![]() After this, Aaron returned to school to finish his secondary education, attending the Josephine Allen Institute, a private high school in Alabama. 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. Aaron was a member of the Boy Scouts of America.Īlthough he batted cross-handed (as a right-handed hitter, with his left hand above his right), Aaron established himself as a power hitter. 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. Aaron attended Central High School as a freshman and a sophomore. His boyhood idol was baseball star Jackie Robinson. He would create his own bats and balls out of materials he found on the streets. His family could not afford baseball equipment, so he practiced by hitting bottle caps with sticks. While he was born in a section of Mobile referred to as "Down the Bay", he spent most of his youth in Toulminville. They were also the first siblings to appear in a League Championship Series as teammates. By the time Aaron retired, he and his brother held the record for most career home runs by a pair of siblings (768). Tommie Aaron, one of his brothers, also went on to play Major League Baseball. Early life Īaron was born in Mobile, Alabama, to Herbert Aaron Sr. Aaron resided near Atlanta until his death. He was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society in recognition of accomplishments that reflect the ideals of Georgia's founders. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. That same year, MLB introduced the Hank Aaron Award to recognize the top offensive players in each league. In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Aaron fifth on its list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players". In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. 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.Īfter his retirement, Aaron held front office roles with the Atlanta Braves, including the senior vice president. He was an NL All-Star for 20 seasons and an AL All-Star for one season, and he holds the record for the most All-Star selections (25), while sharing the record for most All-Star Games played (24) with Willie Mays and Stan Musial. In his last two seasons, he was primarily a designated hitter. Īaron played the vast majority of his MLB games in right field, though he appeared at several other infield and outfield positions. His experiences fueled his activism during the civil rights movement. 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. ![]() By his final MLB season, Aaron was the last former Negro league baseball player on a major league roster. He appeared briefly in the Negro American League and in minor league baseball before starting his major league career. Aaron had seven siblings, including Tommie Aaron, who played major-league baseball with him. 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.Īaron was born and raised in and around Mobile, Alabama. He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits. Aaron is also third all-time for career hits (3,771) and fifth in runs scored (2,174). 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. Īaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBIs) (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). 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. ![]() He broke the long-standing MLB record for home runs held by Babe Ruth and remained the career leader for 33 years. At the time of his retirement, Aaron held most of the game's key career power-hitting records. 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). Henry Louis Aaron (Febru– 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. Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves ( 1954– 1974).October 3, 1976, for the Milwaukee Brewers ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |