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.
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.
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.
The 1950s were a period of racial segregation in parts of the United States, especially the southeastern portion of the country.
Michael Sablica, with helping him grow as a person in the 1950s.
While on the Bears, Aaron earned $3 per game ($ today), which was a dollar more than he got while on the Athletics. ==Negro league and minor league career== 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. He started play as a , shortstop, and earned $200 per month.
On June 12, 1952, Aaron signed with Braves' scout Dewey Griggs.
The 1952 season proved to be very beneficial for Aaron.
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. In 1953, the Braves promoted him to the Jacksonville Braves, their Class-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.
He also enjoyed cooking and fishing. Aaron spent the winter of 1953 playing in Puerto Rico.
An emailed statement to AFP Fact Check from Fulton County medical examiner Karen Sullivan said that "There was no information suggestive of an allergic or anaphylactic reaction to any substance which might be attributable to recent vaccine distribution." His funeral was held on January 27, followed by his burial at South-View Cemetery. ==Personal life== Aaron's first marriage was to Barbara Lucas in 1953.
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.
The board appears to have been convinced, as Aaron was not drafted. ==MLB career== In 1954, Aaron attended spring training with the major league club.
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." On March 13, 1954, Milwaukee Braves left fielder Bobby Thomson fractured his ankle while sliding into second base during a spring training game.
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.
"And he'll hit almost anything, so you have to be careful." ===Prime of his career=== Aaron hit .314 with 27 home runs and 106 RBIs, in 1955.
This All-Star Game, like the first one he played in 1955, was before a home crowd at Milwaukee County Stadium. Aaron hit his 755th and final home run on July 20, 1976, at Milwaukee County Stadium off Dick Drago of the California Angels, which stood as the MLB career home run record until it was broken in 2007 by Barry Bonds.
In 1956, Aaron hit .328 and captured the first of two NL batting titles.
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.
In 1957, Aaron won his only NL MVP Award, as he had his first brush with the triple crown.
On September 23, 1957, in Milwaukee, Aaron hit a two-run walk-off home run against the St.
On December 15, 1957, his wife Barbara gave birth to twins.
In 1958, Aaron's wife noted that during the offseason he liked "to sit and watch those shooting westerns".
In 1958, Aaron hit .326, with 30 home runs and 95 RBIs.
On June 21, 1959, against the San Francisco Giants, he hit three two-run home runs.
With his second wife, he had one child, Ceci. === Religion === Aaron was Catholic, having converted in 1959 with his family.
It was the only time in his career that he hit three home runs in a game. In 1963, Aaron nearly won the triple crown.
The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season.
On May 10, 1967, he hit an inside-the-park home run against Jim Bunning in Philadelphia.
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.
At the end of the 1969 season, Aaron again finished third in the MVP voting. In 1970, Aaron reached two more career milestones.
At the end of the 1969 season, Aaron again finished third in the MVP voting. In 1970, Aaron reached two more career milestones.
On April 27, 1971, Aaron hit his 600th career home run, the third major league player ever to do so.
He divorced Barbara in 1971 and married Billye Suber Williams on November 13, 1973.
During the strike-shortened season of 1972, Aaron tied and then surpassed Willie Mays for second place on the career home run list.
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.
Aaron received thousands of letters every week during the summer of 1973, including hate mail; the Braves ended up hiring a secretary to help him sort through it. Aaron (then age 39) hit 40 home runs in 392 at-bats, ending the 1973 season one home run short of the record.
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.
After the game, Aaron said his only fear was that he might not live to see the 1974 season. He was the recipient of death threats and a large assortment of hate mail during the 1973–1974 offseason from people who did not want to see Aaron break Ruth's nearly sacrosanct home run record.
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.
but you! If you break Babe Ruth's record, it'll be a disgrace!" 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.
He divorced Barbara in 1971 and married Billye Suber Williams on November 13, 1973.
After the game, Aaron said his only fear was that he might not live to see the 1974 season. He was the recipient of death threats and a large assortment of hate mail during the 1973–1974 offseason from people who did not want to see Aaron break Ruth's nearly sacrosanct home run record.
As the 1974 season began, Aaron's pursuit of the record caused a small controversy.
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 season—off Reds pitcher Jack Billingham, but did not hit another home run in the series. The Braves returned to Atlanta, and on April 8, 1974, a crowd of 53,775 people showed up for the game — a Braves attendance record.
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." ===Return to Milwaukee=== On October 2, 1974, Aaron hit his 733rd home run in his last at-bat as a Braves player.
