There is also a statue of him as an 18-year-old shortstop outside Carson Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he played his first season in the Braves' minor league system. As a result, in 1949, at the age of 15, Aaron had his first tryout with an MLB franchise, the Brooklyn Dodgers; however, he did not make the team. [11] He won the league's Most Valuable Player Award,[11][18] and had such a dominant year that one sportswriter was prompted to say, "Henry Aaron led the league in everything except hotel accommodations. Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 - January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. [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. And listen to this crowd![69]. Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season record by hitting 73 in 2001 and while he's no longer such a force,. About 755HomeRuns.com. His average was .319, .007 behind the leader. 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. "[31] Aaron's time with the Braves did not come without problems. [146][147], The Elite Development Invitational, a youth baseball tournament organized by the Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association to increase diversity in the sport, was renamed the Hank Aaron Invitational for the 2019 season. 762 (Bonds' final homer . I had nowhere to go except home and to the ballpark, home and to the ballpark. If dogs had eaten off those plates, they'd have washed them. [19], On November 20, 1951, baseball scout Ed Scott signed Aaron to a contract on behalf of the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League, where he played for three months.[21]. "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. We've received your submission. Aaron would finish the season in Atlanta, go back to Milwaukee for two seasons as the Brewers' DH and end his career with 755 home runs. [39] Aaron hit his first major league home run on April 23, also off Raschi. As an adopted son of Atlanta, Mr. Aaron was part of the fabric that helped place Atlanta on the world stage. In 1986, Hank Aaron made a guest appearance in "Just Another Fox in the Crowd", episode 30 of Crazy Like a Fox. Whats that you say? [51], During his days in Atlanta, Aaron reached several milestones; he was only the eighth player ever to hit 500 career home runs, with his 500th coming against Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants on July 14, 1968exactly one year after former Milwaukee Braves teammate Eddie Mathews had hit his 500th. [139], He was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society, in conjunction with the Governor of Georgia, to recognize accomplishments and community service that reflect the ideals of the founding body of Trustees, which governed the Georgia colony from 1732 to 1752. I was a prisoner in my own apartment. 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. 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. Playing off the intense interest in their perceived rivalry, Aaron and Bonds made a television commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLI, shortly before the start of the 2007 baseball season, in which Aaron jokingly tried to persuade Bonds to retire before breaking the record. His debut generates a buzz throughout the sports world. Hank Aaron. Hank Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 44 for Pete Maravich. When Aaron traveled around Jacksonville, Florida, and the surrounding areas, he was often separated from his team because of Jim Crow laws. [133], On January 8, 2001, Aaron was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton. The stadium's street number is 755, after Aaron's total number of home runs; the 755 street number was retained for Turner Field's replacement, Truist Park. 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. 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. Aaron resided near Atlanta until his death. In a later interview with Atlanta sportscasting personality Chris Dimino, Aaron made it clear his reluctance to attend any celebration of a new home run record was based upon his personal conviction that baseball is not about breaking records, but simply playing to the best of one's potential. The night they met, Lucas decided to attend the Braves' game. [11] The 1952 season proved to be very beneficial for Aaron. The act was unprecedented and read more, On April 8, 1994, rock star Kurt Cobain was found dead in his home in Seattle, Washington, with fresh injection marks in both arms and a fatal wound to the head from the 20-gauge shotgun found between his knees. Hank Aaron Timeline. [60], He was the recipient of death threats and a large assortment of hate mail during the 19731974 offseason from people who did not want to see Aaron break Ruth's nearly sacrosanct home run record. A 6-foot, 180-pounder, Aaron broke Babe Ruth's hallowed home run mark on April 8, 1974, slugging his record 715th off . 02-05-1934 | Aaron is born on a Monday in Mobile, Alabama. Although he batted cross-handed (as a right-handed hitter, with his left hand above his right), Aaron established himself as a power hitter. [65] As the 1974 season began, Aaron's pursuit of the record caused a small controversy. [8] In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Aaron fifth on its list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players". He died on January 22, 2021, at age 86. We've received your submission. 