While the world knew him as Hammering Hank Aaron because of his incredible, record-setting baseball career, he was a cornerstone of our village, graciously and freely joining Mrs. Aaron in giving their presence and resources toward making our city a better place. After finishing his remarkable career with 755 home runs, Aaron later spoke of how he was able to compartmentalize his play on the field and the vitriol he faced off of it. [11][12] He had seven siblings. He didnt know what he was taking, he testified, and thought it was all natural. [61] The threats extended to those providing positive press coverage of Aaron. In 1957, Aaron won his only NL MVP Award,[11] as he had his first brush with the triple crown. [11] His family could not afford baseball equipment, so he practiced by hitting bottle caps with sticks. He finished the 1973 season with 713 home runs -. Robinson, who also bats second, homers in his first at-bat in Cleveland's 5-3 win. In spite of all of the things that I went through Ive always been able to separate the two, Aaron said in a 2014 interview with CNN. During the 1936 season, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees terrorized the Cleveland Indians by slamming fourteen home runs against the club a Major League record for most home runs against the same team in a season. The Hall of Famer holds a host of records, from the most runs batted in (2,297), the most seasons as an all-star (21) to the most home runs ever (755) . Henry Aaron Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com Henry Aaron Name Note: commonly referred to as Hank Aaron Positions: Rightfielder and First Baseman Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-0 , 180lb (183cm, 81kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame MVP 25x All-Star 1957 World Series 3x Gold Glove That same year, baseball fans named Aaron to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In April 1997, a new baseball facility for the AA Mobile Bay Bears constructed in Aaron's hometown of Mobile, Alabama was named Hank Aaron Stadium. On May 17, Aaron collected his 3,000th hit, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds, the team against which he played in his first major-league game. That's the only thing that kept Willie Mays and me from being teammates fifty dollars.[24]. 06-14-1952 | Aaron is signed by Boston Braves as a slick fielding second baseman and wins the Northern . [110][111], US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Aaron by releasing a statement calling him "an American hero". [5] His experiences fueled his activism during the civil rights movement.[6]. "[45], Aaron hit .314 with 27 home runs and 106 RBIs, in 1955. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth 's legendary record of 714 homers. Aaron led the league in runs (115), hits (208), doubles (36), RBIs (125), total bases (338), and batting average (.362). The spot sits outside American Family Field, where the Milwaukee Brewers currently play. Aaron, known as hard working and quiet, was the last Negro league player to also compete in the Major Leagues. That record would stand until 2007 when Barry Bonds . We've received your submission. He played right field for the Milwaukee Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers. [57] Aaron finished the season with 673 career home runs. Hank Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. Henry Louis Aaron Jr., born in Mobile, Alabama, on February 5, 1934, made his Major League debut in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves, just seven years after Jackie Robinson broke baseballs color barrier and became the first African American to play in the majors. [11] The 1952 season proved to be very beneficial for Aaron. [42], Considerably later in his career, Aaron coined "Stone-fingers", which would prove a popular handle for one of baseball's more colorful characters, the famously distance-hitting but defensively challenged first baseman Dick Stuart,[43] reportedly "delight[ing]" even its recipient. Aaron would hit 44 home runs in four different seasons,[40] and he hit his record-breaking 715th career home run off Dodgers pitcher Al Downing, who coincidentally also wore number 44. Aaron reportedly received 930,000 pieces of mail in 1973 the year before he broke Ruths record with enough including threats that the FBI got involved to protect him and his family. Aaronhung up his cleats in 1976 with 755 career home runsa record that stood until 2007, when it was broken by controversial slugger Barry Bonds(Bonds admitted to using steroids in 2011). Hank. