Baseball gathers behind home plate to honor Hammerin' Hank
(Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves via AP Pool)ATLANTA โ Brian Snitker choked back tears as he remembered Hank Aaronโs affection for those who didnโt possess his unparalleled talent on the baseball field. During his post-playing career running the Atlanta Braves farm system, the Hammer had a penchant for looking beyond the canโt-miss prospects. Noting the 10 Baseball of Famers who have died in the past year, Manfred said Aaron โbelongs on our sportโs Mount Rushmore. โThe reason Iโm here today is because of Hank Aaron,โ Snitker said, pausing to maintain his composure. โHank was very instrumental in me becoming an Atlanta Brave,โ Jones said.
Houston high school student competes in U.S. Open
HOUSTON โ The U.S. Open teed off at Chambers Bay Golf Course in Washington State this week and a local high school student was right there, soaking up the experience on one of golf's biggest stages. Cole Hammer of Kinkaid High School is just an ordinary kid who happens to hit golf balls straight and long. "I've had to pinch myself a couple of times already, just thinkingโฆ I didn't think I'd ever do that at such a young age," he said. "I don't have a whole lot of expectations just because I'm so young," he said. He punched his tickets after firing rounds of 64 and 68.