Tommie AaronIs Dead at 45;
Brother of Home-Run Leader
ATLANTA, Aug. 17 (AP) — Tommie Aaron, the younger brother of Henry Aaron, baseball's home-run leader, died of leukemia at Emory University Hospital Thursday. He was 45 years old and had served on the Atlanta Braves coaching staff since 1978.
Aaron, who also played for the Braves in Milwaukee and Atlanta, had been treated for leukemia after it was discovered in 1982 following physical exams of Brave personnel during spring training.
He reported tot raining this spring, but left the team before the regular season to seek further treatment. He returned to the Braves infrequently and handled defensive positioning before he was replaced July 20 by Eddie Haas.
Aaron had been in the Braves' organization since 1958, when he signed as a first baseman. He managed at Savannah, Ga., and Richmond from 1973 to 1978 after playing seven years in the majors, compiling a .229 average with 13 homers and 94 runs batted in. Henry Aaron hit a record 755, homers in his major league-career.
In addition to his brother, Tommie Aaron is survived by his wife, Carolyn, and three children, Efrem, Tommie Jr. and Veleeta. |
