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Henry John Aguirre (January 31, 1931 – September 5, 1994), commonly known as Hank Aguirre, was an American professional baseball player and business Entrepreneurship. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from 1955 to 1970, most prominently for the Detroit Tigers where he was a two-time All-Star player and, was the American League ERA leader in 1962. Aguirre also played for the Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. After his athletic career, he went on to become a successful businessman in Detroit, Michigan. His last name was typically pronounced "ah-GEAR-ee."
In his youth, Hank Aguirre worked for his father's business, the Aguirre Tortillas Factory in San Gabriel. He made, packaged and delivered tortillas. At 4 a.m., the young Aguirre would make deliveries — mostly running — before school. He 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 (instead becoming a cheerleader). He did play Sandlot ball and American Legion ball. He graduated from East Los Angeles College in 1951, where he played baseball, and studied courses on business and sales.
He was nicknamed "Mex" because he was of Mexican descent. During his career he had been the recipient of slurs because of his Mexican heritage, though he was also very popular among his future teammates in major league baseball. In 1975, he would begin to strive deeply to improve the lives of Latinos in life generally, and in obtaining leadership positions in major league baseball.
Aguirre got his first major league experience in 1955, pitching in four games for the Indians, with one start. On September 24, 1955, in his first major league start, Aguirre pitched a complete game, three-hit, shutout against the Detroit Tigers, in a 7–0 victory.
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, "Hey kid, if you get that ball, I'll sign it for you, too." But he played sparingly in 1956-57, and was used in only 16 games in 1956 and ten in 1957.
1962 was Aguirre's best career season. During a May 26, 1962 game against the New York Yankees, Tigers manager Bob Scheffing used him as a starting pitcher when Don Mossi had arm trouble. Scheffing wanted a left-hander to pitch against the Yankees, and he chose Aguirre. Aguirre defeated the Yankees, 2–1, throwing a complete game and giving up only five hits (the sole run coming on a Bill Skowron home run). Aguirre joined the Tigers starting rotation and finished the 1962 season with a 2.21 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; and led all players in the AL in WAR (wins above replacement). Aguirre also finished 17th in the 1962 American League Most Valuable Player voting.
In 16 MLB seasons, Aguirre finished with a record of 75–72 in 1,375 innings pitched, with 856 strikeouts (compared to only 479 walks) and an ERA of 3.25.
Aguirre made himself available to the Mexican-American community in Detroit, known as Mexican Village or Mexicantown. He involved himself with individuals lives, and also pushed the city's governmental leaders to give their attention to this community and other minorities. He created scholarship funds for local schools, awarding $50,000 a year to deserving students; and helped pay for after-hours programming for inner city students after-school activities. When a new plant for Mexican Industries was being dedicated by Detroit's mayor Dennis Archer, he said that Aguirre's name "'is like magic and gold wherever I go and wherever I've been.'"
On July 21, 1993, Aguirre received the Roberto Clemente Award for Excellence.
Aguirre died on September 5, 1994, following a two-year battle with prostate cancer. He is buried in San Gabriel in the churchyard of the (Roman Catholic) Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, "where he worshiped as a boy." Upon his death, control of the privately owned company Aguirre had founded passed to his adult children. In 1999, Mexican Industries, Inc., was unionized (following several unsuccessful attempts over the previous two decades) by the United Auto Workers labor union under Bob King. In 2001, the firm filed for bankruptcy, laid off its workers, and subsequently closed its doors. According to union activists, "Workers blamed the owners, not only for hostility toward their union but for mismanaging the company."
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