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Braves management wanted Hank to break the record in Atlanta and so they planned to sit him out that first series. He finished with 755 overall before retiring after the 1976 season. The high-profile incident drew worldwide attention to the problem of piracy, commonly believed to be a thing of read more, On April 8, 1990, 18-year-old Ryan White dies of pneumonia, due to having contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Note that seasons prior to 1876 are not included in single-season marks, but are included in career marks. That he didnt take human growth hormones, the infamous cream and clear, which turned his Bill Bixby frame into Lou Ferrigno. [9] In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. 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. That ball is gonna be-eee Outta here! Hank Aaron's most notable achievement was breaking the career home run record set by Babe Ruth. The 20 home runs Aaron hit in 1974 were the third-most ever by a player 40 or older. [28] A teammate later said, "the man ate pork chops three meals a day, two for breakfast". [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. In a statement, the Braves said Aaron died peacefully. "[45], Aaron hit .314 with 27 home runs and 106 RBIs, in 1955. Aaron broke Ruths record on April 8, 1974 at Atlantas Fulton County Stadium against Al Downing and the Dodgers. "He's going to swing and he'll go after almost anything," Maglie said of the Braves' slugger. Aaron singled, doubled, and hit a home run in the game. 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 added 22 more in 1975 and 1976, finally calling it a career with 755 career home runs. [d] On July 31, 1969, Aaron hit his 537th home run, passing Mickey Mantle's total; this moved Aaron into third place on the career home run list, after Willie Mays and Babe Ruth. [61] The threats extended to those providing positive press coverage of Aaron. I didnt read most of them, but I wanted to have them as reminders, Aaron later wrote in his autobiography I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story.. Aaron was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1982, and now works in the front office for the Atlanta Braves. Aaron suffered from arthritis and had a partial hip replacement after a fall in 2014. Aaron's pursuit of Ruth's ultimate home run record was one of the top sports stories of the 1970s and generated intense media coverage. Hank Aaron Significant Home Runs. Aaron . On July 13, Aaron hit a home run in the All-Star Game (played at Detroit's Tiger Stadium) for the first time. He again finished third in National League MVP voting. Hank Aaron was a Major League Baseball player that is considered by many the greatest baseball player ever. He had 100+ RBIs in a season 15 times, including a record of 13 in a row. 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 [76] Minor league right-handed pitcher Roger Alexander was sent to the Braves to complete the transaction at the Winter Meetings one month later on December 2. [18] This led Hank Aaron to a major league contract, signed on the final day of spring training, and a Braves uniform with the number five. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. He and his wife first became interested in the faith after the birth of their first child, whom they baptized immediately. Aaron Judge broke the A.L. [4] By his final MLB season, Aaron was the last former Negro league baseball player on a major league roster. SCP Auctions reports that Barry Bonds' record 756th home run ball to pass Hank Aaron for first on the all-time home run list went for $752,467 in 2007, while No. By the end of the season, he had performed so well that the league made him the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year. Obituary: Hank Aaron, baseball great who became voice for civil rights, dies at 86 Photos: The life and . Research is still ongoing and we'll continue to publish updates as more information becomes available. 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. "Maybe I was unnerved by all the attention," read more, On April 8, 1975, against the New York Yankees in Cleveland, the Indians' Frank Robinson becomes the first African American to manage a game in Major League Baseball. 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. He could run, too: He retired with 240 career steals and was only the third player,. [36], In 1954, Aaron attended spring training with the major league club. Bonds surpassed Aaron in 2007 with his 756th home run. [86] After Bonds hit his record-breaking 756th home run on August 7, 2007, Aaron made a surprise appearance on the JumboTron video screen at AT&T Park in San Francisco to congratulate Bonds on his accomplishment: I would like to offer my congratulations to Barry Bonds on becoming baseball's career home run leader. About 755HomeRuns.com. Years later, Aaron remembered: I had the Giants' contract in my hand. During his career, Aaron performed at a consistently high level for an extended period of time. 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. He also enjoyed cooking and fishing. By 1969, his chances of breaking the Babe's record were in sight. On January 5, 2021, Aaron publicly received a COVID-19 vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine[99] at the Morehouse School of Medicine at Atlanta, Georgia. Statistic Description: Home Runs Hit/Allowed. [41], At this point, Aaron was known to family and friends primarily as "Henry". 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. [128] The award honors the best overall offensive performer in the American and National League. With his second wife, he had one child, Ceci. 02-05-1934 | Aaron is born on a Monday in Mobile, Alabama. [54] Aaron established the record for most seasons with thirty or more home runs in the National League. During the next several years, Aaron had some of his best games and best seasons as a major league player. [137], Aaron dedicated the new exhibit "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream" at the Baseball Hall of Fame on April 25, 2009. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFBraunsteinWolpin2006 (, Last edited on 23 February 2023, at 14:06, List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball batting champions, List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders, List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders, List of Major League Baseball doubles records, List of Major League Baseball home run records, List of Major League Baseball individual streaks, List of Major League Baseball runs batted in records, "For single seasons, From 1876 to 2008, (requiring HR30), sorted by greatest Seasons matching criteria", "For single seasons, From 1876 to 2008, (requiring H150), sorted by greatest Seasons matching criteria", "Hank Aaron's searing words on the racism he faced should never be forgotten", "Hank Aaron: Baseball icon and civil rights activist dies aged 86", Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation 2013, "Dunbar Creative And Performing Arts Magnet School", "This date in Braves history: Hank Aaron's only inside-the-park homer", "Vin Scully's Call of Hank Aaron's 715th Home Run", "Aaron Gets Reception, Mets Get Trounced, 81", "The Braves Trade Henry Aaron to the Brewers", "July 15, 1975: In Milwaukee, NL wins fourth straight All-Star Game", "Game Over for Liberty's Purchase of Braves from Time Warner", "Braves' Sale Approved by Baseball Owners", "Charles Schwab Super Bowl XXXVI ad feat. Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1974 despite enduring racism and went on to hit 755 homers in a 23-year career. [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. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, and is the only player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times. While with the Clowns he experienced racism. During his stay in Puerto Rico, Owen also helped Aaron transition from second base to the outfield. Listen to HISTORY This Week Podcast: More Than a Home Run. 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 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. On the Dodgers broadcast for Aarons 715th home run, Vin Scully took note of the momentous occasion both for baseball and society. He was named to the NL All-Star roster for the first time; it was the first of a record 21 All-Star selections and first of a record 25 All-Star Game appearances. "[95] Sablica said in an interview that he wouldn't have blamed Aaron if he stopped practicing, and Aaron indeed attended Friendship Baptist Church toward the end of his lifenoting in his autobiography that he didn't remain Catholic for very long after converting. Hank Aaron, one of baseball's all-time great home run hitters, has died. 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. 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. [55] As the year came to a close, Aaron broke Stan Musial's major-league record for total bases (6,134),[56] the record he was the most proud of since it reflected his overall performance as a hitter and team player. [127], On February 5, 1999, at his 65th birthday celebration, Major League Baseball announced the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award. [110][111], US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Aaron by releasing a statement calling him "an American hero". [138] Statues of Aaron stand outside the front entrance of both Turner Field and American Family Field. He divorced Barbara in 1971 and married Billye Suber Williams on November 13, 1973. [14] His boyhood idol was baseball star Jackie Robinson. While preparing the massive coverage of the home run record, he quietly had an obituary written, afraid that Aaron might be murdered.[62]. What a marvelous moment for baseball, what a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia, what a marvelous moment for the country and the world, Scully said. [19] After this, Aaron returned to school to finish his secondary education, attending the Josephine Allen Institute, a private high school in Alabama. This is wrong. [11] In addition, Aaron hit for a .336 batting average. But Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ruled that he had to play two games in the first series. 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. Postal Service for receiving more mail (930,000 pieces) than any person excluding politicians. [49], In 1963, Aaron nearly won the triple crown. Aaron grew up in a poor family. [93], In an interview in 1991, Aaron credited the priest, Fr. There's a new home run champion of all time, and it's Henry Aaron! Hank Aaron, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, died Friday at age 86. 2 all-time, died January 22. It's 715! MLB forced them to make him play and Aaron hit a home run in his first at bat in Cincinnati, but saved 715 for a few games later. [57] Aaron finished the season with 673 career home runs. [52] Aaron was, at the time, the second-youngest player to reach the milestone. He had finished 1973 with 713 career home runs, one shy of the all-time record set by Babe Ruth. 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. Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, dies in London at age 87 from a stroke on April 8, 2013. [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. The moment is still frozen in time: Hank Aaron rounding the bases after hitting his record 715th home run when, suddenly, two young fans ran up from behind to pat him on the shoulder. Although he batted cross-handed (as a right-handed hitter, with his left hand above his right), Aaron established himself as a power hitter. 0:00. And listen to this crowd![69]. [3] Aaron's ability as a hitter can be illustrated by his still having over 3,000 hits even without counting any of his home runs. It was the only inside-the-park home run of his career. Aaron finished third in the MVP race and he received his first of three Gold Glove Awards. [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. He was 86. Whats that you say? The game was also broadcast nationally on NBC. [35], Aaron spent the winter of 1953 playing in Puerto Rico. Even as a kid, the irony of it hit me: here we were in the capital in the land of freedom and equality, and they had to destroy the plates that had touched the forks that had been in the mouths of black men. [112][113] He also received tributes from former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. "[31] Aaron's time with the Braves did not come without problems. He went on to become one of baseballs first African American executives, with the Atlanta Braves, and a leading spokesperson for minority hiring. Aaron had not played well at second base, but Owen noted that Aaron could catch fly balls and throw them well from the outfield to the infield. The night they met, Lucas decided to attend the Braves' game. A seven-time NL MVP, the 43-year-old Bonds hit his 22nd home run of the year. [119], Aaron was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1976, from the NAACP. Braves' public relations director Don Davidson, observing Aaron's quiet, reserved nature, began referring to him publicly as "Hank" in order to suggest more accessibility. Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron (44) breaks Babe Ruth's record for career home runs as he hits his 715th off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing in the fourth inning of the game opener at Atlanta . [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. Im proud of the home run record, but I dont talk about it because it brings back too many unpleasant memories.. [11] Aaron did his part by hitting .393 with three homers and seven RBIs. With 755 career home runs, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record by more than 40 home runs. In 1957, with characteristically little fanfare, Aaron, who primarily played right field, was named the National Leagues Most Valuable Player as the Milwaukee Braves won the pennant. [81] Aaron was then named the Braves' vice president and director of player development. We've received your submission. 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. The Braves returned to Atlanta, and on April 8, 1974, a crowd of 53,775 people showed up for the gamea Braves attendance record. home run record and Gerrit Cole broke the Yankees' single-season strikeouts record. 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. "And he'll hit almost anything, so you have to be careful. "He taught me what life was all about. While he was born in a section of Mobile referred to as "Down the Bay", he spent most of his youth in Toulminville. When Aaron traveled around Jacksonville, Florida, and the surrounding areas, he was often separated from his team because of Jim Crow laws.