Hank Aaron, R.I.P.

Henry "Hank" Aaron, best known for passing Babe Ruth on the MLB all-time HR list, passed away this morning at the age of 86.

Aaron becomes the 10th member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame to pass away since April 2020 and the third member in the first three weeks of 2021. He is also the third Hall of Famer with a connection to the Atlanta Braves to die. Phil Niekro passed away last month while Don Sutton (who was a broadcaster for the Braves for many years) died only 72 hours ago.

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Aaron would join the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues in 1951. The following year he would sign a contract with the Boston Braves when they offered $50 more than the New York Giants. Aaron would make his big league debut with the Braves in 1954. By this time, the team had moved to Milwaukee. 

Although an outfielder, Aaron would occasionally play second base. A friend of mine had the chance to see Aaron play second base for the Braves during a doubleheader at Crosley Field in Cincinnati on Memorial Day 1955. That year, Aaron would make the first of 25 appearances in the All-Star Game. This is more than any other player in MLB history.

In 1956, Aaron would win his first of two NL batting titles. The following year Aaron would win his lone NL MVP and lone World Series ring as the Milwaukee Braves bested the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic. Between 1958 and 1960, Aaron won three consecutive Gold Gloves for his defense in right field. In 1971, Aaron hit a career best 47 HRs. His teammates Davey Johnson and Darrell Evans also hit 43 and 41 HRs, respectively making the only time three teammates hit 40 or more HRs in a season. 

Aaron would become an iconic figure in sport when he hit his 715th HR off Los Angeles Dodgers' southpaw Al Downing on April 8, 1974. In the weeks and months leading up to passing the record, Aaron was deluged with death threats and racist epithets. I saw some of those letters when I visited Cooperstown in September 2012. Receiving one letter would be chilling. Receiving thousands would be unthinkable. But he overcame.

In 1975, Aaron would return to Milwaukee to play for the Brewers before retiring at the end of the following season. He finished his MLB career with a lifetime batting average of .305 with 755 HR (a record eclipsed by Barry Bonds in 2007) and the all-time leader in RBIs with 2297. Aaron is also all-time MLB total bases leader with 6856. His 3771 hits are third on MLB's all-time list while finished fourth all-time with 2174 runs scored. Suffice to say, Aaron would be inducted in Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility in 1982 with 97.8% of the vote.

Following his playing career, Aaron joined the Braves front office while also having a successful business career with a chain of car dealerships and restaurants and was involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors. 

Naturally, I had an affinity for him by virtue of sharing the same name. Every once in a while someone would call me Hank Aaron. Not that I deserved that but I welcomed the honor when it was bestowed upon me.

While Aaron did so much more than hit home runs, it is worth watching his 715th trip around the bases on last time. R.I.P.