Aaron, Henry
From Encyclopædia
henry Louis "Hank"
Aaron, b. Mobile, Ala., Feb. 5, 1934, is American
baseball's all-time champion home-run hitter.
Aaron entered the record books on Apr. 8, 1974, by breaking Babe Ruth's record of 714, and he went on to hit a total of 755
Homers before completing his 23-year major-league career.
Aaron began playing professionally for all-black teams in Mobile, Ala., and
Indianapolis, Ind., but he signed with the National League's Milwaukee Braves organization at the age of 18. He reached the major leagues when he was only 20 and quickly established himself as one of the game's finest players. He played for the Braves almost exclusively, first in Milwaukee (1954-65), then in Atlanta (1966-74). He ended his career with the American League's Milwaukee Brewers (1975-76). Along with a lifetime batting
average of .305,
Aaron had 2,297 runs batted in (1st all-time), 6,856 total bases (1st), 12,364 at bats (2d), 3,771 hits (3d), 3,298
games played (3d), and 624 doubles (8th).
Aaron was the NL's Most Valuable Player in 1957, and the right fielder won 3 Gold Glove awards for his fielding prowess. He led the NL in home runs, runs batted in, and slugging
average 4 times each, and in batting
average twice (1956: .328; 1959: .355). In a poll of about a half million fans in the summer of 1989,
Aaron's 715th career home run was voted "the greatest moment in
baseball history."
bibliography:
Aaron,
henry, and Wheeler, Lonnie, I Had a Hammer: The Hank
Aaron Story (1991).Picture Caption[s]
henry Aaron (1934- ) hit the most home runs (755) in the history of American Major Leage
baseball.
Aaron, an outfielder, spent most of his 23-year career with the Atlanta Braves of the National League. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982, his first year of eligibility.
