Giants Deny Rumors They Paid Hank Aaron to Deliver Congratulatory Video Message

There was growing speculation that the Giants paid Hank Aaron to record a congratulatory video message that was played when Barry Bonds hit home run No. 756. Well, as SPORTSbyBROOKS advises us, the Giants have denied such a rumor. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The Giants were surprised they had to defend themselves against rumors, repeated on talk shows Wednesday, that they had to compensate a reluctant Aaron for his 51-second message. Executive vice president Larry Baer said there was no compensation and no reluctance from Aaron.
The genesis of Aaron's message was a phone call from Baer in mid-May. The Giants had heard Aaron wanted nothing to do with Bonds' pursuit of the record, Baer said, but he decided he wanted to hear it from Aaron.

"When I spoke to Hank, I said I understood he didn't want to come to San Francisco and follow Barry around, that it would be burdensome, and he didn't want to answer questions about 756 and dredge up 1974," Baer said. "I said, 'If that's the case, how about sending a message to Barry and for baseball,' and he said, 'Absolutely, I'd be willing to do that.' "

You know what, I can buy that. Hank says he's as happy for Barry as anybody, and it is understandable that he couldn't travel around the country waiting for Bonds to hit home runs. Recording a video message seems like a reasonable solution, and I can buy that he wasn't bribed into doing it.

Previously at FanHouse:
Hank Aaron Leaves Video Tribute, Was Likely Asleep When Bonds Hit No. 756
Hank Aaron Speaks