A native of
Mobile, Alabama Aaron, who was a shortstop playing sandlot ball, started out professionally
with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League in 1952, utilizing a
cross-handed batting grip that he eliminated before moving on to the majors. He
signed with the Braves and joined the club in 1954 after two minor league
seasons, one in which he led the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League in
batting (.362). Joining the Braves in 1954, he was installed in the outfield
and was selected to his first All-Star Game in 1955, a season in which he led
the NL in doubles (37) and formed a highly productive slugging duo with third
baseman Eddie Mathews. An impressive “bad ball” hitter with his quick wrists
and line-drive power, he topped the league in batting (.328) and hits (200),
and once again in doubles (34) in 1956. Apart from his outstanding hitting and
fielding, he was known for his calm and serene demeanor from the time he came
up with the Braves until the end of his career.
Aaron hit 30 home runs, knocked in 95, and batted .326 as the Braves again won the NL pennant in 1958. Aaron won a second batting title in 1959 (.355) while also topping the NL in hits (223) and slugging percentage (.636) and total bases (400) to go along with 46 doubles, 39 home runs, and 123 RBIs. Still outstanding in 1960 although his average dropped to .292, Aaron topped the league in RBIs (126) and total bases (334) while producing 40 home runs, a .352 OBP, and a .556 slugging percentage. An outstanding outfielder in addition to his hitting, Aaron was most comfortable in right field but often saw action in center, as was the case in 1961. His offense never suffered and he led the NL in total bases for the third straight year with 358 and also topped the circuit in doubles (39) to go along with 10 triples, 34 home runs, 120 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, a .381 OBP, and a .594 slugging percentage. The player known as “Hammerin’ Hank” or “Bad Henry” maintained his excellence in 1962. Helped by an August surge he finished at .323 with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 45 home runs, 128 RBIs, a .390 OBP, and a .618 slugging percentage. In 1963 he led the NL in runs scored (121), home runs (44), RBIs (130), slugging percentage (.586), and total bases (370). He also stole 31 bases. Aaron batted .328 in 1964 but his home run total dropped to 24 although he drove in 95 runs with a .393 OBP and .514 slugging percentage helped along by his 30 doubles. In 1965, following ankle surgery, he went on to hit .318 with a league-leading 40 doubles,32 home runs, and relatively modest total of 89 RBIs. His OBP was .379 and he produced a .560 slugging percentage. With the Braves move to Atlanta in 1966 Aaron’s average dropped to .279 but he topped the league in home runs (44) and RBIs (127) and had a .356 OBP and .539 slugging percentage. He again led the league in home runs with 39 in 1967, and also topped the NL with 113 runs scored, a .573 slugging percentage, and 344 total bases. Aaron followed up with another solid performance in the pitching-dominated 1968 season, batting .287 with 33 doubles, 29 home runs, a disappointing 86 RBIs, 28 steals, a .354 OBP, and a .498 slugging percentage. In the first season of divisional play in 1969, the Braves won the NL West and “Hammerin’ Hank” contributed by hitting..300 with 30 doubles, 44 home runs, 97 RBIs, a .396 OBP, and a .607 slugging percentage. Atlanta was swept by the New York Mets in the first NLCS despite Aaron’s 3 homers and 7 RBIs. Having already surpassed 500 career home runs, he reached 3000 hits in 1970, while batting .298 with 38 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .385 OBP, and a .574 slugging percentage and showing no sign of slowing down at age 36. Playing primarily at first base in 1971, Aaron kept up his hitting production by batting .327 with a career-high 47 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .410 OBP, and a league-leading .669 slugging percentage. He placed third in league MVP voting. The story for the next two seasons was Aaron’s advance toward the career home run record. He added 34 home runs in 1972 to put him 41 behind Babe Ruth’s mark, although his RBI total dropped to 77 and he hit only .265. A 40-homer season in 1973 left him one short of the record which he tied in the first game of the 1974 season in Cincinnti and broke at home four days later. He went on to appear in only 112 games that season, mostly in left field, and batted .268 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, a .341 OBP, and a .491 slugging percentage at age 40. In the offseason he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing him back to the city where he had achieved much success, in return for outfielder Dave May and a minor league pitcher. Aaron spent two seasons with the Brewers, utilized almost exclusively as a Designated Hitter and retired following the 1976 season with a final total of 755 home runs, which remained as the MLB record until 2007. His 3771 hits ranked second at the time his career ended and 2297 RBIs placed first. Aaron batted .305 (.310 with the Braves alone), with 624 doubles and 98 triples. He had seven 40-homer seasons and scored 2174 runs along with a .374 OBP and .555 slugging percentage. While not primarily known for his base stealing, he finished with 240 steals and reached double figures in every season from 1960 to ’68. Appearing in 17 postseason games, he hit .362 with 6 home runs and 16 RBIs. Aaron was a 25-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves for his play in right field. The Braves and Brewers both retired his #44. The unpretentious and workmanlike Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His brother Tommie, primarily an outfielder and first baseman, played in 437 games with the Braves spread out over seven years. He hit 13 home runs, giving the siblings a combined total of 768. Aaron served as vice president of player development for the Braves following his retirement as a player. Among many honors he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. A respected baseball elder statesman, he died in 2021 at the age of 86. Following his stressful pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record, he summed up his approach and perspective by saying, “I’m not trying to make anyone forget the Babe, but only to remember Hank Aaron.” Often overshadowed by contemporaries such as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle during his long career, in the end he out-slugged them all.
[Revised 9/22/25]
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