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. Hank Aaron was a tremendous ambassador for baseball, and we can think of one way baseball can honor him in death. There's a new home run champion of all time, and it's Henry Aaron! [151] In May of the same year, Tulane University gave Aaron a posthumous honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, the first posthumous honorary degree ever awarded by the university. Aaron led the league in runs (115), hits (208), doubles (36), RBIs (125), total bases (338), and batting average (.362). It was the only time in his career that he hit three home runs in a game. The Arthur Blank-owned Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC, along with Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have plans during their 2021 seasons to reserve 44 for Aaron. ", "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? On June 21, 1959, against the San Francisco Giants, he hit three two-run home runs. [126], He was honored before the third game of 2021 World Series. Baseball's all-time home run king, Hank Aaron did more than hit home runs. He was 86 years old. [81] Aaron was then named the Braves' vice president and director of player development. "[143][144], In January 2016, Aaron received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette from Akihito, the Emperor of Japan. [140], In 2011, the President of Princeton University Shirley M. Tilghman awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree to Aaron. Like most high schools, they did not have organized baseball, so he played outfield and third base for the Mobile Black Bears, a semipro team. That ball is gonna be-eee Outta here! Aaron, known as hard working and quiet, was the last Negro league player to also compete in the Major Leagues. [123] In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Aaron on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans. 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. In his last two seasons, he was primarily a designated hitter. Instead of congratulations, Aaron received mounds of vile, racist and threatening hate mail which helped to ultimately make Aaron a bitter man. [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. 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. Aaron went 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts in Atlanta's 5-3 win over the Reds on April 7. A young Craig Sager actually interviewed Aaron between third and home for a television station, WXLT (now WWSB-Channel 40) in Sarasota. Braves management wanted him to break the record in Atlanta and was therefore going to have Aaron sit out the first three games of the season. to 483 B.C. He signed a two-year contract with the Brewers for $240,000 per year. [15] Aaron attended Central High School[b] as a freshman and a sophomore. [11] In addition, Aaron hit for a .336 batting average. He later cited his anti-abortion and anti-homosexual views as motivation for the bombings. Playing in the infield, Aaron continued to develop as a ballplayer and made the Northern League's All-Star team. 06-14-1952 | Aaron is signed by Boston Braves as a slick fielding second baseman and wins the Northern . The Braves were able to speak to the draft board, making the case that Aaron could be the player to integrate the Southern Association the following season with the Atlanta Crackers. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron And for the first time in a long time, that poker face in Aaron shows the tremendous strain and relief of what it must have been like to live with for the past several months. Cobains suicide brought an end to a life marked by far more read more, Who killed Laura Palmer? was the question on everyones mind on the night of April 8, 1990, when David Lynchs surreal television drama Twin Peaks premiered on ABC. 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. Former home run record-holder and Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron is awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities during commencement for the class of 2011 at Princeton University, in Princeton . Hank Aaron, Major League Baseball's former home-run king and a cornerstone of the Atlanta Braves franchise, died on Friday. After his retirement, Aaron held front office roles with the Atlanta Braves, including the senior vice president. Actually, the Buddhist tradition that celebrates his birthday on April 8 originally placed his birth in the 11th read more, On April 8, 1944, Russian forces led by Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin attack the German army in an attempt to win back Crimea, in the southern Ukraine, occupied by the Axis power. The award was created to honor Vince Lombardi's legacy and is awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the coach. [30], In 1953, the Braves promoted him to the Jacksonville Braves, their Class-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. [31] He was the corporate vice president of community relations for Turner Broadcasting System, a member of the company's board of directors, and the vice president of business development for The Airport Network. [93], In an interview in 1991, Aaron credited the priest, Fr. However, as Aaron was an African American who had received death threats and racist hate mail during his pursuit of one of baseballs most distinguished records, the achievement was bittersweet. 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]. 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. [52] Aaron was, at the time, the second-youngest player to reach the milestone.
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