SCP Auctions reports that Barry Bonds' record 756th home run ball to pass Hank Aaron for first on the all-time home run list went for $752,467 in 2007, while No. All Rights Reserved. Coincidentally, Snoopy was only one home run short of tying the record (and finished the season as such when Charlie Brown got picked off during Snoopy's last at-bat), and as it turned out, Aaron finished the 1973 season one home run short of Ruth. [68] As the fans cheered wildly, Aaron's parents ran onto the field as well. Sports Illustrated commemorates Hank Aaron's record-setting home run in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. Our gratitude, thoughts and prayers are with the Aaron family. [109], Georgia governor Brian Kemp ordered flags in the state of Georgia to be lowered half-staff in honor of him. Aaron reportedly received 930,000 pieces of mail in 1973 the year before he broke Ruths record with enough including threats that the FBI got involved to protect him and his family. Aaron attended the dedication. He finished with 755 overall before retiring after the 1976 season. [121] In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame for his time spent on the Eau Claire Bears, Milwaukee Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers. They were students, just 17 at the time. In 1957, Aaron won his only NL MVP Award,[11] as he had his first brush with the triple crown. A crowd of 53,775 people, the largest in the history of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, was with Aaron that night to cheer when he hit a 4th inning pitch off the Los Angeles Dodgers Al Downing. 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 . The nickname quickly gained currency, but "Henry" continued to be cited frequently in the media, both sometimes appearing in the same article, and Aaron would answer to either one. He was also named The Sporting News NL Player of the Year. He added 22 more in 1975 and 1976, finally calling it a career with 755 career home runs. As Aaron hammered closer to Ruth's 714 home runs, he . This is wrong. Even if the five Negro League home runs do get added eventually, Aaron would still be two short of Barry Bonds's 762 homers. [110][111], US President Joe Biden paid tribute to Aaron by releasing a statement calling him "an American hero". 44 for Pete Maravich. Thanks for contacting us. [124], When the city of Atlanta was converting Centennial Olympic Stadium into a new baseball stadium, many local residents hoped the stadium would be named for Aaron. Today in Baseball History: Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's home run record During the 2006 season, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth and moved into second place on the all-time home run list, attracting growing media coverage as he drew closer to Aaron's record. On April 15, Aaron collected his first major league hit, a double off Cardinals' pitcher Vic Raschi. Hank. In 1986, Hank Aaron made a guest appearance in "Just Another Fox in the Crowd", episode 30 of Crazy Like a Fox. [11] Tommie Aaron, one of his brothers, also went on to play Major League Baseball. [70], On October 2, 1974, Aaron hit his 733rd home run in his last at-bat as a Braves player. But the Braves offered fifty dollars a month more. Hank Aaron, Major League Baseball's former home-run king and a cornerstone of the Atlanta Braves franchise, died on Friday. After the game, Aaron said his only fear was that he might not live to see the 1974 season. During his career, Aaron performed at a consistently high level for an extended period of time. A crowd of 53,775 people, the largest in the. Sports Illustrated pointedly summarized the racist vitriol that Aaron was forced to endure: Is this to be the year in which Aaron, at the age of thirty-nine, takes a moon walk above one of the most hallowed individual records in American sport? [78], Aaron hit his 755th and final home run on July 20, 1976, at Milwaukee County Stadium off Dick Drago of the California Angels, which stood as the MLB career home run record for 31 years until it was broken in 2007 by Barry Bonds. In 1974, Hank Aaron surpassed that mark, and then held the milestone for 33 years. "He's going to swing and he'll go after almost anything," Maglie said of the Braves' slugger. The manner of death was listed as natural causes. [151] In May of the same year, Tulane University gave Aaron a posthumous honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, the first posthumous honorary degree ever awarded by the university. [51], During his days in Atlanta, Aaron reached several milestones; he was only the eighth player ever to hit 500 career home runs, with his 500th coming against Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants on July 14, 1968exactly one year after former Milwaukee Braves teammate Eddie Mathews had hit his 500th. Bonds surpassed Aaron in 2007 with his 756th home run. Hank Aaron - IMDb Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1974 despite enduring racism and went on to hit 755 homers in a 23-year career. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1974 Hank Aaron Record Home Run #715 Framed Newspaper Print at the best online prices at eBay! He was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society in recognition of accomplishments that reflect the ideals of Georgia's founders. Hank Aaron Atlanta Braves Custom Frame Signed GFA Michael Sablica, with helping him grow as a person in the 1950s. [61] The threats extended to those providing positive press coverage of Aaron. [11] He won the league's Most Valuable Player Award,[11][18] and had such a dominant year that one sportswriter was prompted to say, "Henry Aaron led the league in everything except hotel accommodations. Atlanta Braves home uniform shirt #44 worn by Hank Aaron on April 8, 1974 when he broke Babe Ruth's career home run record with his 715th homer in the 4th inning vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - B-5.87 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library) Related Hall of Famers To the top Hank Aaron Inducted: 1982 Position: Right Fielder Walter Alston Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America