Drysdale was one of 13 Hall of Fame pitchers Aaron faced at least 25 times in his career. He was 86. Aaron’s accomplishments as a player, in addition to his humanitarianism, were recognized in 1999 with the introduction of Major League Baseball’s Hank Aaron Award. 6. Aaron also ranks third in plate appearances (13,941). He started a Midsummer Classic 17 times, behind only Willie Mays (18). 9. Full Name: Henry Louis Aaron Nicknames: Hammerin' Hank, The Hammer Born: Feb 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama Major League Career: 1954-76 Teams: Milwaukee Braves … No off years: 20 seasons of 20 homersOne surprising aspect of Aaron’s 755 career home runs is that he produced them without hitting more than 47 in a single season. Batted right and threw right. He … April 8, 1974: Hammerin’ Hank Aaron becomes Home Run King with 715th homer 1958: Braves repeat as NL champions and again face the Yankees in the World Series. Wh… He is one of five players to post at least eight 40-homer seasons, one of two (along with Alex Rodriguez) to have 15 30-homer seasons and is the only player to go deep 20-plus times in 20 different years. Other Records: MLB career leader in RBIs (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477) and total bases (6,856); played in 25 All-Star Games. A look at Hank Aaron’s career and accomplishments Sports. Aaron managed that through his relentless consistency. Played in All-Star Games. Aaron never finished as the runner-up, either. When his father took him to hear a speech given by Jackie Robinson, Hank committed himself to playing baseball. The two matched up 249 times, or 51 more than any other opponent against Aaron. In fourteen of the seasons Aaron played for the Braves, he batted .300 or more. 2001- Presidential Citizens Medal 2002- Presidential Medal of Freedom. That total is 722 more than second-place Stan Musial -- about twice the amount produced by 2019 Major League leader Rafael Devers (359). In 1999, Major League Baseball announced the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award to honor the best overall offensive performer in the American and National League. 1957. 3. 3. You don’t hit 755 home runs without being a paragon of durability and longevity. It equates to 1,714 home runs, 2,285 triples or 3,428 doubles. He played in 3,298 games, which ranked him third among players of all time. Learn more about Hank Aaron in this article. While the Braves made just one postseason appearance in the 1960s, the uber-consistent Aaron began racking up accomplishments. The Atlanta Braves said he died peacefully in his sleep early Friday. Beginning with his second season in 1955, he produced at least 6 WAR in 15 straight years through 1969. (Pete Rose is No. Nicknames: Hammerin’ Hank, The Hammer. That means Hank accounts for 98.3% of the Aaron brothers’ total of 768. Later that year, Aaron was ranked fifth on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Hank Aaron Biography. 2. There was 715, the number of career home runs he reached to dethrone Babe Ruth as the all-time big fly king in 1974, in one of the most iconic moments in sports history. But he is also seventh in WAR at age 35 or older (31.4). Leaderboard legend: top 5 in many categoriesIn addition to home runs, games and plate appearances, Aaron ranks third all-time in hits (3,771), fourth in runs scored (2,174), first in total bases (6,856), first in extra-base hits (1,477), first in RBIs (2,297), fourth in intentional walks (293) and fifth in WAR for position players (143.1). Despite that, his lack of strikeouts is stunning -- especially by modern standards. Biggest Accomplishment: Broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 and finished his career with 755, a mark that stood for more than 33 years until it was eclipsed by Barry Bonds in 2007. Biggest Accomplishment: Broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 and finished his career with 755, a mark that stood for more than 33 years until … He spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (AL). He was the third of eight children. Below is a look at his career and accomplishments. Posted: Jan 22, 2021 / 12:07 PM EST / Updated: Jan 22, 2021 / 12:07 PM EST. Aaron never hit 50 homers in a season. Atlanta Stadium, April 8, 1974: Hank Aaron slams his 715th home run over the fence and into the history books. Aaron managed at least an .820 OPS against nine of them, with particular success facing Sandy Koufax (1.077 OPS in 130 PA) and Steve Carlton (1.025 OPS in 81 PA). 