[140], In 2011, the President of Princeton University Shirley M. Tilghman awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree to Aaron. He keeps that mail as a reminder. They had five children: Gary, Lary, Dorinda, Gaile, and Hank Jr. He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits. Aaron's record was . Nearly 28 years earlier, the read more, Pirates had not captured a ship sailing under the American flag since the 1820s until April 8, 2009, when the MV Maersk Alabama was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. [48], After the 1976 season, Aaron rejoined the Braves as an executive. They also painted 44 in the midfield at Truist Park. 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. 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. 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. [44], Sal Maglie recommended throwing low curveballs to Aaron. He played two out of three and tied Babe Ruth's record on April 4, 1974, in his very first at-bat on his first swing of the seasonoff Reds pitcher Jack Billingham, but did not hit another home run in the series.[66]. [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. [116][117] After the Braves won the 2021 World Series, Aaron was honored in the design of the team's World Series championship ring, which includes 755 total diamonds to commemorate Aaron's career home runs, and 44 emerald-cut diamonds to represent Aaron's jersey number with the Braves. [11] He broke his habit of hitting cross-handed and adopted the standard hitting technique. I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historical achievement. By 1969, his chances of breaking the Babe's record were in sight. With his second wife, he had one child, Ceci. To many baseball fans, it won't matter, Hank Aaron is the home run . Pujols . He hit his 40th home run of the season against the Giants' Jerry Johnson on August 10, which established a National League record for most seasons with 40 or more home runs (seven). 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. 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. [148], Atlanta-area sports teams planned to honor Aaron during the 2021 seasons. This made him one of the first minorities in Major League Baseball upper-level management. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1974 Hank Aaron Record Home Run #715 Framed Newspaper Print at the best online prices at eBay! Playing in the infield, Aaron continued to develop as a ballplayer and made the Northern League's All-Star team. 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. 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. About 755HomeRuns.com. 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. Though the Korean War was over, people were still being drafted. He had received many death threats . Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, dies in London at age 87 from a stroke on April 8, 2013. Instead of congratulations, Aaron received mounds of vile, racist and threatening hate mail which helped to ultimately make Aaron a bitter man. 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. Aaron spent his 23-year big league career with two organizations. This All-Star Game, like the first one he played in 1955, was before a home crowd at Milwaukee County Stadium. [53], In 1970, Aaron reached two more career milestones. What a horrible sound. Aaron lived in the Atlanta area. Aaron was the first player to reach both Hall-worthy batting thresholds of 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Aaron got his start playing for. If dogs had eaten off those plates, they'd have washed them. He went on to become one of baseballs first African American executives, with the Atlanta Braves, and a leading spokesperson for minority hiring. [19] After this, Aaron returned to school to finish his secondary education, attending the Josephine Allen Institute, a private high school in Alabama. [15] Aaron attended Central High School[b] as a freshman and a sophomore. [65] As the 1974 season began, Aaron's pursuit of the record caused a small controversy. Many current or former athletes and team owners such as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Magic Johnson, David Ortiz, Dusty Baker, Eduardo Prez, Mike Trout, and Baseball Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark paid tribute to him. Aaron was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1982, and now works in the front office for the Atlanta Braves. [48] He batted .322, placing third, and led the league in home runs and runs batted in. Hank Aaron, one of baseball's all-time great home run hitters, has died. On April 8, 1989, California Angels rookie pitcher Jim Abbott, who was born without a right hand, makes his Major League Baseball debut in a 7-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners. [59], Aaron (then age 39) hit 40 home runs in 392 at-bats, ending the 1973 season one home run short of the record. On April 8, he banged out his record 715th home run off Al Downing of the Los Angeles Dodgers.. On May 1, 1975, Aaron broke baseball's all-time RBI record, previously held by Ruth with 2,213. In 1957, Aaron won his only NL MVP Award,[11] as he had his first brush with the triple crown. [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. 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. 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. Aaron was born and raised in and around Mobile, Alabama. Lucy says in the August 11 strip, "Hank Aaron is a great player but you! [11] While on the Bears, Aaron earned $3 per game ($30 today), which was a dollar more than he got while on the Athletics. [68] As the fans cheered wildly, Aaron's parents ran onto the field as well. [4] By his final MLB season, Aaron was the last former Negro league baseball player on a major league roster. [125] Georgia State University acquired Turner Field and has since rebuilt it as Center Parc Stadium, in 2017, and university officials plan to build a new baseball park on the former AtlantaFulton County Stadium site, incorporating the left field wall where Aaron hit his record-breaking home run. This is a considerable loss for the entire city of Atlanta. The nickname quickly gained currency, but "Henry" continued to be cited frequently in the media, both sometimes appearing in the same article, and Aaron would answer to either one. "He taught me what life was all about. [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]. He was 86. 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. Babe Ruth ended his career with 2,873 hits after 22 seasons. 