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Hank Aaron,, A Baseball Legend Hank Aaron was born Feb. 5, 1934, in a run down part of Mobile, Ala. In high school, Aaron played shortstop and third base and proved to be an exceptional, though unorthodox hitter . In 1952, at 18 he joined the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. After a brief stay as their shortstop he soon was sold for ten,000 dollars to the Atlanta Braves. He player for Jacksonville in 1953, at first as shortstop then second base. His batting remained irreproachable. Though he had to suffer the southern racism of the era his hitting gave Jacksonville the pennant that year and Hank was MVP not of his team but of the entire league. Small wonder, he had the best title in most every facet of the game. He had been best in just about every aspect of play that year. The following year, following an injury to Bob Thomson Hank made it to the majors replacing him in left field. Aaron made history with his bat in 1974 breaking a venerable record. He hit his 715th home run that day bettering the Bambino's famous homer record which had lasted so long.
Hank 's first home run had come in April 1954. In 122 games that year
he batted .280 and managed thirteen home runs before an injury in Sept.
ended his season. He would soon do much better still. Hank Aaron moved
to right field in 1955, his career position which would result in three
Gold Gloves. He batted .314 with twenty seven home runs and 106
runs-batted-in. This was just the begining. The National League hitting
title was his the next season with a .328 average. His career high
average was reached in 1959 with an average of .355. With 44 homers in
1957 he lead the National league and achieved 132 RBI's , a career high
with a .322 batting average. The Braves clinched the pennant that year
on an Aaron 11th inning homer . MVP honors were his that season but for
the last time in his career. Hank led the Braves to the pennant once
again in 1958, but the Atlanta Braves lost the series to the Yankees in
seven games. Hank was not big. His hitting success was likely due to
his wonderous vision and strong wrists. Hank 's quest to beat the
Bambino's title was tainted with racism. He lived in fear for his life
and received countless threats and hate mail. The summer of '73
finished with Hammering Hank at 713 homers, one less than Ruth, after
hitting a remarkable 40 in just 392 at-bats. He was 39. With a homer on
his first at bat in 74 he tied the Babe's historic record . It was hit
off Jack Billingham of Cincinnati. The large Atlanta Braves crowd
waited impatiently that April 8th 1974. Aaron was ready. It was the 4th
inning. Al Downing threw and it was gone and with it the Babe's old
record. The new homer king was crowned and his teammates mobbed him at
home plate. So was he the very best? Just look at his title . He has
the home run title but then he also leads in runs with 2 ,297, in total
bases with six,856 and in extra base hits with 1 , 477, not bad! He
alone has hit 30 home runs plus 15 times and twenty homers plus 20
times. Just as impressive are his eight 40 homer seasons with a high of
47. Moreover he was again first to reach 3,000 career hits. Topping it
all, he led the National in home runs and RBI's 4 times playing in a
title twenrty four All Star games A .305 hitter , lifetime he performed
his magic for the Braves for the most part but finishing his
extraordinary career in Milwaukee for the Brewers in 1976.
His 755 career home runs were the most by a major leaguer for some 30
years. Thirty years later, Hank still had the title . About the AuthorHammering Hank may well have been the greatest of his day. To watch today's best at play Just Click Here for the best major league baseball tickets at bargain prices. |