12. In his long career Aaron led all major league players in RBIs with 2,297. Total domination: the king of total basesThink about those 6,856 total bases, too. He homered 17 times and hit .267/.345/.579, good for a .925 OPS that almost exactly matched Aaron’s career mark of .928. FILE – In this April 8, 1974, file photo Atlanta Braves’ Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run in Atlanta Stadium to break the all-time record set by the late Babe Ruth. Won Most Valuable Player Award. Awards And Accomplishments. Full Name: Henry Louis Aaron Nicknames: Hammerin' Hank, The Hammer Born: Feb 5, 1934 in Mobile, 10. Noteworthy: First player to reach 500 homers and 3,000 hits; never struck out 100 times in a season; third player in baseball history after Ken Williams and Willie Mays with at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season (1963); finished in Top 10 of NL MVP balloting 13 times; finished with a career average of .305; honored in 1999 by Major League Baseball with the Hank Aaron Award, which goes to … Aaron is a longtime supporter of civil rights organizations such as the NAACP. Hank Aaron was the first one to hit 500 home runs and reach Aaron’s two highest single-season OPS figures actually came at ages 37 (1.079) and 39 (1.045, albeit in only 120 games). That 15-season streak is a record, and Aaron’s 16 total seasons meeting the 6-WAR threshold ties Bonds for the most by a position player. World Series Appearances: 1957 (Braves defeated the New York Yankees, 4-3); 1958 (Braves lost to the Yankees, 4-3), Other Postseason Appearances: 1969 (Braves lost to the New York Mets 3-0 in NL Championship Series). How much is 6,856? He won the NL's Most Valuable Player award in 1957 and has a lifetime batting average of.305. A total of 47 players have produced a higher single-season total than Aaron ever did -- 15 of them multiple times -- and yet Aaron sits second on the all-time list behind Barry Bonds. 11. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out what that means. Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron dies at age 86. Hank Aaron was born February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama. 1976 - NAACP Spingarn Medal 1982 - Baseball Hall of Fame 1988 - Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame for 1999- Hank Aaron Award was created to commemorate the best overall hitter in each league. Braves fans flock to Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves, to honor the passing of legendary slugger Hank Aaron. ATLANTA (AP) — Full Name: Henry Louis Aaron Nicknames: Hammerin’ Hank, The Hammer Born: Feb 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama Major League Career: 1954-76 … What Might’ve Been: Aaron could have been paired in the same outfield with Willie Mays, receiving offers from both the Boston Braves and Mays’ team, the New York Giants. Atlanta Braves alum Chipper Jones talks about meeting the legendary Hank Aaron for the first time. His career high was 47 in 1971. Wade Boggs, a Hall of Famer who batted .328 over 18 seasons, with a total of 3,010 hits. Aaron failed to reach that threshold only as a 20-year-old rookie in 1954, and as a 41- and 42-year-old in 1975-76. He chose the Braves’ slightly higher offer. For context, only 13 position players reached that mark in 2019, which is about average for a single season. Mini Bio (1) Baseball's all-time home run king, Hank Aaron did more than hit home runs. A high floor: 15 straight years of 6 WARAaron wasn’t making all of those All-Star teams just from inertia. Hank Aaron Biography, Wiki. With very little debate, Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1982. 1. Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts. A look at Hank Aaron’s career and accomplishments. While rounding the bases, two college students sprinted onto the field and jogged alongside Aaron for part of his circuit around the bases, temporarily startling him. A look at Hank Aaron’s career and accomplishments Sports. This is a full biography on home run king Hank Aaron. 5. Yet it’s the Aarons who hold the record for the most home runs by any brother combo, and it’s not especially close. 