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DAVE SCHLABOWSKE
LEGEND
ZELLE DUDA/UNSPLASH
LEGACY
decency, commitment and community involvement even as he broke racial barriers in baseball and beyond. That’s why, for Aaron, the honor of having the state trail named for him was about more than baseball. Aaron understood the importance of the trail’s urban location, and having his name associated with it prompted Aaron to be involved in more than name only. The trail opened with a small segment in 2000, and Aaron was on hand in 2006 when a larger section was completed. He returned to Milwaukee from his home in Atlanta for numerous other trail-related events through the years. “Hank Aaron was authentically humble and was truly honored to have the trail named after him,” said Melissa Cook, who was manager of the trail during her time at the DNR before retiring. Cook’s comments were shared by the Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail in noting Aaron’s death. FOHAST offers promotion, fund-raising, community programs and many other types of support for the trail. The DNR handles maintenance. “At the dedication of the trail, he gave a speech and mentioned how honored he was, but then talked about how he hoped the trail would show people of future generations how much it meant to ‘a young ballplayer so many, many years ago’ to be welcomed by the people of Milwaukee,” Cook recalled.
ANDREA ZANI
It’s not easy to honor someone with a legacy as important as that of Hank Aaron, but the Wisconsin pedestrian and bicycle trail named for the baseball legend is meant to do just that. The Hank Aaron State Trail connects the Milwaukee lakefront with the city’s Major League Baseball ballpark — a fitting tribute to the man who played professionally in Milwaukee for 14 seasons.
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Aaron, who died on Jan. 22 at age 86, began his career with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954 and finished it with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1976, spending time in Atlanta in between when the Braves moved south. The Brewers, who already have a statue of Aaron outside their ballpark, are wearing Hammerin’ Hank’s No. 44 on their jersey sleeves this season. In addition to setting standards for baseball categories such as home runs, runs batted in, extra-base hits and total bases (with all but his home run record still standing), Aaron also set a standard as a person, modeling
HA NGUYEN
Hank Aaron State Trail remains fitting honor for baseball icon who died in January
Hank Aaron took a genuine interest in the state trail named in his honor including attending the groundbreaking for adjacent Three Bridges Park and a trail extension in 2012, with then trail manager Melissa Cook, left.