Paperback Tom St "[23] On March 13, 1954, Milwaukee Braves left fielder Bobby Thomson fractured his ankle while sliding into second base during a spring training game. Aaron was the first player to reach both Hall-worthy batting thresholds of 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. That record would stand until 2007 when Barry Bonds . Aaron has the second most home runs ever? HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Aaron helped lead the Clowns to victory in the 1952 Negro League World Series. [25] Aaron received an outpouring of public support in response to the bigotry. [11] Helped by Aaron's performance, the Braves won the league championship that year. [119], Aaron was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1976, from the NAACP. The Braves were able to speak to the draft board, making the case that Aaron could be the player to integrate the Southern Association the following season with the Atlanta Crackers. Hank Aaron home run video | 11alive.com Hank Aaron, Home Run King Who Defied Racism, Dies at 86 - New York Times Mickey Owen, the team's manager, helped Aaron with his batting stance. ", "There was a big catch holding on to No. Instead of congratulations, Aaron received mounds of vile, racist and threatening hate mail which helped to ultimately make Aaron a bitter man. [23] As a result of his standout play with the Indianapolis Clowns, Aaron received two offers from MLB teams via telegram, one from the New York Giants and the other from the Boston Braves. He was 86. He appeared briefly in the Negro American League and in minor league baseball before starting his major league career. [31], In December 1980, Aaron became senior vice president and assistant to the Braves' president. [63], At the end of the 1973 season, Aaron received a plaque from the U.S. Actually, the Buddhist tradition that celebrates his birthday on April 8 originally placed his birth in the 11th read more, On April 8, 1944, Russian forces led by Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin attack the German army in an attempt to win back Crimea, in the southern Ukraine, occupied by the Axis power. [28] A teammate later said, "the man ate pork chops three meals a day, two for breakfast". He was 86 years old. What Hank Aaron Told Me - The Atlantic But he was more than just a religious friend of mine, he was a friend because he talked as if he was not a priest sometimes." [105], Upon Aaron's death, the sports world expressed their condolences to him. Aaron's first marriage was to Barbara Lucas in 1953. He later cited his anti-abortion and anti-homosexual views as motivation for the bombings. I had nowhere to go except home and to the ballpark, home and to the ballpark. [52] Aaron was, at the time, the second-youngest player to reach the milestone. [11] Over the next 122 games, Aaron batted .280 with 13 homers before he suffered a fractured ankle on September 5. Kemp orders flags to fly at half-staff to honor Hank Aaron", "Georgia Governor Brian Kemp: flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Hank Aaron", "Statement of President Joe Biden on the Passing of Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron", "President Joe Biden calls Hank Aaron 'an American hero', "Atlanta Braves 44: Hank Aaron's number painted on the field", "World Series Game 3: Braves hold emotional tribute to Hank Aaron", "Aaron's spirit lives on in World Series tribute", "Atlanta Braves receive World Series rings featuring 18.71-karat white gold, 755 diamonds and, yes, pearls", "Are These the 4 Most Important Athletes in Atlanta History? A 6-foot, 180-pounder, Aaron broke Babe Ruth's hallowed home run mark on April 8, 1974, slugging his record 715th off . Braves management wanted him to break the record in Atlanta and was therefore going to have Aaron sit out the first three games of the season. [35], Aaron spent the winter of 1953 playing in Puerto Rico. However, as Aaron was an African American who had received death threats and racist hate mail during his pursuit of one of baseballs most distinguished records, the achievement was bittersweet. Hank Aaron's Accomplishments - 550 Words | Internet Public Library Hank Aaron Significant Home Runs. We've received your submission. In that announcement, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig also announced that Aaron would be playing a major role in the management of the Braves,[82] forming programs through major league baseball that will encourage the influx of minorities into baseball. Hank Aaron's Greatness, by the Numbers - The Ringer During his junior year, Aaron joined the Prichard Athletics, an independent Negro league team,[20] followed by the Mobile Black Bears, another independent Negro league team. During his stay in Puerto Rico, Owen also helped Aaron transition from second base to the outfield. Aaron's pursuit of Ruth's ultimate home run record was one of the top sports stories of the 1970s and generated intense media coverage. After finishing his remarkable career with 755 home runs, Aaron later spoke of how he was able to compartmentalize his play on the field and the vitriol he faced off of it. [94], Sablica also encouraged him to "attend Mass every Sunday" during Spring Training, to which he responded with the racist realities of the day: "[In Bradenton], they won't let me go to Mass. [11] His family could not afford baseball equipment, so he practiced by hitting bottle caps with sticks. Aaron grew up in a poor family. "On April 8, 1974, when Atlanta Braves' Henry 'Hank' Aaron hit his 715th home run to eclipse the record held by Babe Ruth, there was hardly any celebration. [35] Two days later, one of the children died. An advocate of nonviolence and conservatism, he pleaded innocent in the highly read more, On April 8, Buddhists celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, thought to have lived in India from 563 B.C. [d] On July 31, 1969, Aaron hit his 537th home run, passing Mickey Mantle's total; this moved Aaron into third place on the career home run list, after Willie Mays and Babe Ruth. [23] On June 12, 1952, Aaron signed with Braves' scout Dewey Griggs.