1957, 1960, 1963, 1966. Hank Aaron, the baseball legend who was once Major League Baseball’s homerun king and is a civil rights icon remembered for his humility and grace in the face of racism, has died, his former team, the Atlanta Braves, has confirmed. Aaron, who died Friday at the age of 86, crafted a legacy that is about so much more than numbers, of course. If a player matched Ruth’s single-season record of 457 total bases and kept that up for 15 years, he would still be one base short of Aaron. Here is a look at 13 facts and figures to know about one of the greatest players to pick up a bat: • Timeline of Hammerin' Hank's legendary career. October excellence: 1.116 postseason OPSAaron didn’t get many chances to play in the postseason, but when he did, he took advantage by batting .362/.405/.710 with six homers and 16 RBIs in 17 games. In two of his three series (1957 World Series, 1969 National League Championship Series), he homered three times. He won for the only time in 1957, which was his fourth season. Aaron finished with 1,383 K’s (fewer than his 1,402 walks), which is only the 112th most in MLB history, through the 2020 season. Age is just a number: productive at 20 and 40One thing that stands out about Aaron is that he was a tremendous young player and a tremendous old player. He co-founded with his wife, educator Billye, the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation to help children develop their potential. 8. Several active players have more, including Giancarlo Stanton, Evan Longoria and Justin Upton. The baseball great and one-time home run king Hank Aaron has died. But he placed third a whopping six times, received votes in 19 straight seasons (1955-73) and is tied for eighth all-time in “MVP shares,” per Baseball-Reference. Did You Know? In his career, Drysdale allowed only a .645 OPS, yet Aaron was not the least bit bothered by the intimidating Dodgers right-hander. Former Atlanta mayor and UN Ambassador Andrew Young discusses his friend, legendary Braves slugger Hank Aaron. *FREE* shipping on eligible orders. 4. Aaron’s 3,298 games played puts him 10 behind Carl Yastrzemski for second all time. One surprising aspect of Aaron’s 755 career home runs is that he produced them... 2. Hank Aaron Bio Born: Feb. 5, 1934, in Mobile, Ala. Died: Jan. 22, 2021. Of course, Aaron played in a lower-strikeout environment in which pitchers did not have the caliber of stuff they do today. 13. His consistent hitting produced a career total of 3,771 hits, again ranking him third all-time. Afraid of no one: taming HOFersAaron’s most-faced pitcher was, by far, Hall of Famer Don Drysdale. Height: 6-0 Weight: 180. Sure, Aaron led the National League (NL) four times, he also was a two-time batting champion and led the league in RBIs four times and runs scored three times. Hank Aaron, American professional baseball player who, during 23 seasons in the major leagues, (1954–76), surpassed batting records held by some of the greatest hitters of the game, including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Stan Musial. 1 with 3,562 games.) This despite the fact that Hank’s younger brother, Tommie, hit just 13 big flies over parts of seven seasons with Hank’s Braves between 1961-71. 7. Andrew Young remember Hank Aaron Former Atlanta mayor and UN Ambassador Andrew Young discusses his friend, legendary Braves slugger Hank Aaron. 2016- the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, one of Japan's highest honors, for his work with the World Children's Baseball Fair. A hit machine: 3,000 hits without the HRTake another look at that hit total: 3,771. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Although the achievements of public figures such as Hank Aaron prepared many white Americans to accept African Americans as equals, the struggle to achieve full equality under the law would take many more years. 1955-76. Among those with at least 70 career postseason plate appearances, he ranks sixth in average, fifth in slugging and fifth in OPS. Homers aside, Aaron’s 3,016 hits would rank 29th in MLB history. Hank Aaron: A Biography The rag to riches story of Hand Aaron, a retired American baseball player, is remarkable and inspirational in the true sense. ATLANTA – Full Name: Henry Louis Aaron. As for the former, he is one of 24 position players to produce a 6-WAR season at age 21 or younger, per Baseball-Reference, and ranks 10th in total WAR through age 25 (38.8). Those years came consecutively from 1955-74. Named leader of … Hank Aaron: A Biography [Vascellaro, Charlie] on Amazon.com.au. No off years: 20 seasons of 20 homers. The ultimate big brother: first in sibling homersBaseball has seen