Playing in the American League would allow Aaron to serve as a Designated hitter rather than play in the field. On May 1, 1975, Aaron broke baseball's all-time RBI record, previously held by Ruth with 2,213.
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.
This All-Star Game, like the first one he played in 1955, was before a home crowd at Milwaukee County Stadium. Aaron hit his 755th and final home run on July 20, 1976, at Milwaukee County Stadium off Dick Drago of the California Angels, which stood as the MLB career home run record until it was broken in 2007 by Barry Bonds.
He had 100+ RBIs in a season 15 times, including a record of 13 in a row. ==Post-playing career== After the 1976 season, Aaron rejoined the Braves as an executive.
The cars were later recovered. Aaron suffered from arthritis and had a partial hip replacement after a fall in 2014. ==Awards and honors== In 1982, Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. Aaron was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1976, from the NAACP.
In 1977, Aaron received the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award.
This made him one of the first minorities in Major League Baseball upper-level management. In December 1980, Aaron became senior vice president and assistant to the Braves' president.
In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Aaron was born and raised in and around Mobile, Alabama.
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.
The cars were later recovered. Aaron suffered from arthritis and had a partial hip replacement after a fall in 2014. ==Awards and honors== In 1982, Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. Aaron was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1976, from the NAACP.
In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.
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. 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.
Aaron founded the Hank Aaron Rookie League program. Aaron's autobiography, I Had a Hammer was published in 1990.
Aaron was known to frequently read Thomas à Kempis' 15th-century book The Imitation of Christ, which he kept in his locker. In an interview in 1991, Aaron credited the priest, Fr.
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.
In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Aaron fifth on its list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players".
In 1999, MLB introduced the Hank Aaron Award to recognize the top offensive players in each league.
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. 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.
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 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium site, incorporating the left field wall where Aaron hit his record-breaking home run. On February 5, 1999, at his 65th birthday celebration, Major League Baseball announced the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award.
Later that year, he ranked fifth on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In June 2000 Tufts University awarded Aaron an honorary Doctor of Public Service.
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. On January 8, 2001, Aaron was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton.
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. On January 8, 2001, Aaron was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton.
In 2001, a recreational trail in Milwaukee connecting American Family Field with Lake Michigan along the Menomonee River was dedicated as the "Hank Aaron State Trail".
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.
In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Aaron on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans. 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.
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. On January 8, 2001, Aaron was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton.
Aaron was on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service. In 2002, Aaron was honored with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation.
Additionally, Aaron owned a chain of 30 restaurants around the country. == Later life and death == 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.
This All-Star Game, like the first one he played in 1955, was before a home crowd at Milwaukee County Stadium. Aaron hit his 755th and final home run on July 20, 1976, at Milwaukee County Stadium off Dick Drago of the California Angels, which stood as the MLB career home run record until it was broken in 2007 by Barry Bonds.
On January 21, 2007, Major League Baseball announced the sale of the Atlanta Braves.
Aaron sold all but the Toyota dealership in McDonough in 2007.
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.
As Bonds began to close in on the record during the 2007 season, Aaron let it be known that, although he recognized Bonds' achievements, he would not be present when Bonds broke the record.
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: On January 5, 2021, Aaron publicly received a COVID-19 vaccination at the Morehouse School of Medicine at Atlanta, Georgia.
The award was created to honor Vince Lombardi's legacy and is awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the coach. Aaron dedicated the new exhibit "Hank Aaron-Chasing the Dream" at the Baseball Hall of Fame on April 25, 2009.
He was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society in recognition of accomplishments that reflect the ideals of Georgia's founders.
In July 2013, media reported that his home was burglarized with jewelry and two BMW vehicles having been stolen.
The cars were later recovered. Aaron suffered from arthritis and had a partial hip replacement after a fall in 2014. ==Awards and honors== In 1982, Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. Aaron was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1976, from the NAACP.
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 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium site, incorporating the left field wall where Aaron hit his record-breaking home run. On February 5, 1999, at his 65th birthday celebration, Major League Baseball announced the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award.
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. Atlanta-area sports teams plan to honor Aaron during the 2021 seasons.
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.
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: On January 5, 2021, Aaron publicly received a COVID-19 vaccination at the Morehouse School of Medicine at Atlanta, Georgia.
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. Atlanta-area sports teams plan to honor Aaron during the 2021 seasons.
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.
44 for Pete Maravich.) Also in Atlanta, the Forrest Hill Academy was renamed the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy in April 2021.
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