Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron

Henry Louis Aaron played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball. His 755 career home runs broke the long-standing MLB record set by Babe Ruth. In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He died in a car accident in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2009; he is survived by his wife and seven children.

About Hank Aaron in brief

Summary Hank AaronHenry Louis Aaron played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball. He is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His 755 career home runs broke the long-standing MLB record set by Babe Ruth. In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. After his retirement, Aaron held front office roles with the Atlanta Braves, including senior vice president. In 1999, MLB introduced the Hank Aaron Award to recognize the top offensive players in each league. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama to Herbert Aaron Sr. and Estella Aaron. He had seven siblings, including Tommie Aaron, who played major-league baseball with him. He appeared briefly in the Negro American League and in minor league baseball before starting his major league career. In 1949, at the age of 15, Aaron had his first try with the Brooklyn Dodgers; however, he did not make the team. In 1951, Aaron signed a contract on behalf of the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro League. While on the Clowns, he earned USD 3 per game, which was more than he got while playing for the Mobile Black Bears, a semipro team. He also attended Central High School in Mobile. He later went on to finish his secondary education, attending the Josephine Allen Institute, a private high school in Alabama. In 2002, Aaron was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society in recognition of accomplishments that reflect the ideals of Georgia’s founders.

He died in a car accident in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2009; he is survived by his wife and seven children. He has a son and a daughter, both of whom are former Major League baseball players, and a son-in-law, who also played major league baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1980s and 1990s. Aaron also had a son who is a professional baseball player, as well as a daughter who played for the Oakland A’s in the 1990s and 2000s. In his last two seasons as a designated hitter, he played in the New York Yankees’ World Series-winning World Series team. Aaron is also in the top five for career hits and runs. He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits. He holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in , extra base hits, and total bases. He also holds the record for most All-Star selections, while sharing the record with Willie Mays and Stan Musial. By the time Aaron retired, he and his brother held the record for most career home Runs by a pair of siblings. They were also the first siblings to appear in a League Championship Series as teammates. Aaron played the vast majority of his MLB games in right field, though he appeared at several other infield and outfield positions, including shortstop, third base, and center field. In 1988, Aaron became the last Negro league baseball player on a major league roster.