its fair share of impressive brother tandems (or trios), from the Waners to the DiMaggios to the Alous to the Alomars to the Uptons to the Seagers. Exhibiting an understated style that became his trademark, Henry Aaron became the all-time home run champion via one of the most consistent offensive careers in baseball history with 3,771 hits. Timeline of Hammerin' Hank's legendary career. Aaron played at least 150 games 14 times and at least 120 games 21 times, tying Rose for the most such seasons in MLB history. For a player and man as great as Hank Aaron, it would be an injustice if his retirement in 1976 was the end of his time in the spotlight. Born into humble circumstances in Mobile, Alabama, Hank Aaron ascended the ranks of the Negro Leagues to become a Major League Baseball icon. Built to last: nearly 3,300 gamesYou don’t hit 755 home runs without being a paragon of durability and longevity. The player who would be behind him? In a June 1961 game, Aaron joined lineup mates Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas as the first teammate quartet to homer in successive at-bats. Hank Aaron - Home Run King: Listen. Noteworthy: First player to reach 500 homers and 3,000 hits; never struck out 100 times in a season; third player in baseball history after Ken Williams and Willie Mays with at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a season (1963); finished in Top 10 of NL MVP balloting 13 times; finished with a career average of .305; honored in 1999 by Major League Baseball with the Hank Aaron Award, which goes to baseball’s top hitter each season; 20 straight seasons with at least 20 homers; eight 40-homer seasons; six seasons with more than 20 stolen bases. Awards and Accolades: National League MVP (1957); NL batting champion (1956, 1959); NL home run leader (1957, 1963, 1966, 1967); NL RBI leader (1957, 1960, 1963, 1966); NL Gold Glove (1958, 1959, 1960); Baseball Hall of Fame (1982); Presidential Medal of Freedom (2002). 13 stats that show Hank Aaron's significance 1. But even focusing on the statistical side of the ledger, 715 and 755 only scratch the surface of what he accomplished over his long and legendary career. A Look at Hank Aaron’s Career and Accomplishments More FILE - In this April 8, 1974, file photo Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run … Born: Feb 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama ATLANTA (AP) — Full Name: Henry Louis Aaron Nicknames: Hammerin’ Hank, The Hammer Born: Feb 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama Major League Career: 1954-76 Teams: Milwaukee Braves (1954-1965), Atlanta Braves (1966-1974), Milwaukee Brewers (1975-76) Biggest Accomplishment: Broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 and finished his career with 755, a mark that stood for […] The caveat to that number is that it includes four seasons (1959-62) in which there were multiple games. Even if you took away each and every one of Aaron’s 755 home runs, he still would have cracked the 3,000-hit mark -- one of the most celebrated in baseball. He received the ‘Spingarn Medal’ and ‘American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award.’ In the year 1999, MLB made the Hank Aaron Award, to recognize the 25th commemoration of Aaron’s outperforming of Born in an extremely poor family, little Aaron had … No cause was given. In the five seasons from 1969-73, when Aaron was 35-39 years old, he led all Major Leaguers in slugging (.601) and OPS (.997). Aaron twice led the National League in batting, and four times led the league in homers. In 1968, Hank was the first Atlanta Braves player to hit his 500th career home run, and in 1970, he was … His dedication towards his sport and the passion with which he used to play led him into winning numerous awards. Teams: Milwaukee Braves (1954-1965), Atlanta Braves (1966-1974), Milwaukee Brewers (1975-76), FULL COVERAGE: Remembering Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron. He is one of six players to reach the hallowed milestones of 3,000 hits and 500 homers. The award is presented annually to the best hitter in the National and American Leagues. Shining bright: an annual All-StarAaron is the all-time All-Star, with a record 25 selections. Two numbers will be tied to Hank Aaron forever. Even so, Aaron also struck out far less than fellow Hall of Famers such as Reggie Jackson (the all-time leader, with 2,597), Willie Stargell (1,936) and Mickey Mantle (1,710).