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 During the next several years, Aaron had some of his best games and best seasons as a major league player. [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. It's 715! In 1974, Hank Aaron surpassed that mark, and then held the milestone for 33 years. A seven-time NL MVP, the 43-year-old Bonds hit his 22nd home run of the year. Swinging. By the time Aaron retired, he and his brother held the record for most career home runs by a pair of siblings (768). 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). There's a new home run champion of all time, and it's Henry Aaron! 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. [41], At this point, Aaron was known to family and friends primarily as "Henry". And Aaron showed grace and humility when he congratulated Bonds for beating his mark, though it was clear to everyone that it was tainted. It should have been the most enjoyable time in my life, and instead it was hell. [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. 715 call", "Stuart Ranks Next to Foxx; Sox' 2nd Best Righty Slugger", "This Day in Black Sports History: February 5, 1934", "Hank Aaron explains how he is a fan of the Browns", "Hank Aaron Reunites with Valdosta Man who Followed him onto Field", "Ted Turner, Hank Aaron influenced each other as well as Georgia", "Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Members by Year", Play-by-Play Audio of Aaron's 715th Home Run, Major League Baseball Player of the Month, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hank_Aaron&oldid=1141128927, October 3,1976,for theMilwaukee Brewers, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 14:06. He added 22 more in 1975 and 1976, finally calling it a career with 755 career home runs. [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. [105], Upon Aaron's death, the sports world expressed their condolences to him. "[23] On March 13, 1954, Milwaukee Braves left fielder Bobby Thomson fractured his ankle while sliding into second base during a spring training game. [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. 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. 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. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! [35] In 1958, Aaron's wife noted that during the off-season he liked "to sit and watch those shooting westerns". Henry Aaron, the slugger known as "Hammerin' Hank" who broke broke Babe Ruth's career home run mark and remains No. That record would stand until 2007 when Barry Bonds . Aaron resided near Atlanta until his death. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBIs) (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). "On April 8, 1974, when Atlanta Braves' Henry 'Hank' Aaron hit his 715th home run to eclipse the record held by Babe Ruth, there was hardly any celebration. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. This one has been a long time in the making. (Neil Leifer/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) Aaron hit 40 home runs in the 1973 season, bringing his career total to 713, one run short of the record. 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. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. The Atlanta Braves great, who smashed Babe Ruth's all-time home run record, died Jan. 22. He had been given six months to live in December of 1984 but defied expectations and lived for five more years, during which time his story helped educate the read more, On April 8, 1993, the space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center. Hank Aaron, Major League Baseball's former home-run king and a cornerstone of the Atlanta Braves franchise, died on Friday. [72] He had also said that he would be interested in serving as a team's general manager, someone who would make decisions and not a house boy. on April 8th, 1974 he hit his 715th home run, which broke the then record of 714 held by Babe Ruth. 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. He was 86 After the game, Aaron said his only fear was that he might not live to see the 1974 season. Hank Aaron, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, died Friday at age 86. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruths legendary record of 714 homers. Sports Illustrated commemorates Hank Aaron's record-setting home run in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. Aaron singled, doubled, and hit a home run in the game. Hank Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 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. [134] He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President George W. Bush in June 2002. 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. [127], On February 5, 1999, at his 65th birthday celebration, Major League Baseball announced the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award. He also enjoyed cooking and fishing. [37] On April 13, Aaron made his major league debut and was hitless in five at-bats against the Cincinnati Reds' left-hander Joe Nuxhall. Braves management wanted Hank to break the record in Atlanta and so they planned to sit him out that first series. Meanwhile, Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully addressed the racial tensionor apparent lack thereofin his call of the home run: 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. His average was .319, .007 behind the leader. The spot sits outside American Family Field, where the Milwaukee Brewers currently play. [100] He and several other African American public figures, including activist Joe Beasley, Andrew Young, and Louis Sullivan, did so to demonstrate the safety of the vaccine and encourage other black Americans to do the same. He would create his own bats and balls out of materials he found on the streets. 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. 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. In the fourth inning, Aaron hit home run number 715 off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing. Ochoa started at NASA in 1988 after receiving a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford read more, Eric Rudolph agrees to plead guilty to a series of bombings, including the fatal bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, in order to avoid the death penalty. to 483 B.C. "A grand jury, a tell-all book and a congressional committee have combined to form a major-league needle puncturing baseball's public image" , reported Chris Jenkins of USA Today in 'Players Admit Steroids Changed Baseball' (USA Today, 03/15/2005) Between February 17, 2005 and March 9, 2005 five-hundred . 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. 