,
PEOPLE TOOK HIM FOR
GRANTED.
I CALL HIM ONE OF THE
MILLIONTH PERS TILES, WHEN
YOU'RE THAT -- PERCENT PERCENTILES
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE THAT
GOOD -- HE HAD
UNBELIEVABLE HAND/EYE
COORDINATION, UNBELIEVABLE
EYESIGHT, AND DEXTER
RESULT.
RESULT -- DEXTERITY.
AND I REMEMBER WATCHING
MANNY RAMIREZ WHEN HE WAS
WITH THE RED SOX TAKE
BATTING PRACTICE, AND HOW
GOOD YOU HAVE TO BE TO BE
AT THAT LEVEL WHEN YOU'RE
PEERS LOOK AT YOU AND SAY
HOW DO YOU DO THAT.
>> Rooney: HOWARD
BRYANT, ALWAYS A PLEASURE
TO HAVE YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Rooney: WHEN WE
CONTINUE, IN THIS
SWELTERING OF THE SUMMER,
A NEW WAY TO GET A
FAVORITE TREAT.