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. He finished with 755 overall before retiring after the 1976 season. At the end of the 1969 season, Aaron again finished third in the MVP voting. . [38] In the same game, Eddie Mathews hit two home runs, the first of a record 863 home runs the pair would hit as teammates. . In the joy of the moment, the months of threats and insults were forgotten. [141][142], In November 2015, Aaron was one of the five inaugural recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Prize, an award granted by the National Portrait Gallery in recognition of "exemplary achievements in the fields of civil rights, business, entertainment, science, and sports. The alternative high school had been named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, a general in the Confederate Army and the Ku Klux Klan's first Grand Wizard. Aaron also drove in the 2,000th run of his career and hit a home run in the first All-Star game played in Atlanta. Even if the five Negro League home runs do get added eventually, Aaron would still be two short of Barry Bonds's 762 homers. On December 15, 1957, his wife Barbara gave birth to twins. [15] Aaron attended Central High School[b] as a freshman and a sophomore. There's a drive into left-center field. His average was .319, .007 behind the leader. Hank Aaron Stats. The book's title is a play on his nickname, "The Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", and the title of the folk song "If I Had a Hammer". Yankees outfielder growing golf profile alongside Tiger Wo Daniel Jones needs to see big picture in Giants negotiations, Red-hot Jon Rahm no match for wind-swept Bay Hill: 'F--king hard', The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. Hank Aaron, who faced down racism as he eclipsed Babe Ruth as baseball's home run king, hitting 755 homers and holding the most celebrated record in sports for more than 30 years, has. And for the first time in a long time, that poker face of Aarons shows the tremendous strain and relief of what it must have been like to live with for the past several months.. [2] Aaron is also third all-time for career hits (3,771) and fifth in runs scored (2,174). What a horrible sound. 755", "Bonds Hits No. [30], In 1953, the Braves promoted him to the Jacksonville Braves, their Class-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. Babe Ruth ended his career with 2,873 hits after 22 seasons. Aaron spent his 23-year big league career with two organizations. [71] Aaron commented after the game that it was his last time as a player in Atlanta as his contract had expired. On the Dodgers broadcast for Aarons 715th home run, Vin Scully took note of the momentous occasion both for baseball and society. The total base record is remarkable in context: at the time of his retirement, he had travelled over 12 miles farther on the base paths than any other player in MLB history. 02-05-1934 | Aaron is born on a Monday in Mobile, Alabama. Every home run Hank Aaron hit over the course of his big league career appears below in chronological order, along with the date of the home run, his age at the time he homered, the pitcher who surrendered the home run, the inning (Inn), his batting order position (BOP) in the lineup, and where he was playing that day (Pos). [75] He was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers for Dave May thirty-one days later on November 2. As an adopted son of Atlanta, Mr. Aaron was part of the fabric that helped place Atlanta on the world stage. Here's how Duane Kuiper called the historic moment: Before Bonds, Aaron had held the record since April 8, 1974, when he hit his. He was a three-time Gold Glove winner, and in 1957, he won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award when the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series. "[90][91], Aaron was Catholic, having converted in 1959 with his family. [128] The award honors the best overall offensive performer in the American and National League. It was presented during the university's unified commencement ceremony and was accepted on his behalf by his widow Billye. Bonds is the all-time home run leader: He hit those 762 balls over the fence, a majority of them unenhanced by chemists, all of them a testament to his skill, strength and determination. Newspaper cartoonist Charles Schulz created a series of Peanuts strips printed in August 1973 in which Snoopy attempts to break the Ruth record, only to be besieged with hate mail. Considered one of the greatest baseball players in history, he spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons with the . He won the NL's Most Valuable Player award in 1957 and has a lifetime batting average of .305. [133], On January 8, 2001, Aaron was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton. In 1935, Babe Ruth hit his final and 714th home run, a record that would stand for 39 years. During his time in Major League Baseball, and especially during his run for the home run record, Aaron and his family endured extensive racist threats. However, some observers looked back on Aaron's personal history, pointing out that he had downplayed his own breaking of Babe Ruth's all-time record and suggesting Aaron was simply treating Bonds in a similar fashion. [102][103][104], His funeral was held on January 27, followed by his burial at South-View Cemetery. This made him one of the first minorities in Major League Baseball upper-level management. In his last two seasons, he was primarily a designated hitter. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. I was just a man doing something that God had given me the power to do, and I was living like an outcast in my own country. A seven-time NL MVP, the 43-year-old Bonds hit his 22nd home run of the year. READ MORE: When Hank Aaron Passed the Babe, Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruths all-time home run record, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aaron-sets-new-home-run-record. Number six-hundred forty-nine (649) was hit on June 10, 1972 and it is significant because it passed Willie Mays and made Hank Aaron the all-time home run leader in the National League. He was one of the first African Americans to play in the league. Henry Aaron is coming around third. [148], Atlanta-area sports teams planned to honor Aaron during the 2021 seasons. The board appears to have been convinced, as Aaron was not drafted. The moment became an iconic one, with the indelible image of Hank Aaron rounding the bases, being joined by two fans between second and third, and then mobbed by his teammates and family at home plate, after breaking Babe Ruths home run record in 1974. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season. Henry Aaron, the slugger known as "Hammerin' Hank" who broke broke Babe Ruth's career home run mark and remains No. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruths legendary record of 714 homers. [65] As the 1974 season began, Aaron's pursuit of the record caused a small controversy. He had 100+ RBIs in a season 15 times, including a record of 13 in a row. [35], Aaron spent the winter of 1953 playing in Puerto Rico. [132] In July 2000 and again in July 2002, Aaron threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, played at Turner Field and Miller Park now named American Family Field, respectively. 756 to Break Aaron's Record", "Midsummer Classics: Celebrating MLB's All-Star Game", "Hank Aaron praises Barry Bonds for home run record", "Craig Sager's backstory more colorful than his clothes", "Police recover both of Hank Aaron's stolen cars after Atlanta home burglarized", "Milo Hamilton made Hank Aaron's homer itself star of No. [8], In 1999, major league baseball created the Hank Aaron Award, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark of 714 home runs and to honor Aaron's contributions to baseball. [11] He broke his habit of hitting cross-handed and adopted the standard hitting technique. [73] The Braves offered Aaron a position with the team when he retired, but the role would be more in public relations, rather than one where he could evaluate talent.[74]. [36], The stint in Puerto Rico also allowed Aaron to avoid being drafted into military service. At age 37, he hit a career-high 47 home runs during the season (along with a career-high .669 slugging percentage) and finished third in MVP voting for the sixth time. In the fourth inning, Aaron hit home run number 715 off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing. [32] The 1950s were a period of racial segregation in parts of the United States, especially the southeastern portion of the country. [22] On August 1, 1982, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, having received votes on 97.8 percent of the ballots, second only to Ty Cobb, who had received votes on 98.2% of the ballot in the inaugural 1936 Hall of Fame election. He then changed his number to 44, which would turn out to look like a "lucky number" for the slugger. [29], The Braves assigned Aaron to the Eau Claire Bears, the Braves' Northern League Class-C farm team. Sure, Aaron led the National League (NL) four times, he also was a two-time batting champion and led the league in RBIs four times and runs scored three times. He was 86. Getty Images Aaron reportedly received 930,000 pieces of mail in 1973 the year before he broke Ruth's record with enough including threats that the. Hank Aaron's most notable achievement was breaking the career home run record set by Babe Ruth. CBS 46 and FOX 5 Atlanta were among those that first reported Aaron's death Friday. It is as of yet the only pennant-clinching walk-off home run in major league history in a non-playoff regular-season game. In a statement, the Braves said Aaron died peacefully. Hank, the superstar outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, was approaching what was then considered the greatest record in sports: the career home-run record of 714, held by the legendary. Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years. [121] In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame for his time spent on the Eau Claire Bears, Milwaukee Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers. That whole period, I lived like a guy in a fishbowl, swimming from side to side with nowhere to go, watching everybody watch me. [129] Later that year, he ranked fifth on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,[130] and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Michael Sablica, with helping him grow as a person in the 1950s. Aaron went 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts in Atlanta's 5-3 win over the Reds on April 7. He led the league with 44 home runs and 130 RBIs and finished third in batting average. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. [58], Aaron himself downplayed the "chase" to surpass Babe Ruth, while baseball enthusiasts and the national media grew increasingly excited as he closed in on the 714 career home runs record. He was 86 years old. Similarly, the point where Aaron's 715th homer landed, upon breaking Ruth's career record in 1974, is marked in the Turner Field parking lot. Aaron owned Hank Aaron BMW of south Atlanta in Union City, Georgia, where he included an autographed baseball with every car sold. Atlanta Braves home uniform shirt #44 worn by Hank Aaron on April 8, 1974 when he broke Babe Ruth's career home run record with his 715th homer in the 4th inning vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - B-5.87 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library) Related Hall of Famers To the top Hank Aaron Inducted: 1982 Position: Right Fielder Walter Alston Additionally, Aaron owned a chain of 30 restaurants around the country. Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron, the Baseball Hall of Famer who broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record in the face of racism and went on to become a revered ambassador to the game, has died. If successful, this would give North Vietnam control of the northern read more, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorizes almost $5 million to implement work-relief programs on this day in 1935. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron homered for the 715th time in the majors, breaking Babe Ruth's all-time record as America reckoned with his astounding achievements as a player and a man. 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.[1]. My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dreams.[87]. On April 27, 1971, Aaron hit his 600th career home run, the third major league player ever to do so. Instead of congratulations, Aaron received mounds of vile, racist and threatening hate mail which helped to ultimately make Aaron a bitter man. [53], In 1970, Aaron reached two more career milestones. He was 86. Aaron's record was . He would create his own bats and balls out of materials he found on the streets. MLB, give him back his home run record. Obituary: Hank Aaron, baseball great who became voice for civil rights, dies at 86 Photos: The life and . [74] Playing in the American League would allow Aaron to serve as a designated hitter rather than play in the field. Former Braves minor league player and sportswriter Pat Jordan said, "Aaron gave [Geraghty] much of the credit for his own swift rise to stardom. That year, he also played in his last and 24th All-Star Game (25th All-Star Game selection[47]); he lined out to Dave Concepcin as a pinch-hitter in the second inning. Aaron was the first player to reach both Hall-worthy batting thresholds of 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Considered one of the greatest baseball players in history, he spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (AL). Serving from 1979 to 1990, Thatcher was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. The Atlanta Braves great, who smashed Babe Ruth's all-time home run record, died Jan. 22. ", "Sporting News' 100 Greatest Baseball Players", "Aaron to throw out first pitch at All-Star Game", "President Bush Announces the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom", "About Carson Park: Eau Claire, Wisconsin", "Aaron receives honorary degree from Princeton", "Portrait of Nation Prize Winner: Hank Aaron", "National Portrait Gallery Honors Aretha Franklin, Carolina Herrera, Hank Aaron", "Hank Aaron presented with Order of the Rising Sun", "Hank Aaron throws out 1st pitch at SunTrust Park", "MLB renames developmental program after Hank Aaron", "Georgia Tech football to retire Hank Aaron's number 44 for 2021 season", "Hank Aaron replaces Confederate general in school name", "National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022", "Sports stars of Alabama: Where are they now? But it was Hammerin' Hank's sweet home run swing for which he was best known. Or will it be remembered as the season in which Aaron, the most dignified of athletes, was besieged with hate mail and trapped by the cobwebs and goblins that lurk in baseball's attic? [7] He was an NL All-Star for 20 seasons and an AL All-Star for one season, and he holds the record for the most All-Star selections (25),[a] while sharing the record for most All-Star Games played (24) with Willie Mays and Stan Musial. The next day, Aaron made his first spring training start for the Braves major league team, playing in left field and hitting a home run. [124], When the city of Atlanta was converting Centennial Olympic Stadium into a new baseball stadium, many local residents hoped the stadium would be named for Aaron. Baseball's all-time home run king, Hank Aaron did more than hit home runs. 44 for Pete Maravich. And Aaron showed grace and humility when he congratulated Bonds for beating his mark, though it was clear to everyone that it was tainted. I always felt like once I put the uniform on and once I got on the playing field, that I could separate the two an evil letter I got the day before or even 20 minutes before that I could also concentrate on what