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. Bonds denied the allegations, then later argued ignorance. On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Ruth's record and in doing so, received the undying support of the fans. On April 15, Aaron collected his first major league hit, a double off Cardinals' pitcher Vic Raschi. Lewis Grizzard, then-executive sports editor of The Atlanta Journal, reported receiving numerous phone calls calling journalists "nigger lovers" for covering Aaron's chase. 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? It is a great accomplishment that required skill, longevity, and determination. 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. But Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ruled that he had to play two games in the first series. Milwaukee went on to win the World Series against the New York Yankees, the defending champions, 4 games to 3. [152][153], MLB held two All-Star Games from 1959 through 1962. In 1986, Hank Aaron made a guest appearance in "Just Another Fox in the Crowd", episode 30 of Crazy Like a Fox. [54] Aaron established the record for most seasons with thirty or more home runs in the National League. [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. Serving from 1979 to 1990, Thatcher was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. 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 . Aaron showed awesome skill when, unaided by pharmaceuticals, he broke Babe Ruths seemingly unbreakable record. 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. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. While he considered retirement, he said that he was willing to return to baseball for another year. [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. The game was also broadcast nationally on NBC. 11-20-1951 | Aaron is signed by scout Ed Scott to play for the Indianapolis Clowns. Whats that you say? On April 4, Opening Day, a 39-year-old Aaron sent the very first pitch he saw over the wall,. Coincidentally, Snoopy was only one home run short of tying the record (and finished the season as such when Charlie Brown got picked off during Snoopy's last at-bat), and as it turned out, Aaron finished the 1973 season one home run short of Ruth. Aaron eventually scored 2,174 runs, the exact same number as Ruth. [11] Helped by Aaron's performance, the Braves won the league championship that year. Henry Aaron is coming around third. [30], In 1953, the Braves promoted him to the Jacksonville Braves, their Class-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. Formally entitled a read more. The award was created to honor Vince Lombardi's legacy and is awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the coach. 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. [131], In June 2000 Tufts University awarded Aaron an honorary Doctor of Public Service. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. Aaron owned Hank Aaron BMW of south Atlanta in Union City, Georgia, where he included an autographed baseball with every car sold. Aaron's first marriage was to Barbara Lucas in 1953. He was with the Braves from 1954 to 1974first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta, when the franchise moved in 1966and closed it out with two seasons back in Milwaukee for the Brewers. But two other men were enshrined in history with him - Clifford Courtenay and Britt Gaston. The life and death of Hank Aaron (1934-2021) The Atlanta. He could run, too: He retired with 240 career steals and was only the third player,. I resented it, and I still resent it. [14] His boyhood idol was baseball star Jackie Robinson. With 755 career home runs, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record by more than 40 home runs. 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. Although he was on the roster of its farm club, Milwaukee manager Charley Grimm later stated, "From the start, he did so well I knew we were going to have to carry him. [74] Playing in the American League would allow Aaron to serve as a designated hitter rather than play in the field. This is wrong. [57] Aaron finished the season with 673 career home runs. I was a prisoner in my own apartment. 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 . 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. [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. He started play as a 6ft (180cm), 180lb (82kg) shortstop,[22] and earned $200 per month. 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. He was also named The Sporting News NL Player of the Year. Thanks for contacting us. )[149] Also in Atlanta, the Forrest Hill Academy was renamed the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy in April 2021. On July 13, Aaron hit a home run in the All-Star Game (played at Detroit's Tiger Stadium) for the first time. 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. [136], In 2002, Aaron was honored with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation. The Braves returned to Atlanta, and on April 8, 1974, a crowd of 53,775 people showed up for the gamea Braves attendance record. 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). [31], In December 1980, Aaron became senior vice president and assistant to the Braves' president. An advocate of nonviolence and conservatism, he pleaded innocent in the highly read more, On April 8, Buddhists celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, thought to have lived in India from 563 B.C. That same year, baseball fans named Aaron to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. And listen to this crowd![69]. [33] The Braves' manager, Ben Geraghty, tried his best to help Aaron on and off the field. [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. The location of where Hank Aaron's record 755th home run landed has been monumented in Milwaukee. Aaron . He again finished third in National League MVP voting. [11] Although Dodgers outfielder Bill Buckner nearly went over the outfield fence trying to catch it, the ball flew into the Braves' bullpen, where relief pitcher Tom House caught it. In his last two seasons, he was primarily a designated hitter. [123] In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Aaron on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans. [11] His family could not afford baseball equipment, so he practiced by hitting bottle caps with sticks. He hit home run number 713 on September 29, 1973, and with one day remaining in the season, many expected him to tie the record. He appeared briefly in the Negro American League and in minor league baseball before starting his major league career. He was 86 years old. On October 6, Aaron and Lucas married. 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.
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