The first part of this video is a piece about directing traffic at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Games by police and state troopers….which is really interesting as an ABC newscaster conducts an “on the job” interview of a New York State Trooper….who is conducting traffice to the speed skating arena for the 1980 Winter Games….while the TV commercial that follows is a Kodak Film ad…..and who doesn’t know Kodak Film…..as they have been around as a major leader in the industry for since they were founded September 4, 1888….which just happens to be 130 years….so, how much can you say about Kodak Film that hasn’t been said…..and that means, who do you have selling your product….which seems to mean a whole lot more than what’s been said….and in this Kodak Film commercial….MLB legend Hank Aaron…..the all time leader in career home runs in MLB history (at the time of this ad)….who broke none other than Babe Ruth’s record for career HR’s…..and he is pitching Kodak’s product….for it just doesn’t get any better than that.
Henry Louis Aaron was nicknamed “Hammer“ or “Hammerin’ Hank“….is a retired American Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder….who serves as the senior vice president of the Atlanta Braves today in 2018. Hammerin’ Hank played 21 seasons for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (AL) from 1954 through 1976….and held the MLB record for career home runs for 33 years (Barry Bonds broke HR record in August 2007)….to which he still holds several MLB offensive records. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973….and is one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Aaron fifth on its “100 Greatest Baseball Players” list.
Simply put, having “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron on this Kodak Film television commercial represents a piece of history that makes it another “nugget of gold” in our treasure chest of vintage memories.
