Award

Because he was a genuinely extraordinary community leader, as well as a Tigers pitcher blessed with charisma and prowess, it is fitting that Hank Aguirre’s legacy inspires our dinner’s award.

The Hank Aguirre Memorial Award is presented to athletes and coaches who have distinguished themselves in, and outside of, their sports careers.

Hank Aguirre was only 63 when he died in September of
1994 after a heartbreaking bout with prostate cancer. But
during his amazing life, he managed to embody the best of
baseball in his skills and in his humor and humanity. He later
founded Mexican Industries in southwest Detroit and
watched it flourish as it supported hundreds of families in an
area that has known its challenges through the years.

Aguirre was born on January 31, 1931, in Azusa, California to Jenny Alva and Joseph Aguirre. Joseph was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1902 and emigrated with his family during the time of the Mexican Revolution. Joseph and Jenny had seven children. Henry (Hank) Aguirre worked in his youth making, packaging and delivering tortillas for his father’s business, the “Aguirre Tortillas Factory” in San Gabriel. At 4 a.m., the young Aguirre would make deliveries — mostly running — before school. Hank graduated from Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, California in 1949 but his “goofy feet” (his words) prevented him from being selected to be part of the baseball team. Hank graduated from East Los Angeles College in 1951.

As a rookie for the Cleveland Indians in 1956, Aguirre struck out Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams the first time he faced him. After the game, Aguirre asked Williams to autograph the ball. Reluctantly, Williams complied. A couple of weeks later Aguirre faced Williams again. This time the “Splendid Splinter” smashed Aguirre’s first offering for a home run. While circling the bases, Williams yelled to Aguirre, “Get that ball, and I’ll sign it, too.”

He pitched in the big leagues for 16 years for four different teams. Before the 1958 season began, Aguirre was traded to the Detroit Tigers, where he remained for 10 years from 1958 to 1967. Aguirre was principally a relief pitcher until 1962. During a 1962 game at Yankee Stadium, Tigers manager Bob Scheffing used him as a starter when Don Mossi had arm trouble. Scheffing wanted a left-hander to pitch against the Yankees, and he chose Aguirre. Aguirre joined the Tigers starting rotation and finished the 1962 season with a 2.21 earned run average (ERA) in 42 games (22 as a starter), the best in Detroit since Hal Newhouser in 1946. Having pitched over 100 innings (216 in total) for the first time in his career, Aguirre led the Major Leagues in ERA (0.33 points lower than Sandy Koufax who was second best), won 16 games, and was selected to the American League All-Star team. He also led the American League in WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) with a 1.051 average. Aguirre also finished 17th in the 1962 American League Most Valuable Player voting.

Aguirre lost his spot in the Tigers starting rotation in 1966, and returned to the bullpen. Before the start of the 1968 season, Aguirre was traded by the Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a player to be named later. In one season with the Dodgers, Aguirre allowed only three runs in 391⁄3 innings for a 0.69 ERA. Despite the good season, Aguirre was released by the Dodgers and spent the final two seasons of his big league career pitching for Leo Durocher’s Chicago Cubs where he was 4–0 in two seasons from 1969–1970.

In 16 Major League seasons, Aguirre finished with a record of 75–72 in 1,3752⁄3 innings pitched, with 856 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.24.