On Friday, baseball fans woke up to the news that Hammerin’ Hank Aaron passed away at the age of 86. Aaron played 23 seasons for both the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers. “The King” Hank Aaron was a 25-time All-Star, and a World Series champion, with a .305 batting average, 3,771 career hits, and 755 home runs, a record that stood for 31 years.
Aaron was born on February 5th, 1934. He was one of seven children born to Herbert Aaron Sr. and Estella Aaron. Aaron’s favorite player growing up was Jackie Robinson. Aaron played for a semi-baseball team called the Mobile Black Shippers while he was in high school. He was 15 years old when he received his first tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers but did not make the team.
After high school, Aaron played for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. His talent caught several MLB teams’ eye, including the Boston Braves and the New York Giants. He hit .366 with the Clowns with five home runs, 33 runs batted in, 41 hits, and nine stolen bases.
Those stats were enough for the Braves to take a chance on Aaron, purchasing his contract from the Clowns for $10,000. It was a steal, according to then-GM John Quinn. Aaron worked his way up the minor leagues and, in 1954, would make his MLB debut. No one thought at the time of his debut that they were witnessing the beginning of a historic career. That same year, he won Rookie of the Year.
Aaron made his first All-Star game appearance in his second year and finished the season with a .314 batting average with 27 home runs, an MLB-leading 37 doubles, 105 RBIs, 189 hits in 665 appearances, and finished ninth in the NL MVP voting.
After finishing third in the NL MVP voting, Aaron won the MVP in 1957 and the World Series with the Milwaukee Braves 4-3 over the New York Yankees. He finished the 1957 season with a .322 batting average, 44 home runs, and 132 RBIs in 660 appearances.
Aaron continued to climb in the record books. In 1968, two years after the Braves moved to Atlanta, he became the first Braves player to hit 500 home runs and in 1970 reached 3,000 career hits that took place on May 17th against the Cincinnati Reds.
In 1971, Aaron hit his 600th home run against the San Francisco Giants and trailed the great Babe Ruth by 114 home runs to tie the record. Aaron finished the season with a .327 batting average, 47 home runs, and 118 RBIs in 573 plate appearances.
Aaron continued to creep closer to Ruth’s home run record, and in the short 1972 season, he tied Willie Mays for second place in the all-time home run list. He also broke Stan Musial’s total base record (6,134) when he hit a single off Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton. Despite the short season, he batted .265 with 34 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 119 hits in 545 plate appearances. He finished the 1972 season with 673 career home runs.
In 1973, fans and the media could feel that history was about to be made in front of their eyes. Of course, many people hated him and didn’t want him to pass Babe Ruth. At the age of 39, he batted .301 with 40 home runs, 96 RBIs, and 118 hits in 465 plate appearances. Aaron made his 23 All-Star appearances and finished twelfth in the NL MVP voting. His home run record sat at 713, two away from tying Ruth.
In his final year in Atlanta in 1974, Aaron tied Ruth’s home run record on April 4th, 1974, off Reds pitcher Jack Billingham. Four days later, the Braves played the Los Angeles Dodgers in front of 53,775 in attendance. The game was nationally broadcasted on NBC. In the fourth inning, with the count 1-0 against Dodgers pitcher Al Downing, Aaron broke Ruth’s home run record, hitting a home run out towards left field.
Braves radio announcer, Milo Hamilton from WSB, said this before and after Aaron’s historic home run that will be remembered for a lifetime. “Henry Aaron, in the second inning, walked and scored. He’s sittin’ on 714. Here’s the pitch by Downing. Swinging. There’s a drive into left-center field. That ball is gonna be-eee … Outta here! It’s gone! It’s 715! There’s a new home run champion of all time, and it’s Henry Aaron! The fireworks are going. Henry Aaron is coming around third. His teammates are at home plate. And listen to this crowd!”
Aaron would finish the 1974 season with a .268 batting average, 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, and 91 hits in 382 plate appearances. After his Braves career ended, he returned to Milwaukee, this time with the Brewers for his final two seasons. He would add 22 more home runs to 755 to complete his historic career.
After his playing career ended, he returned to Atlanta as an executive for the Braves. In 1982, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame with the second most votes (97.8%), only behind Ty Cobb (98.2%). He would later become the senior vice president and director of player development for the Braves. Outside of baseball, Aaron would become the corporate vice president of community relations for Turner Broadcasting Station. He also founded the Hank Aaron Rookie League program.
While Aaron is second all-time in the home run category behind Barry Bonds, many believe that Aaron is the true king of home runs. Hank Aaron will be remembered for generations to come. His story on the road to baseball immortality is one for the ages. The man that Aaron passed on the all-time home run list, Babe Ruth, once said, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”
