Dave Winfield was one of the best players in baseball during the 1970s and 1980s as he had over 3,000 hits and 465 home runs. While he made a name for himself on the baseball field, the 71-year-old looked up to fellow baseball legend Hank Aaron. PopCutlure.com exclusively spoke to Winfield about his relationship with Aaron, who died in January 2021.
“When I first met him, met him, I mean, my first spring training, I was with the Padres,” Winfield exclusively told PopCulture. “He was with the Milwaukee Braves. And so spring training, we crossed paths and I just said, ‘Man, I have to meet him those idols, those significant figures in the game.’ So that’s in the beginning. And then we became good friends over the years, and I was an MC for his … I think it was his 75th birthday. He had a nice birthday party. They had a birthday party for him in Atlanta. And his guests are former presidents, governors, significant people. And it was my pleasure just to be able to play that role. He was happy. It was a great honor. It was a lot of fun. Things of that nature.”
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Winfield made his MLB debut one year after Aaron ended his legendary career. While Aaron has better overall numbers than Winfield, there are some similarities between the two legends. Both players won World Series titles, both played right field and both have over 3,000 hits. Back in 2011, ESPN ranked the best right fielders in baseball history with Winfield coming in at No. 10 and Aaron coming in at No. 2 (Babe Ruth was No. 1).
After Winfield finished playing baseball, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. When asked about his favorite moment in his career, Winfield said winning the World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 is No. 1. “You develop your individual talent,” Winfield said. “But the pinnacle is to win as a team, as something that can … You’re the best for that year. And all of those players are like brothers. You go into combat, you go into battle, and they’re your brothers for life. And actually, the city of Toronto and the entire country of Canada was excited. And I mean, they know me. I kid around. I say, ‘I don’t need a passport to go up to Canada.’”