I had to do as far as trying to watch a fastball, somebody throwing the ball 90 mph, rather than worrying about a letter somebody sent., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, On this day in history, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner among first members of National Baseball Hall of Fame, The fabled list of Yankees captains Aaron Judge joined, All of Aaron Judges home runs this season, Judges 60th blast sparks comeback as he ties Babe Ruth, now one shy of Roger Maris. [4] By his final MLB season, Aaron was the last former Negro league baseball player on a major league roster. Baseball legend Hank Aaron, who broke Babe Ruth's career home run record, has died, the Atlanta Braves announced Friday. On June 21, 1959, against the San Francisco Giants, he hit three two-run home runs. Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season record by hitting 73 in 2001 and while he's no longer such a force,. [68] As the fans cheered wildly, Aaron's parents ran onto the field as well. [11] While on the Bears, Aaron earned $3 per game ($30 today), which was a dollar more than he got while on the Athletics. Aaron played the vast majority of his MLB games in right field, though he appeared at several other infield and outfield positions. In 1974, after tying Ruth on Opening Day in Cincinnati, Ohio, Aaron came home with his team. [92] A friendship with a Roman Catholic priest later helped lead to Hank and his wife's conversion. The Braves legend, who died Friday at the age of 86, made history while receiving death threats and hate mail on the way to surpassing Ruth in the record books late in his Hall of Fame career, which spanned from 1954-1976. Politicians also paid tribute to him. 11-20-1951 | Aaron is signed by scout Ed Scott to play for the Indianapolis Clowns. [11] Over the next 122 games, Aaron batted .280 with 13 homers before he suffered a fractured ankle on September 5. "He taught me what life was all about. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ken Severson Aaron went on to play through the end of the 1976 season, finishing with 755 career home runs, 3,771 hits and 2,297 RBI. The fireworks are going. On May 1, 1975, Aaron broke baseball's all-time RBI record, previously held by Ruth with 2,213. During the 2006 season, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth and moved into second place on the all-time home run list, attracting growing media coverage as he drew closer to Aaron's record. [23] As a result of his standout play with the Indianapolis Clowns, Aaron received two offers from MLB teams via telegram, one from the New York Giants and the other from the Boston Braves. Aaron suffered from arthritis and had a partial hip replacement after a fall in 2014. [50] In 1968, Aaron was the first Atlanta Braves player to hit his 500th career home run, and in 1970, he was the first Atlanta Brave to reach 3,000 career hits. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday. In 1986, Hank Aaron made a guest appearance in "Just Another Fox in the Crowd", episode 30 of Crazy Like a Fox. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Aaron was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1982, and now works in the front office for the Atlanta Braves. Aaron broke Ruths record on April 8, 1974 at Atlantas Fulton County Stadium against Al Downing and the Dodgers. I resented it, and I still resent it. Playing in the infield, Aaron continued to develop as a ballplayer and made the Northern League's All-Star team. His debut generates a buzz throughout the sports world. After touching home plate he was carried off the field by his teammates. Hank Aaron & Barry Bonds Retirement (2002)", "Hank Aaron, Home Run King Who Defied Racism, Dies at 86", "Famous Religious Conversions Hank Aaron", "Baseball's home run king Hank Aaron fought racism on and off the field", "Hall of Famer Hank Aaron's death unrelated to Covid-19 vaccination", "Health experts urge confidence in vaccine after superstar's death", "Baseball legend Hank Aaron got virus vaccine earlier in January", "Hall of Famer Henry "Hank" Aaron dies at 86", "Hank Aaron, baseball legend and former home run king, dies at 86", "Private funeral service for Hank Aaron announced", "Tributes pour in honoring the legendary Hank Aaron", "Players, celebrities and fans react to the death of baseball legend Hank Aaron", "Gov. Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's home run record eleven years ago By Jordan Shusterman August 7, 2018 On August 7, 2007, Barry Bonds punctuated his gradual, if inevitable climb to the top of the all-time home run list with an iconic blast to center field at AT&T Park for career home run No. When Aaron traveled around Jacksonville, Florida, and the surrounding areas, he was often separated from his team because of Jim Crow laws. [11] During his minor league experience, he was very homesick and faced constant racism, but his brother, Herbert Jr., told him not to give up the opportunity. Braves announcer Milo Hamilton, calling the game on WSB radio, described the scene as Aaron broke the record: Henry Aaron, in the second inning walked and scored.