If you break Babe Ruth's record, it'll be a disgrace!" Two score and seven years ago, the great Hank Aaron delivered one of the most iconic moments American sports and baseball history. Hank Aaron, Baseball Hall of Famer and former home run king, dies - CNN April 8, 1974: Hank Aaron hammers historic 715th home run to break Babe Hank Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 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. 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? Hank Aaron Significant Home Runs. 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. 4/4/74: On Opening Day, Hank Aaron hits his 714th Major League home run, tying Babe Ruth for most home runs in Major League historyCheck out http://MLB.com/v. Thanks for contacting us. 714. [140], In 2011, the President of Princeton University Shirley M. Tilghman awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree to Aaron. On May 1, 1975, Aaron broke baseball's all-time RBI record, previously held by Ruth with 2,213. Hank Aaron dies at 86. He broke Babe Ruth's home run record - Los [94], Sablica also encouraged him to "attend Mass every Sunday" during Spring Training, to which he responded with the racist realities of the day: "[In Bradenton], they won't let me go to Mass. [85][non-primary source needed] 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. [23] On June 12, 1952, Aaron signed with Braves' scout Dewey Griggs. Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols are closing in on major home run records Though the Korean War was over, people were still being drafted. Aaron's legacy has and will always be. Judge is now just one dinger shy of the AL home run record, set at 61 by fellow Yankee Roger Maris back in 1961. . Aaron played the vast majority of his MLB games in right field, though he appeared at several other infield and outfield positions. [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]. Should Hank Aaron's Negro League stats count? - 11Alive.com Is Hank Aaron the True Home Run King? - The Sports Bank He had 100+ RBIs in a season 15 times, including a record of 13 in a row. MLB home run records: Most HRs in a game, season and career in - NFL It is as of yet the only pennant-clinching walk-off home run in major league history in a non-playoff regular-season game. On April 27, 1971, Aaron hit his 600th career home run, the third major league player ever to do so. The naked body of the blonde homecoming queen was found washed up on the shore wrapped in plastic in the shows read more, On April 8, 1904, with war in Europe a decade away, Britain and France sign an agreement, later known as the Entente Cordiale, resolving long-standing colonial disputes in North Africa and establishing a diplomatic understanding between the two countries. 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. While preparing the massive coverage of the home run record, he quietly had an obituary written, afraid that Aaron might be murdered.[62]. "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. He finished with 755 overall before retiring after the 1976 season. The last Negro League player to enter the Majors, Aaron joined the Milwaukee Braves in 1954, and moved with them to Atlanta in 1966. 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. [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. We've received your submission. [11] Helped by Aaron's performance, the Braves won the league championship that year. As Aaron hammered closer to Ruth's 714 home runs, he . Home run - Wikipedia He also enjoyed cooking and fishing. Apart from Aaron's status as the real King of the Dinger, Hammerin' Hank still holds two records that aren't likely to be broken anytime soon. [70], On October 2, 1974, Aaron hit his 733rd home run in his last at-bat as a Braves player. He's sittin' on 714. Aaron has the second most home runs ever? A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. Aaron went 0 for 3 with a pair of strikeouts in Atlanta's 5-3 win over the Reds on April 7. He then changed his number to 44, which would turn out to look like a "lucky number" for the slugger. [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. Aaron was known to frequently read Thomas Kempis' 15th-century book The Imitation of Christ, which he kept in his locker. He won the NL's Most Valuable Player award in 1957 and has a lifetime batting average of .305. About 755HomeRuns.com. FILE- In this July 12, 2004, file photo, home run record holder Hank Aaron greets San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds before the start of the All-Star Home Run Derby in Houston. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season. [11] While on the Bears, Aaron earned $3 per game ($30 today), which was a dollar more than he got while on the Athletics. 756. While the world knew him as Hammering Hank Aaron because of his incredible, record-setting baseball career, he was a cornerstone of our village, graciously and freely joining Mrs. Aaron in giving their presence and resources toward making our city a better place. [63], At the end of the 1973 season, Aaron received a plaque from the U.S. 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. I was a prisoner in my own apartment. A crowd of 53,775 people, the largest in the history of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, was with Aaron that night to cheer when he hit a 4th inning pitch off the Los Angeles Dodgers Al Downing. ", "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? The life and death of Hank Aaron (1934-2021) The Atlanta. And Aaron showed grace and humility when he congratulated Bonds for beating his mark, though it was clear to everyone that it was tainted. 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. In 1955 Central High School and Dunbar Jr. High School switched locations; Central High closed in 1970 following desegregation. Hank Aaron was a Major League Baseball player that is considered by many the greatest baseball player ever. [141][142], In November 2015, Aaron was one of the five inaugural recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Prize, an award granted by the National Portrait Gallery in recognition of "exemplary achievements in the fields of civil rights, business, entertainment, science, and sports. The book's title is a play on his nickname, "The Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", and the title of the folk song "If I Had a Hammer". Four days earlier, in Cincinnati, he had homered in his first at-bat of the season to tie Ruth at 714. The location of where Hank Aaron's record 755th home run landed has been monumented in Milwaukee. Hank Aaron Breaks Babe Ruth's Home Run Record - HISTORY In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. [11] Although he appeared in just 87 games, he scored 89 runs, had 116 hits, nine home runs, and 61 RBIs. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ken Severson Kemp orders flags to fly at half-staff to honor Hank Aaron", "Georgia Governor Brian Kemp: flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Hank Aaron", "Statement of President Joe Biden on the Passing of Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron", "President Joe Biden calls Hank Aaron 'an American hero', "Atlanta Braves 44: Hank Aaron's number painted on the field", "World Series Game 3: Braves hold emotional tribute to Hank Aaron", "Aaron's spirit lives on in World Series tribute", "Atlanta Braves receive World Series rings featuring 18.71-karat white gold, 755 diamonds and, yes, pearls", "Are These the 4 Most Important Athletes in Atlanta History? He later cited his anti-abortion and anti-homosexual views as motivation for the bombings. Say it: Hank Aaron is the real home-run champion [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. The Hall of Famer holds a host of records, from the most runs batted in (2,297), the most seasons as an all-star (21) to the most home runs ever (755) . 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. [26], The Braves purchased Aaron's contract from the Clowns for $10,000,[27] which GM John Quinn thought was a steal, as he stated that he felt that Aaron was a $100,000 property. In 1974, after tying Ruth on Opening Day in Cincinnati, Ohio, Aaron came home with his team. During the strike-shortened season of 1972, Aaron tied and then surpassed Willie Mays for second place on the career home run list.

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