Hank Aaron is known as the baseball player who broke Babe Ruth's home run record. Beyond that achievement, he knew as a young boy that he wanted to play sports. He taught himself how to bat, holding the bat cross-handed and batting this way because nobody had taught him how to hold the bat and swing. Even with this unusual way of holding the bat, he was a prolific hitter. As he played with the Clowns, he corrected his batting style.
Hank Aaron' Early Years
Henry "Hank" Louis Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama on Feb. 5, 1924, to a shipyard worker/tavern owner father and housewife mother. Aaron was the third of the eight children born to Herbert and Estella Aaron. While Aaron was still a young child, he and his family moved from the poor area of Mobile, called "Down the Bay," to the Toulminville area.
High School and Minor Leagues
In his younger years, Aaron developed a life-long interest in sports, particularly in baseball. This love of sports led to Aaron dropping out of high school to pursue the future he felt he had ahead of him. After he left school, he joined the Negro Leagues, playing for the Indianapolis Clowns. While he played for the Clowns, he led the team to the Negro League's 1952 World Series. The following year, he was recruited to the Milwaukee Braves for $10,000, where he was assigned to play for the Eau Claire Bears. While he played for the Bears, he was named Northern League Rookie of the Year.
Major League Beginnings
Hank Aaron received his Major League opportunity when one of the outfielders for the Braves suffered an injury during spring training. This opened a spot on the Braves roster for Aaron and he ended the season with a .280 record.
In 1955, Aaron hit 27 home runs, batted in 106 runs and averaged a .328 batting average with the Braves. As productive as this year was, he won a batting title in 1956 and, in 1957, he was named the National League MVP and hit 44 home runs, batted in 132 runs and batted a .322 average. Aaron took the Braves to the 1957 World Series with his 11th-inning home run in late September. During the World Series, his prowess at baseball led Milwaukee to victory over the New York Yankees.
Between 1957 and 1973, Hank Aaron consistently finished the season with 30 and 40 home runs. In 1973, he was just one run behind Babe Ruth's career home run total of 714, according to the Biography website.
Death Threats and Babe Ruth's Record
On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, tying Babe Ruth's record in Atlanta. As he faced toppling Ruth's record, Aaron received death threats and racist letters, making him fear for the safety of his family, according to Notable Biographies. As Aaron hit home run after home run, the Braves offices received up to 3,000 letters a day, addressed to him. Some of these letters offered congratulations, but other letters, written by people appalled at the prospect of a black man breaking the record of an icon, brought death threats, according to the Biography website. After finishing the 1974 season, Aaron moved back to Milwaukee to play for the Brewers for two years until he retired in 1976. When he retired, his home run record stood at 755.
Member Comments