Reaction to Hank Aaron's death from former presidents to fellow Hall of Famers to everyone who knew him followed a theme: how the one-time home run king handled the racism he faced on the way to passing Babe Ruth's hallowed record nearly 50 years ago.
Joe Carter met his childhood idol when he won the first Hank Aaron Award in 1986 after leading the majors in RBIs. By then, the All-Star slugger knew all about Aaron's legacy.
''You tip your cap to those guys, because they paved the way for guys like me. It's something I'll never take for granted.